Since I turned 30 my face started acting up a little.
At 35 I thought I might have to go live in a cave. Nothing massive just consistently pimples popping up here and there. Now at 38, whatever was going on with my face, moved to my boobs and my back!!! SEXY! (shoots herself)
Now not only do I have to content with being overweight and working on it, I have the added stress that if anyone were to see me naked right now, they wouldn't touch me.
Off to the dermatologist!!!! She is my age, hip, trendy and gets it. Really gets it.
We've tried a type of penicillin in the past but it's not enough anymore.
It's only suppressing it, not clearing it up.
She suggests I go on Acutane for 6 months. Really? This shit is serious stuff.
It requires blood work every few weeks to make sure your liver is doing it's job of moving it out of your system. Great.
I begged for a less severe option. We discuss my health history, current and past sexual history, and family .We decide that we'll go with birth control pills, a topical cream to be used at night and 3 months worth on penicillin. Awesome.
If there is not a significant improvement, I'll be moving over to taking Acutane for 6 months.
Which means NO ALCOHOL at all for 6 months, blood work every 3 weeks and more SPF 60 sunscreen on every inch of my body, everyday. Not just my face (which I do now - fair fair skin)
Some of you are probably saying, just do it, you'll be glad you did.
What you don't know is I have a rule about how many pills I take, (never more than 3, ever) and I'm lazy.
Lazy. Lazy. Not sure I'm making this clear. LAZY!
Now I'm not thrilled about being on birth control.
It was a decision I made 13 years ago not to take it anymore, as it no longer made sense to me to take a synthetic hormone to control the hormones that have worked on their own for millions prior to this wonderful invention. Plus if I hadn't gone off it, we would never had properly diagnosed having hypothyroidism.
This is where the 3 pill rule applies.
1- Thyroid, once a day for life
2- Motrin as needed
3- reserved for any meds I may be on for infection or whatever etc.
After growing up watching my siblings and mum take meds for their aliment, then something for the side effects of the meds taken for the aliment, etc they ended up on a cocktail of meds that were never necessary. I made the decision as a teenager to never do that to my body.
Now I'm at 3 + 1 cream
1- thyroid
2- birth control
3- penicillin.
4- topical cream
Ya it wont be forever. Just 3 months. I'll suck it up and stop complaining. But if I end up on Acutane, you're all going to hear about it daily! For the side effects are heavy. More on that if we go there.
When it comes down to it, I'll have to make the decision which is more important.
Maintaining soft, smooth, sexy blemish free skin, or tough it out and deal with any scaring that may occur as a result of scabs/bra bands etc. ugh. FML.
Why couldn't my body have dealt with this like every other 13-19 year old on the planet at the time when I was 13-19!!!!!
Wow, that's seriously crazy! What does the dermatologist say that's causing it? Is it hormonal? When I moved to the states this year, I all the sudden started getting a rash on my face. I was freaking until I figured out it was a combination of too much exfoliating and a certain beauty product at CVS. WHo needs this crap! Ugh.
ReplyDeleteYes it's hormonal. :( Hence the bcp I'll be starting as soon as my monthly gift comes.
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous of men right now and their ability to not have to wear makeup and natural exfoliating with shaving everyday.
Builds character....right?
Isn't there some infomercial with Jessica Simpson for magic zit cream? Can't you just put it wherever? (TWSS)
ReplyDeleteCaleb - I don't believe magic zit cream works on hormones causing chaos on my body. lol
ReplyDeleteIt's not a bacterical breakout.
If only it were that easy!
My BFF is on Acutane, she is like you but the pill and etc didn't work for her - for whatever reason. She loves it. But it is very drying. I would say don't fear it if it comes to that. It's like everything we do in life as women, we thinks it's ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE, and then we realize that for the most part we are better for it.
ReplyDeleteAs to dying in bed alone, well given women have a longer life expectancy that would happen anyways... but I say it is only worth it if you think it is. Personally despite my belief that it's probably one of the few ways left, I'm still not sure I want to really jump back into the online thing
S&P - Dating is hard. Everyone knows that.
ReplyDeleteI use to date to pass the time, and it got old, fast. Now, I'm dating to meet someone to date exclusively. For whatever reason this has made dating harder for me.
I'm not against online dating, although men in general are becoming lazy about their efforts cos there are so many women out there that will accept that as acceptable. I do not.
I've said it before, A jerk is a jerk regardless of the venue you meet him in.
In the past I've been 100% against being set up by friends with friends. The 1-3 times I did allow it, it was so diasterous that it could have ended a friendship. Thinking, "Is this what you think I'm worthy of dating?"
Now that I'm older, the thought of being set up isn't so painful. Maybe it has something to do with being older, men having been married, divorced, having children etc... I'm no longer 100% against it.
(I think I'm long winded today)
I have boy brain. ugh.
Accutane -
I've decided against taking it, if this doesnt work out. The acne isn't a huge mess but it's unattractive and persistant when it is breaking out. Although I do have to talk to my GP too to see if being on thyroid medication is compatible with accutane etc.
I've been on the penicillin and cream for 4 days now and everything is improving, then add the bcp soon.
Hopefully this will keep it at bay for a length of time after the treatment ends. If the pill works out, I MIGHT stay on it. I like having options, and I'm thankful to be in a position to make choices for and/or against suggestions.
Some might be reading this blog and the comments and wonder why I'm researching asking questions and just venting about it.
It's just birth control, right?....
I try to live without putting anything into my body that isn't a necessity.
Fair right?
Really no different that anyone who chooses not to eat meat. At least that's what I tell myself.
I completely agree about the drugs in the system thing. I just have a bunch of multi's and such like in the system because I didn't want to go on harsh steriod or beta-blocker for my d*mn hives. Do what works for you.
ReplyDeleteAs to the dating is hard. Yes it is. As to being set up - sure I would try that option but given I'm in the bottleneck age of the almost and 30's somethings the competition seems a little too fierce to try and go that route. Maybe it's just my friends, but it seems they are all for moral support, but helping you find the one is too much to ask, in that you are on yor own. le sigh.
I did some online dating many years ago and it looks like I may be trying it again in a few months - I'm interested to see how much it has changed since it sounds like it's grown so much!
ReplyDelete