Tales From The Front
Nov. 3rd, 2005 02:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sadlikeknivesI have a whole lot of stuff to talk about, but right now, just one thing.
I went off on TallGirl today. It was bad. I woke up cranky for no good reason and TG wrecked her car yesterday, so TR gave her a ride to class. I always ride with TR on Thursdays. TR picked me up, and then we went back to their apartment to get TG (I have no idea why she was left behind at first). I clambered out of the car to get in the back and let her have the front, but before I could get in the back she whined:
TG: Why do I have to sit in the back?
Me: You're not, I am, and I could ask the exact same question so whatever.
TG: It's just that I'm tall and--
Me: We're the exact same height.
TR: And the backseat has more leg room than the front, because of my weird dash. You know that!
TG: I need to pick up my Premarin* prescription.
Me: WHAT.
TR: TG's on injection birth control. It fucks up her hormones, so she takes--um. That stuff.
TG: Premarin.
Me: Holy shit do you know what Premarin IS??
TG: No, but I know my doctor told me to take it so why do I care? Do you have some problem with estrogen?
Me: *boggles at her blithe attitude toward her own health care* No, I have a problem with Premarin. Or more specifially, the Premarin industry, unless they've made some massive alterations I haven't heard about.
TG: What, do they cut up pregnant women or something? What is your problem?
Premarin, for those of you not in the know, stands for PREgnant MARes urINe. At some (not all, some are great) of the Premarin farms, the mares are kept in squalor. They are kept pregnant all the time; their foals are weaned far too young so they can knock Mama up again, and the foals...the foals are considered extraneous and frequently bound for slaughter. Bloodline is not an issue, because it's the process, not the end result they're interested in. This can screw the foals over pretty bad. There are whole rescue organizations dedicated to bailing out Premarin foals. Saying I have a small problem with the Premarin industry is a bit like saying the Mississippi's a touch wet. It should be noted there are alternatives to Premarin, though I am willing to concede they are not for everybody. It should also be noted that TG is a perfectly healthy twenty-year-old woman, and the only reason she is on Premarin in the first place is that her doctor, who she apparently sees as infallible, put her on godawful birth control. TR, who has been subject to my rants on Premarin before, spent the entire ride cringing.
So I went off. I gave her the whole-nine-yards lecture. TR told me later she'd never heard me talk in that tone of voice before, and she was quite frankly scared. When I finally wound down, TG's reaction?
In a very snotty tone: "Well, my doctor put me on it and he didn't tell me any of those things. My doctor knows what's best."
Fortunately, we were in the parking lot by then, and TR dragged me out of the car with a, "Holy crap, look at the time, we're going to be late!" before physical violence could be done.
I went off on TallGirl today. It was bad. I woke up cranky for no good reason and TG wrecked her car yesterday, so TR gave her a ride to class. I always ride with TR on Thursdays. TR picked me up, and then we went back to their apartment to get TG (I have no idea why she was left behind at first). I clambered out of the car to get in the back and let her have the front, but before I could get in the back she whined:
TG: Why do I have to sit in the back?
Me: You're not, I am, and I could ask the exact same question so whatever.
TG: It's just that I'm tall and--
Me: We're the exact same height.
TR: And the backseat has more leg room than the front, because of my weird dash. You know that!
TG: I need to pick up my Premarin* prescription.
Me: WHAT.
TR: TG's on injection birth control. It fucks up her hormones, so she takes--um. That stuff.
TG: Premarin.
Me: Holy shit do you know what Premarin IS??
TG: No, but I know my doctor told me to take it so why do I care? Do you have some problem with estrogen?
Me: *boggles at her blithe attitude toward her own health care* No, I have a problem with Premarin. Or more specifially, the Premarin industry, unless they've made some massive alterations I haven't heard about.
TG: What, do they cut up pregnant women or something? What is your problem?
Premarin, for those of you not in the know, stands for PREgnant MARes urINe. At some (not all, some are great) of the Premarin farms, the mares are kept in squalor. They are kept pregnant all the time; their foals are weaned far too young so they can knock Mama up again, and the foals...the foals are considered extraneous and frequently bound for slaughter. Bloodline is not an issue, because it's the process, not the end result they're interested in. This can screw the foals over pretty bad. There are whole rescue organizations dedicated to bailing out Premarin foals. Saying I have a small problem with the Premarin industry is a bit like saying the Mississippi's a touch wet. It should be noted there are alternatives to Premarin, though I am willing to concede they are not for everybody. It should also be noted that TG is a perfectly healthy twenty-year-old woman, and the only reason she is on Premarin in the first place is that her doctor, who she apparently sees as infallible, put her on godawful birth control. TR, who has been subject to my rants on Premarin before, spent the entire ride cringing.
So I went off. I gave her the whole-nine-yards lecture. TR told me later she'd never heard me talk in that tone of voice before, and she was quite frankly scared. When I finally wound down, TG's reaction?
In a very snotty tone: "Well, my doctor put me on it and he didn't tell me any of those things. My doctor knows what's best."
Fortunately, we were in the parking lot by then, and TR dragged me out of the car with a, "Holy crap, look at the time, we're going to be late!" before physical violence could be done.
