Grasp Special Comb

GRASP SPECIAL COMB/Stephanie Rosenfeld PEDICULOSIS: IDENTIFICATION AND TREATMENT by Katherine RandaU-HiUman Pediculus humanis capitus, the common —Return library books—UC Science lib: Pediculosis, pediculicides , pyrethrin, permethrin "aU Mom PEDICULOSIS AND YOUR CHILD by Katherine L. Randall —Buy bagels —Check to V. Sch. of Ballet PEDICULUS HUMANIS CAPHUS: ONE WILY MOTHERF— (Ha.) —Ariadne: New leotard Ponytail holders "all Mom YOUR CHILD AND HEAD LICE by Kathy Hillman Head Uce is a common childhood _____ that can be present in any segment of the population at any given time. —disease, illness, malady, condition. Affliction. —Afflict: to humble, overthrow, try, torment, torture, rack. —Personal nuisance problem (Hamp. Cty, DPH) —Rack (!)—Racked with lice If your child comes home from school with head lice, don't be alarmed The Missouri Review · 43 —Pharmacy: Nix (big size) Egg dissolver stuff Metal comb (check w/Gary—did he take mine?) More of those plastic clampy things —Cash If your child comes home from school with head lice, try not to be alarmed —Do laundry (check w/Ed re: why no hot H2O?) —Borrow vacuum (check w/Gary—why does he get vacuum ; split cost of new one?) —Ariadne: Cancel play date w/Chiara " "w/Katrin Practice Wash and comb —Comb Leon? —Call Leon: Does he have magnifying glass at work? If your child comes home with head lice, try not to panic —Call Mom —Grocery store: More laundry det. Garbage bags (big) Dinner?? Treat for Ariadne —Video/book-on-tape for A. (unabridged) If your child comes home with head lice THE TRUTH ABOUT HEAD LICE by Kathy Randall Head lice is a scourge from hell that will temporarily ruin your life and possibly damage it permanently. Kind of strong. Stick to facts. Head Uce, Pediculus humanis capitus, are tiny black, gray or brown —tiny insects, very difficult to see, which —insects so small it's difficult to see them at all, let alone teU what color they are 44 · The Missouri Review Stephanie Rosenfeld —tiny, moving, transparent, black-hearted specks and their eggs, malevolent grains of next-to-nothingness that attach themselves to the hair shaft at the scalp's surface and have the capacity to rob you of every crumb of hope, peace of mind, optimism or spiritual ease you might at one time have possessed, not to mention sanity, sleep and every free moment from the present to some far-off point in the increasingly unimaginable nit-free future. There are a number of over-the-counter remedies available, all of which are extraordinarily expensive and none of which work. Their packages are printed with blatant lies, which a perky member of your HMO's advice staff ("This is Donna in A.S.") will read over the phone until you realize the words sound familiar. You ask if anyone there's ever actually had Uce. You ask if anyone there's ever seen your child's head of hair when Miss A.S. says people do survive this, all you have to do is comb every strand ofyour child's hair two times each day, wash aU the bedding in hot water every day, vacuum the entire house and the car every day. "Steam cleaning works best," she reads, "or simply close off the entire area: playroom, TV room—anywhere the kids spend a lot of time—for fourteen days." She tells you, as if this is the way stupid people get Uce in the first place, not to let chUdren share brushes, clothing or headgear, and says, "There is a prescription available, but we don't Uke to use it except as a last resort," as if she wants you to beg her for a substance that wUl give your chUd permanent nerve damage. You say, "Headgear, Miss Verbatim ?" you teU her you're guessing that she doesn't have any chUdren, ask her how many rooms in her mansion. You ask what A.S. stands for again, Attitude Spewing? then thank her for the "advice" and hang up. This is day two of lice; this is before you understand that lice can be used to measure many things: the shortness of a day; the ferocity of your instinct to...