Skin – two months (and a bit) down the line
Day: 72
Dosage: 30mg per day
Skin issues: My skin is still slightly red and a little bit swollen on the sides of my nose, I’m not sure if its a remnant of the cyst or if its some scaring under the skin but I’m not too worried.
Side effects: My lips are very very dry, and in fact, I woke up the other morning with blood on my pillow from my lips. I am using Lansinoh (a pure lanolin nipple balm for breastfeeding moms) at night since it is so thick and lasts the whole night. During the day I use LipIce Med+ or whatever I can lay my hands on.
My skin is very dry, especially my arms and I am bathing myself in body lotions.
Improvement: Touch wood, spit on the ground, cross all my bits, I haven’t had any new cysts!!
Skin – 3 weeks later
I’ve been a very bad blogger while I was away and the week since I’ve been back. Things have just been sooooo hectic, in a good way 
So while I work on the Cape Town and wedding post I thought I would update you on the skin issue.
Day: 55
Dosage: 30mg per day
Skin issues: The cyst that was opened and drained took about a week to calm down (I totally forgot to take any photos, sorry), it was, and still is, a little red and tender but unless you look closely you cant really tell. I think Im going to have a small scar where the dermo made the hole but Im fine with that. The main issues I have at the moment are that the sides of my nose are still reddish but there have been no new cysts.
Side effects: My lips are extremely dry and chapped and I am trying many different balms to keep them moisturised. My skin in general is dry but not as bad as I expected.
Improvement: No new cysts since being on the 10 day course of antibiotics and having the last cyst drained.
Skin – Day 35 and an about face (haha)
So after my post 2 days ago about stopping the Roaccutane and going back onto my antibiotics, things have changed a little.
I called my dermo’s office this morning and after a bit of a chase around they told me that I could come see her this evening. I fetched Aaron from my mom and she offered to come with me, so we dropped Aaron at home and off we went.
I walked into the office at about 6:30pm and she took one look, shook her head and said that she wanted to try drain it.
Let me just tell you that this chick, this chick is a freaking liar! There is no way in heaven, hell or purgatory that she fell asleep while having those stars tattooed on her face.
Thank heavens my mommy came with me. I cried the entire time the dr was working on me. From the time she injected the anesthetic, through making a hole (!) in the cyst, to draining it and then injecting cortisone directly into it. Sore does not even begin to cover the pain!
So I am now on hectic once a day antibiotics for 10 days and an increased dose of Roaccutane as well as a topical cortisone cream.
Lets just hope that I look like a normal person by next Sunday for my brother in laws wedding.
~~~
Day: 35
Dosage: 30mg per day
Skin issues: Massive cyst on left side of my nose (drained as per above), small drained cyst under right side of nose (she also injected cortisone into that one, just in case)
Side effects: Nothing different, my hands and the top of my feet are a little dry but other than that all is ok.
Improvement: Watch this space!
Skin – Day 33 or day 1a
So I have made a decision.
I am stopping the Roaccutane and going back onto the antibiotic my GP had me on before.
I know I should probably wait to speak to the dermo, and I *will* call her on Tuesday and discuss it, but I just know that this is the right thing to do.
Before, I would get 1 cyst maybe every 2/3 months (sometimes more sometimes less), in the last month I have had 3 major cysts and that isnt including the small ones on my lips.
Im hoping the antibiotic will sort out whatever infection is making the current cyst so angry and that when I speak to the dermo on Tuesday we can figure out another solution.
I really thought that after the first week or two (even 3!) the getting ‘worse before it gets better’ part of Roaccutane would be over. We are now at the end of week 4/beginning of week 5 and this last cyst is so bad I would classify it as one of my top 3 BAD cysts. I also have a small one forming under my nose too.
Hopefully the antibiotic kicks in quickly cause my nose (and left side of my face) is excruciatingly sore. Smiling, yawning, brushing teeth or anything that causes movement of my cheek makes me want to scream.
Im going to keep updatin but am starting from day 1a (on antibiotics, no Roaccutane).
Skin – day 32
A quick update following my last journal on day 28…
My skin is so much worse. I feel like burying myself in my duvet and not coming out. Left a message for the dr on Thursday and she never called me back. I will call again on Tuesday. Something has to change!
