| 15 Weeks to go! | ||
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Note: Links will become active as the designated period passes. Check back often! About me! (non-Accutane-related) Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4
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Week 1 Friday 02-28-03 My dermatologist called and said I can come by today to pick up my prescription. I guess my blood work turned out fine after all. I was worried that my triglyceride levels would be too high - I'm not fat, but I should be considering the crap I eat. My car's in the shop, so hopefully, one of my roommates will be home soon to drive me there. I plan on starting them tonight. I got the pills! My dermatologist prescribed 40 mg twice a day. I think 40 mg is one of the higher doses, which scares me. Other people have mentioned in their journals that they started off with a lower dose, and later had it increased. I now worry about the side effects hitting me with full-force right away, so I went out and bought $50.00 worth of moisturizers (creams, lotions, artificial tears). I've posted my official "BEFORE" picture. Can't wait to see how that's going to change! Sunday 03-02-03 I've been taking the pills for 3 days now, and I have to say I'm relieved. Some of the others that I've tried didn't agree too well with my stomach, and I'd end up puking them up. I decided that despite how nauseous I might become, I would keep shoving the pills down my throat until my course was over. Luckily, so far (knock on wood), it's been a PIECE-O-CAKE! I haven't experienced any side effects except for a slight headache, but I'm not even convinced it's the Accutane causing it.. My only complaint is that it's hard to get the damn pills out of the bubble packaging. Beginning this therapy couldn't have happened a moment too soon. Among the others, there has been a monolithic zit on my cheek all weekend. I've never had or seen anything like it on another human being It is HUGE, horribly painful, red, and worst of all - unpoppable. After a few days, it became soft and mushy and almost purple in color. It is literally a bag of pus on my face. Gross. I'm mortified when I go out in public, and even a little embarrassed to let my new boyfriend see me like this. I kept sneaking into the bathroom throughout the weekend to dab concealer on it, but alas - a losing battle. I also developed a small, painful zit colony on the front of one of my shoulders, which has never happened before. Normally, I'd be really depressed about all of it, but for the first time, it seems only temporary. I'm already following a daily protocol that I've prepared for myself in expectation of the common side effects I've read about. I bought Cetaphil Gentle Face Wash for my face. I've changed my soap from a deodorant bar to Dove, and my shampoo to herbal essence's anti-dandruff and a heavy conditioner for dry hair. (My hair is already kind of dry from highlighting that I had done last year). I have Aquaphor for my lips; it reminds me very much of vaseline. Immediately after the shower, I'm using Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream all over my body, and on my face at night. This is THICK stuff. It looks exactly like Crisco lard, and although it doesn't stink, it doesn't particularly smell good either. I do love it, though! I've always had really dry skin, and even though I'm on my third day of Accutane, my skin is actually softer than it has ever been. Monday 03-03-03 As it turns out, my nose is the first to go to crap. I looked in the mirror at about mid-day, and noticed that it was dry and peeling underneath the makeup. It looks hideous! The acne on my cheek is also peeling, but I doubt there's much that can happen to my cheek to make it look worse. Some of the deeper zits formed nasty heads around the peeling skin, which has also turned kind of hard on top of the pimples and cysts. My cheeks feel like a bed of scabs. I should really not pick at them, but I can't help it. My skin seems to be itching more than usual - especially my face, which I can't scratch because it hurts so much - and inside my nose, which I can't scratch in public because I'd get funny looks. I use Aquaphor on my lips every few hours - they've never been so soft! I'm in college and walk through a bunch of hills to get from class to class - I think that my knees seem to ache more than usual. Perhaps I'm just being a hypochondriac, but it really hurts to walk. I've always had bad knees that crackle and pop when I go from a sitting to standing position, but they've never bothered me otherwise. Wednesday 03-05-03 ITCHY, ITCHY, ITCHY! I can't stop scratching my scalp and arms, but nothing seems to be particularly dry except my nose. And speaking of my nose, I made the mistake of blowing it last night and saw a little blood on the tissue. My skin does feel a little tight, and it seems to worsen about an hour after taking a pill. The last two times I've taken it, I've noticed a very transient red rash on my arms, and a reddening of my face. Otherwise, things aren't THAT bad. I still have pain in my knees, but only when I walk up or down an incline or up stairs. However, my ankles seem to ache as well today, and I'm having minor chest pains that I can't really typify. If I slouch in one position for too long, and then straighten, my chest hurts right at the sternum - especially if I try to take a deep breath. I don't know whether to attribute that to muscle aches or something more serious. Either way, I'm convinced that at least SOME of this is being caused by the Accutane; I'm something of a skeptic, but things are certainly happening - my facing isn't clearing up (I don't expect it to so soon), but at least I can tell it's having an affect - albeit mildly unpleasant. I think I'm starting to notice the beginning of the dreaded "initial breakout." Especially on my right cheek. It's hard to tell, though, because I had the worst breakout of my life in the week preceding my Accutane therapy. Too bad that didn't count - if it gets worse than this, and I suspect it will, ugh... there just won't be enough concealer in the world! 15 Weeks to go!
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