| 13 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 3 Saturday 3-22-03 I know I haven't updated in a while, and I'm sorry. (Spring break!) Today is actually the 2nd day of week 4, but - oh well. I'll have pictures up tomorrow. Besides, I don't have anything good to say about Accutane yet. The rash I mentioned last week seemed to keep growing on both forearms in little patches of crusty skin. When I became too embarrassed to go out in public without bandaids all over my arms, I decided to see my dermatologist. She puzzled over it for a while, mentioned it was weird, and then said that she thought it might be just severe dryness from the Accutane, but added "I don't think it's ringworm, but we'll see when you come back for your check-up."
I was mortified. Ringworm?! Ok, yes, I heard her. She doesn't THINK it's ringworm, but I'm sure she also doesn't think it's leprosy, but she didn't mention that. Obviously, ringworm crossed her mind. When I got home, I started researching ringworm on the internet. I was a little calmed by the fact that ringworm is a fungus, and not actually a worm burrowing in the skin. It can be transmitted by cats and to cats, of which I have two. And the more I looked at example pictures of it, the more I was convinced that that's what I had. So of course I disregarded the cream my dermatologist prescribed and applied Lamasil to the lesions for a couple of days. I would have rather been wrong and make a simple rash worse than my dermatologist be wrong and allowing ringworm to spread all over my entire body as well as to my cats. I explained the situation to my vet, and he suggested that I bring my cats in to test hair samples for ringworm. However, when he saw my arms, he shooed me off - assuring me that he was CERTAIN it wasn't ringworm. I used some of the Lidex, the cream my dermatologist prescribed, and my rashes started disappearing within a day. Hmpf. I felt stupid, but relieved. I guess it really was from the Accutane. Also, I've had 2 or 3 very mild nosebleeds this week. However, they weren't spontaneous - I'd get them after rubbing or blowing my nose. The lip situation is increasingly annoying.
I've started having the cracked, bleeding lips that everyone seems to get with Accutane. I use Aquaphor religiously, and ALWAYS have a tube in my pocket. Mornings seem to be the worst, as my lips tend to dry out overnight. I find that I have to use a first layer of Aquaphor to soften the dead skin, scratch it off, and then reapply. Otherwise, I'm left with sheets of white goo that are only partially peeled off. I haven't noticed any pains at all. I had a lower backache yesterday, but I think it was just from sitting in the wrong position for too long. My scalp either itches less or just doesn't seem to bother me as much anymore. I worried for a while that all of my hair was falling out, but I've gotten over it. I seriously doubt that it is. My skin doesn't seem to be much drier than during the first two weeks - perhaps because of my use of the Cetaphil Cream every morning immediately after the shower. Perfume burns when I apply it to my skin, so I've resorted to spraying it only on my clothes. Sadly, there is no improvement in my acne. In fact, it seems to keep getting worse. I knew that getting an initial break-out was probable, but I didn't think it would be as on-going. I have several cysts of monolithic proportions all over my face and back. My cheeks, especially the right one, are a mess. There are areas where all the pimples seemed to merge together and I can no longer even see my skin. I'm usually very careful about not letting people see my nude (pre-makeup) face, but this weekend, I plopped next to my boyfriend in bright light after having washed my face, and pulled his face toward my worst cheek. I told him to look at it and not pretend like he wasn't because I wanted him to. He didn't say anything for a while, and then "hmm, that is a bad breakout, isn't it." Usually, I hear "it's not so bad," or "it's not as bad as you seem to think it is." I guess I was a little upset to hear that (although I know it's true), but relieved to finally feel like we had stopped playing this ridiculous game of pretend. It's hard not to be discouraged with the way things are going.
13 Weeks to go!
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(03/16/03)