Well, after three years I finally did my checkup with my dermatologist. Being fair skinned and covered in weird freckle-moles, I should actually go see him once a year but I have put it off. I went most recently off of my sister-in-law's suggestion. She is a hairdresser and I was complaining about itchy scalp just around my hairline. I wondered if she would suggest a good shampoo to use. She told me that she had a client who has the same thing and said that it is a form of dermatitis.
I ventured off to the dermatologist's office for my 7:30am appt. It was the typical exam where I told him my issues, he checked my skin over, and then he discovered other issues that we dealt with. He informed me that I was one big ball of skin issues. Hahaha! So, along with my scalp issue, a new acne issue around my mouth, and some dry skin around my nose, I now have 6 different topical medications that I use on my face. I will say this though, I have only been doing the regimen for 2 days and my skin is amazing already.
What I was surprised about is that he said that all my skin issues were due to a "hyped up immune system." I did not feel the need to share that I have fibromyalgia and that I live in a constant state of having a hyped up immune system, but it explained why this condition comes and goes. It made me aware that no body part, including my skin, is immune from fibro. It is all fair game. I'm glad to know that there is an easy fix though and that I wish that I would have known sooner that skin issues can be fibro related.
If you are reading this and have fibro and skin issues, I urge you to go see a dermatologist. I don't feel that every issue has to be fibro related but since the doc said specifically to me that the cause of my issues were due to an over-active immune system, which is one of the key causes of fibromyalgia, that people should get it checked out. Skin is something that should be checked out anyway if you never have, but some minor annoyances that I had with my skin are almost completely gone now and could have been taken care of MONTHS ago had I just realized that was something to check out. I will warn that a lot of these medicines are really expensive and if you do not have insurance, you will be paying a ton of money. Otherwise, if you do have insurance, it is worth every penny to get checked out.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
The problem with choices is...
When I was in college I lived with my Dad and step-mom. I was in my "tweenage" years, where I wasn't quite an adult but wanted to be treated like one. even though I really didn't act like one. I like to refer to them as the "young and dumb years". During those years I got to know my step-mom, Missy, pretty well simply because we lived together and she put up with me so much during that time. Through the years Missy has taught me many things, but one thing that she taught me really well was how to argue.
I can honestly say that I can never really remember a knock-down drag out with my biological mother. We are both pretty laid back people. On the few disagreements that we ever had if I felt that my voice wasn't heard then I would write her a letter and we would discuss things after. It worked pretty good, but overall I usually told Mom everything. I found it to be easier than fighting about it and had learned from my older sister that it wasn't worth it...Mom ALWAYS won.
With Missy it was different. She didn't have the same bond that Mom and I had so naturally so she had to work a little harder. I remember the famous first encounter with her where she was upset with me because I had said I was going to do some chore and forgot to do it. She greeted me at the door as I was coming in from work and said something to the effect of "I am mad at you, this is why I am mad at you, what are you going to do about it?" I told her that I would do the chore that I forgot to do right then and she said, "Okay, how was your day?" and it was done. DONE! I mean literally, no more words, no more being upset, it was over...and I LOVED it. She also would use the famous line on me when I would be griping about something, "You have 2 choices!" One choice would be easy and would help me get over my dilemma and the other would be full of drama and would take forever to deal with. It simplified things.
I think this is one of the reasons why I hate drama. I learned, thankfully, at this younger age, that it does no good. I can understand a good vent session with a close friend just to get things off your chest, or to share things when asked, but to just vomit all of your drama on the people around you?...it doesn't accomplish anything but weigh those around you down as well. It isn't fair to those around you cause many times they have their own junk to deal with. I find this is a common practice among people with chronic pain issues, like us with fibromyalgia. I'm not talking about any particular person that I know, but I see it so often whether in a public group forum in cyber world or with a live individual in a public setting that I just want to shout it out, "STOP THE DRAMA!"
