Kim, I do live in the country. I have rabbits and chickens (And a humongous indoor cat). I was actually awake a lot last night worrying over them, with the low temperatures (Not nearly as cold as where you are, though). Fortunately everyone was fine this morning, just thirsty because their water froze! 
The wood stove is awesome for heat. I love that I can stoke it up, and leave it for hours, and when I come back, the fire is still going and with a little air it puts out A LOT of heat. It does great keeping things toasty, and there's nothing like coming in and standing by the stove, and feeling the warmth just seep into your body.
Update: I was so worried about the animals this morning that I got up and put my gear on, got a bucket of water, and went running out... and completely forgot to put stuff on my face before I did. So I'm back in now and I'm looking and feeling kind of alligator-ish. I'll be moisturizing pretty intensively over the next few hours to make up for that. 
I looked in the mirror this morning and discovered that some of the redness on my face seems to be letting up. I'm not sure if that is a temporary thing, or something that might actually improve with the drug. So far the "sneaker" is still hiding. I have the feeling one of these mornings I am going to wake up and have an enormous cyst somewhere on my forehead.
Welcome Waytooldforthis. 
I was offered accutane several years ago, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. My turning point came with that huge cyst, and the realization that at 37, I have other problems I should be worried about, besides acne. I am finding that, so far at least, it is worth it. The fact that things come up, and then go away quickly is wonderful. I do think that it is a decision that everyone needs to make for themselves, because it is an intense process.
update: My skin is doing much better today, probably thanks to much lotioning yesterday, after my venture into the cold. My hands still look like they've been in a briar patch. Before I go out today I'll be putting lotion on my skin to hopefully keep it from getting too scaly. It is above 0 right now, and supposed to get above freezing later today (hooray). If my car will start I am going to go out and get some groceries!
My car started yesterday, and I went out for groceries (hooray)! I came back home, got out of the car, and heard water rushing. I knew that it was not from the creek, and as I got closer to the house, I discovered that I've got a burst pipe. The water had to be shut off, so now I am eating things that do not involve cooking, or dirty dishes (as much as possible). Hopefully it will be fixed later on today. I did go to a friend's house, and get a good shower.
Update: For some reason right under my nose is extremely sensitive. It almost feels raw, even though my nose has't been running. I have a bruise on my cheek from walking into a gambrel (big metal hanger), and a few red spots along my jaw line that are completely flat, and don't look like they will develop into anything. So far, so good!
My car started too! I only had to have it plugged in for two days!
Our temp jumped from the minus thirties to minus eight today, which was awesome. That's Celsius, of course, because (if you hadn't noticed from how cold it is where I am), I'm Canadian.
My nose is feeling better, but it felt like it was ON FIRE the first week of Accutane, and then that just went away and hasn't come back - yet. I think it's just sensitive skin. My nose is perhaps just not used to not being covered in an inch of grease.
Glad to hear things are going well! My first round of Accutane was SO much more pleasant than this one. I think the first-timers get off easier!
Your home sounds intriguing! What kind of animals do you have there?
Kim, I have Californian rabbits (white, with black nose, ears, tail, and feet), and White Rock chickens. There is also an enormous indoor cat that lives here, and is currently passed out in the bed after carousing all night. I had figured you were in Canada, based on the Centigrade measures, and the temperatures. SO glad that your car started. I haven't got a plug on mine, so I just had to wait 2 days for things to warm up above 15 degrees.
My face felt like it was on fire last night. I lay my head on the pillow, and it felt like sandpaper on my face. OUCH! I actually woke up twice to moisturize last night (for some reason a Dr. Who episode or two comes to mind there). . It is still feeling pretty rough right now, but hopefully I am on the road to recovery. I actually managed to thaw most of the case of bottled water I got, so I will be able to drink more (I have no tap water at the moment, thanks to a line break) today than I did yesterday.
On a VERY positive note, it seems that my hair has turned dry, at least temporarily. Given how difficult it is to heat water for hair washing, it was awesome not to NEED to do that this morning!
Well, it is off to the races! I got my class schedule for this semester straightened out (amazing how difficult they make that), and got a few hundred dollars worth of books yesterday (it was a rip-off). So next week starts with a bang. Work (at school) and School...