Fairtrade chocolate? Yes please!
I stopped in at Melrose Arch earlier with my mom and the kids and we came across a sight that made us pay attention…
You see Cadbury had set up a stand in the square to promote it Fairtrade chocolate.
What is Fairtrade you may ask? Well from the Fairtrade Label South Africa website:
Fairtrade is an alternative approach to conventional trade and a global movement that stands for sustainability and development through trade.
Dating back to the 1960s, Fairtrade started with small initiatives by individuals or groups (usually faith-based organisations or social entrepreneurs) that wanted to make a difference in developing countries by buying their products in an ethical manner. This included paying fairer prices and establishing direct trading partnerships with producers, thereby sharing knowledge and information on production and market and quality requirements.
You can read a more in depth description here.
The stand at Melrose Arch involved moving from station to station learning about what Cadbury and Fairtrade are all about. Justice, Cocoa and Joy each gave a brief and informative talk as we moved to each station and then Aaron got to make his very own Cadbury Faircrow
Fairtrade Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bars are for sale in store as we speak and I for one am very excited to be able to buy them.
I think the whole Fairtrade organisation is a wonderful example in empowerment and in alleviating poverty.
Unfortunately Cadbury South Africa doesnt seem to have their own Facebook or Twitter profiles but you can follow Fairtrade Label SA on Facebook and Twitter if you like.
Note: Neither Cadbury nor Fairtrade Label SA asked me to write about this, I stumbled upon the entire thing by accident and it has struck a deep chord with me.
Vroom vroom, beep beep!
So finally, the car post!
I am so over the moon super excited to have my new car.
Dont get me wrong, I adore my old Tazz (and am quite pleased that she is still with us, Paul has taken over driving her).
But having, power steering, central locking, electric windows and aircon is amazing!
Also, my little Tazz is over 12 years old and I have had her for just over 10 years. She really was a ‘student’ car.
The new car is a real Mom-mobile Its a Toyota Innova and can seat up to 7 people.
Its an absolute pleasure to drive and Paul and I half joke about who gets to drive it.
In fact I find myself making up excuses to go to the shops etc just so that I can take it out for a spin
Skin – day 28
Day: 28
Dosage: 20mg per day
Skin issues: Redness on the sides of my nose, I have a new cyst on the left side of my nose (actually 2 cysts, one slightly smaller than the other but it looks like only one), this time the cyst is completely blind, meaning that there is no head and no chance of it draining which makes it that much more painful than the others. Its also quite close to my eye and the swelling is a bit uncomfortable.
Side effects: My lips are quite dry. An unexpected side effect, and not wholly unwelcome, is a marked increase in hair loss, I have noticed a more than average loss, especially when I wash my hair. The fact that my hair is so thick makes this side effect a small bonus
Improvement: None that I can see.
Skin – Day 17
Day: 17
Dosage: 20mg per day
Skin issues: Redness on the sides of my nose, small (almost gone) cyst on upper lip
Side effects: My skin is slightly dryer than normal but winter is on its way and Im not sure if its weather or meds causing the dryness. My lips are dry as well, but again, they get like this when winter approaches. Im using Lansinoh nipple stuff on my lips, best stuff ever!!
Improvement: Far fewer cysts.
Skin – Day 6
So, as many of you know, I have started taking Roaccutane.
I have decided to keep a skin journal and every week or so I will post an update on whats happening, improvements, side effects, even a photo or two…
Day 6
Day: 6
Dosage: 20mg per day
Skin issues: Cysts on either side of my nose (greatly reduced in the last two days), skin under my mouth is ok, small cyst in my right eyebrow, small cyst in my groin.
Side effects: So far the only side effect is that my skin got ‘worse’ on about day 4 (I wish I had thought to take a photo of day 4, you would not believe the difference between then and now!), I developed three cysts, one on the left of my nose and two on the right side of my nose. Bloody painful but they didnt last as long as usual. They developed heads within two days (usually takes up to a week) and drained yesterday evening. Im still red and sore but not as swollen. P.s. Getting ‘worse’ is par for the course with Roaccutane, they say it takes up to two weeks for the ‘worse’ part to subside…
Improvement: Only that the cysts cleared faster than normal.
