| 11 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 5 Saturday 03-29-03 Ok, it's the second day of the fifth week, and my facial acne continues to worsen. I woke up to pustules all over my right cheek, and it itches terribly. Does that mean it's healing or just dried out? And I was so optimistic about it during the last two days! I honestly thought things were shrinking, but then this happens! Well - maybe they are shrinking... I don't feel anything but about 10 pimples on my left cheek, but there are definitely still painful cysts on the right one. Let's compare, shall we? The left picture was taken on 3/24/03, the right was taken today, 3/29/03 - A five-day difference. I guess it doesn't look as angry now. Hmmm, perhaps I'm just impatient.
Guess what!!! I don't have a SINGLE cyst on my back. I can finally wear my backpack without pain. And on an even lighter note, this is Ellie. She likes to help out with the website. :)
Sunday 04-05-03 I'm actually in the 6th week right now, but I just felt like I should summarize week 5 since I didn't post very much about it. On the last day of week five, my lab partner mentioned that my face looked like it was starting to clear up. Of course I dismissed it. I can't tell you how many people have said that (all of them aware that I had started taking Accutane). I guess it's just a variation of "My goodness, have you lost weight?!" But when I started examining it more closely, I realized that my skin has changed. I used to be able to tighten the skin on my nose and see tons of little clogged comedos that I could extract pus out of if I squeezed it; I don't really see many of those anymore. I'm still breaking out, but I think I have less cysts on my cheek. The ones that do form seem to be going away a little more quickly. I'm trying not to get too excited about it; every time I do, I seem to get the worst breakouts of my life and I become frustrated all over again. As for the side effects, I still have the heinous rash on my arms. I think it has something to do with sun exposure from walking to class. The rash and dryness stop at my shirt sleeves, and the area under my watch is also unaffected. I guess I could start wearing sunscreen on my arms, but it burns even when I put soap on it. The only time I'm in the sun is when I walk to class. I've been applying cream and Lidex fairly liberally, but it's not having much of an effect. If anyone has any suggestions, please - email me! What's happening to my nose is probably the most uncomfortable side effect I've experienced. Everything dries out quickly in there, so it gets really boogery, really fast. Blowing and picking at it have made it worse, I suppose. THe scabs from the bleeding cake on in my nostrils and I can't stand it. About 10 times a day I press my finger up against the inner wall of my nostril and apply a little pressure as I pull it out. (Now, this isn't for the weak-stomached) When I do this, scabs just slough off onto my fingers. It brings a very temporary relief, but 9 times out of 10, it causes it to bleed all over again. The process has to be repeated fairly frequently. And yes, I have tried putting Aquaphor up there, but have had little luck in remedying the situation. Boy, does time fly! It's weird. I feel like I've just started this medication a few days ago, and at the same time, I can't remember what it's like to have normal lips. 11 Weeks to go!
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