Now, my close friends and family will tell you that I am not the most sympathetic person. I have to force myself to be sympathetic to my kids when they hurt themselves, and even that is a stretch. So I have a very hard time being sympathetic to others with chronic pain issues because I have been there, done that, and am writing a blog about it in an effort to let others know that they aren't alone. Even writing this blog is a stretch for me because I am putting my drama out there for other's to read in hopes that it might help someone, not hinder them, and possibly help them find an answer that they haven't thought of yet. I don't usually enjoy talking about my fibromyalgia drama and those first posts that I wrote were pretty hard to write. Ya see, when I hear someone else's story, I hear my step-mother's voice go through my head saying, "You have 2 choices!" I say it to myself daily. "Jennifer, you have 2 choices. You can either focus on your illness and be a drag or you can work a little harder and get over yourself and focus on others around you." Granted some days I choose the first because I need to but most days I try to do the latter. You can usually look around you and find someone a lot worse off. My biological mother taught me that.
So as I bid you farewell, I pass on my step-mother's advice: "You have 2 choices!" What are your two choices going to be today? You can either choose something that will continue your drama and possibly make it worse or you can choose something that will help you to focus on something or someone else. The decision is always yours. So I caution you to choose wisely my friends. Choose wisely!
I can honestly say that I can never really remember a knock-down drag out with my biological mother. We are both pretty laid back people. On the few disagreements that we ever had if I felt that my voice wasn't heard then I would write her a letter and we would discuss things after. It worked pretty good, but overall I usually told Mom everything. I found it to be easier than fighting about it and had learned from my older sister that it wasn't worth it...Mom ALWAYS won.
With Missy it was different. She didn't have the same bond that Mom and I had so naturally so she had to work a little harder. I remember the famous first encounter with her where she was upset with me because I had said I was going to do some chore and forgot to do it. She greeted me at the door as I was coming in from work and said something to the effect of "I am mad at you, this is why I am mad at you, what are you going to do about it?" I told her that I would do the chore that I forgot to do right then and she said, "Okay, how was your day?" and it was done. DONE! I mean literally, no more words, no more being upset, it was over...and I LOVED it. She also would use the famous line on me when I would be griping about something, "You have 2 choices!" One choice would be easy and would help me get over my dilemma and the other would be full of drama and would take forever to deal with. It simplified things.
I think this is one of the reasons why I hate drama. I learned, thankfully, at this younger age, that it does no good. I can understand a good vent session with a close friend just to get things off your chest, or to share things when asked, but to just vomit all of your drama on the people around you?...it doesn't accomplish anything but weigh those around you down as well. It isn't fair to those around you cause many times they have their own junk to deal with. I find this is a common practice among people with chronic pain issues, like us with fibromyalgia. I'm not talking about any particular person that I know, but I see it so often whether in a public group forum in cyber world or with a live individual in a public setting that I just want to shout it out, "STOP THE DRAMA!"
Now, my close friends and family will tell you that I am not the most sympathetic person. I have to force myself to be sympathetic to my kids when they hurt themselves, and even that is a stretch. So I have a very hard time being sympathetic to others with chronic pain issues because I have been there, done that, and am writing a blog about it in an effort to let others know that they aren't alone. Even writing this blog is a stretch for me because I am putting my drama out there for other's to read in hopes that it might help someone, not hinder them, and possibly help them find an answer that they haven't thought of yet. I don't usually enjoy talking about my fibromyalgia drama and those first posts that I wrote were pretty hard to write. Ya see, when I hear someone else's story, I hear my step-mother's voice go through my head saying, "You have 2 choices!" I say it to myself daily. "Jennifer, you have 2 choices. You can either focus on your illness and be a drag or you can work a little harder and get over yourself and focus on others around you." Granted some days I choose the first because I need to but most days I try to do the latter. You can usually look around you and find someone a lot worse off. My biological mother taught me that.
So as I bid you farewell, I pass on my step-mother's advice: "You have 2 choices!" What are your two choices going to be today? You can either choose something that will continue your drama and possibly make it worse or you can choose something that will help you to focus on something or someone else. The decision is always yours. So I caution you to choose wisely my friends. Choose wisely!
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