Yesterday and today.... days 21 and 22, I believe.
Yesterday was pretty average, except for having no water. My skin was a little dryer than usual, but not terrible. I went for dinner with family, and did something I knew I shouldn't have done... I had a couple of drinks. Now... to put this into perspective, I don't drink very often, have not been drinking long, and so I tend to get buzzed very easily. Anyway, I ended up spending the night because I was too tired (and buzzed) at 1:30a to drive home. I had lip stuff with me, but no face stuff.
I used some lotion that was on the vanity in the morning, and it actually felt really good, and didn't burn my skin at all (I'm going to find out what that was, and get some). I did "normal" things today, and ended up having to make an emergency run to the next town for more plumbing parts, and then came back to work on that with the guy who came to do the fix, and was so busy that I was paying NO attention to my face.
So, one of the most embarrassing moments of my life... if you can be embarrassed by something that happened previously... After everything was said and done, and I still don't have water, I went to the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and discovered this... mustache and goatee of flakes! I was absolutely horrified, and immediately started going back in my mind, wondering if it was like that when I went to the hardware store, wondering if the plumber guy had noticed it... and being totally embarrassed by both possibilities. I started trying to remember when it was that I had last looked close in the mirror. I realized after some time that I had put lotion on right before i went to the hardware store, and the plumber's eyesight isn't the greatest, so.... I might have gotten by. Still, the thought is mortifying.
Continuing along those lines, I realized that the area that was all flaky and weird looking was the area that has been burning so badly recently. Just under my nose, and around my mouth, and down my chin. And those areas have been very prone to breakout at times (though not so much recently). Places where I'd once had a spot of some kind had bigger flakes. And all of that leads me to wonder if I should really start paying attention to those burning areas, in case this tries to happen again.
Lol, I have woken up to this flakiness a couple times with horror. I often worry that it will happen during the day and I won't even know. Sometimes at work my face will feel dry, and I'll just pray it's not a mess of flakes because there is nothing I can do about it (don't bring my skincare and makeup to work). It does seem to happen more in breakout areas, even if there isn't anything currently there, and I have no idea why. Another mystery of Accutane. Someday we will look back on these moments and think they are funny! Right?
Someday we will look back on these moments and think they are funny! Right?
I sincerely hope so. And I hope that I won't have any more moments like that. I'll be taking make up and moisturizer to work with me, because on Tuesdays and Thursdays I will have class right after school for the next 16 weeks, so my days will be extremely long. I surely don't trust my skin to behave at the moment.
It is a GORGEOUS day here. In the 50s, bright sunshine, and a nice breeze. The fire is smoldering, and I spent a good chunk of time outdoors doing some chores that have needed done, and checking out what remains of the garden after the bitter cold and torrential rain. My hands got very itchy while I was out, and to my shame, I scratched, and ended up with a tiny bloody spot. It has gone away since I put the Aveeno oil stuff on it. That really does a great job with the rash.
My skin is extremely dry today, and I have a "sneaker" developing somewhere on my forehead. I felt it a couple of times while I was in the shower, but I can't figure out exactly where it is. Maybe it will just disappear? A girl can definitely hope. Something else I noticed... there is a spot on my nose that seems to be a zit magnet. Several times when I was a kid, and a couple of times recently I would develop a big, icky pimple right there, and so there was a little... divet in that spot. This morning I looked in the mirror, and it isn't a little divet anymore, it is a freakin' POTHOLE! So there I sat, trying to hide a hole with make up. Since i'm not much of a make up girl, I don't necessarily know the right techniques... so the result was a slightly smaller hole. GRRR. Going to ask the derm if there is anything that can be done about spots like that later on.
Hoping to finally get water back today!
I finally have water again! I'm not sure how many days I've been without, but I am SO happy to have it back!
My skin is extremely dry right now. I've put moisturizers on it, and it is still flaky. I have been considering doing a very gentle exfoliation to try to get the worst of the flakes off.
Glad you have nice weather, ours has been much better too. Sorry about the 'hole in your nose' (I sincerely doubt it is really a hole!). I have a lot of divets (I like that word!) - little bumps and marks here and there. I have often wondered about trying a treatment for them, but it wasn't that bad and I sort of see them as battle scars. After this bout of craziness I might feel differently.
