Clearer Skin

Last night, I had dinner with one of the closer friends in my life. And the end of the night, as I walked her to her car, she mentioned to me that my skin was doing much better.

I’ve been waiting for a very long time for someone outside of my blood line to say that.

Four or five months to go.

Update

I finished the creation of the category archives at last. Only polishing or the problems that are found later are left.

Tomorrow, after the commission meeting at church, I’m spending time with the Associate Pastor probably regarding the fact that I have problems with regards to friendship. I can tell that he is concerned and I appreciate that.

My dermatology appointment for this month needs to be rescheduled, but I’m still getting blood work done tomorrow morning. Kind of inconvenient since I’d like to know this week if the doc has a problem with me going on a hiking trip while taking Accutane in August. I’d think I’d be fine by then, for the most part, but still. I’d like to know this week since I’m going to REI on Saturday to do some shopping for that trip. I’d like to know that I’m going to use what I buy.

I lead the Mark Study tonight and it was absolutely the most refreshing, invigorating, and wonderful thing that I have done in a long while. I look forward to the chance to do that again.

Bleeding Nose

Had my first nose bleed this morning. It’s been a long time since I’ve bled at all. Kind of a shock.

Thank God it didn’t happen during a meeting…

Accutane

Well, for the first time in a decade, I’m taking Accutane again. And hopefully for the last time as I don’t remember this being exactly a pleasant experience. But I’m sure it’s better than what my friend who is in chemo right now is going through, so I probably shouldn’t complain (neverminding that, despite many teenaged beliefs in this world, there is nothing life-threatening about acne, at least for me).

Still, I’m apprehensive. The last time I did this, the process was normal. This time, I couldn’t believe all the steps in place to prevent me from getting this stuff the wrong way. The forms to sign and the papers to prove I was prescribed, the sticker on the prescription for crying out loud. We’ve reached a point where a doctor’s signature isn’t good enough?

Further, judging from the label on the box, I’m to take 120mg a day. The last time I took 80mg at the most (started with 40mg) a day. When I was taking 40mg pills twice a day, I had to be careful not to take them within a certain, more than reasonable (close to ten hours) time period lest I tempt fate and gte nosebleeds at inopportune times. Though the one nosebleed I did get happened while I was playing Mortal Kombat on the SNES at home. I thought that was ironic, giving the bloodiness of that game for the time.

But, to give myself an outlet for nervousness and to have a better chronicle of things, I’ve created a new category for this. We’ll see how long this lasts.

I start tomorrow and I’m only going to take 40mg twice a day until I can call the doctor on Monday and get some kind of confirmation and reason or find out the pharmacy misunderstood. Tomorrow starts 5-6 months of treatment.

I hope this is the last I’ll have to deal with my teenage angst (particularly at age 25).