Hope your sneaker sneaks away!
Hope your sneaker sneaks away!
Me too! On a side note- I am also getting weird little twinges and pains that feel like the start of a new cyst coming up....then nothing happens (....yet..). I like your term for it, though. When I hear "little sneaker", I picture a little bump sitting on my cheek with a coy look on its face wearing little sneakers and singing "Youuu cant seee meeeee!".
Well, so far the Sneaker is still sneaking. I'm not srue whether to be happy about that, or to want to get it over with.
I have a very NON-Sneaker on my left temple. It isn't big, but it is definitely there, and definitely painful. I am hopeful that it will be short lived. It feels like it already has a bit of a head, and it kind of looks like it, but I can't get my eyes to look far enough sideways, even in the mirror, to have a look. I have faith that the Absorica will have it gone by tomorrow.
Today was my first day back at work after Christmas Break, and a weather break. It went fairly smoothly. One of my kids asked why my nose was peeling, which reminded me to put moisturizer on. I also started two of my classes for this semester, and got the preliminary stuff done. I have to say, it is very hard for me to be patient, and wait for someone to do their job, so that I can do mine. Especially when their job (or ineffectiveness) has an impact on my future.
Nearly forgot! I mentioned that I was considering trying to very gently exfoliate. I gave it a shot with some oatmeal, and my skin looks and feels MUCH better. I moisturized immediately afterward to stop the flakes from coming back too quickly. And even though my nose is extremely shiny I am pleased that I am no longer flaky. Note: Be VERY gentle. Otherwise, you end up with raw spots (I have one small one).
Darn those children and their honesty! I feel very lucky to be teaching grade 6 this year. Last year I was teaching k-5 music, and those little tiny ones DEFINITELY would have said something about my skin, whereas the 6s are old enough to know it would hurt my feelings. Also they are too involved in their own drama to notice me much!
Sorry about the oucher - hope it clears up quick!
I am actually sitting in music class right now, with one of my kids. I work in special ed, with middle and high schoolers. Being special ed, some of them lack the mind-mouth filter.
The thing on my temple seems to be doing pretty well. No head, but not getting any bigger, either.
I have completely lost track of the days on accutane. I know that I started 20, December, so I am somewhere around 26 or 27 days, I believe. So far there haven't been any major break outs, just the occasional annoyance. I am wondering if being on antibiotics for nearly a month before I started has anything to do with the lack. Not that I am complaining!
My skin is extremely dry, and I have to lotion a couple of times a day. It helps for a while and then the flakes are back. I have been rotating types of lotion, because for some reason it just makes sense to me. And because I have different lotions in different places. My hair is also quite a bit dry-er and feels somewhat coarser, too. That is probably just because of the dry. I am used to silky soft hair, and this is just different. I've noticed that my fingernails are also more fragile, and tend to break, or split, or crack very easily. The rash on my hands is kept at bay by the Aveeno oil cream stuff. It isn't greasy at all, and it really does hold the moisture very well.
We are expecting another round of bitter cold, it seems. I believe I will stock up on warm foods, and stay indoors. Except for when I must venture out.
Hey! Glad to hear everything is going pretty well.
I thought of you today when I had an embarrassing moment! I had/have this little thing under my lip. It hurt a little this morning, but didn't seem like much. Got home, looked in the mirror a couple hours later and it is a HUGE whitehead that my makeup is NOT hiding. It is that big. I start thinking back - was it this gross when I was at work? Did everyone SEE this? It reminded me of your flaky day, trying to convince myself that MAYBE, just maybe, it wasn't as bad when I was in public. Probably not. Alas.
Luckily we had a blizzard today. Buses were canceled, so only half my class showed up. At least this way they didn't ALL see the horror on my face. I will be such a happy girl when I don't have to worry about things like this! At least it has given me a new appreciation for blizzards.
I am so glad you are doing well! I have also found myself layering different lotions, and I fine it has been enormously helpful in keeping my body dryness in check. I am also glad you haven't had any initial breakouts - maybe it will be smooth sailing from here. Ill be sending warm thoughts your way to battle that bitter cold.
OH, Kim, I think I would probably have had to cry over that one. I am so glad that you kept your humor about it! We've had some snow today, just enough to be annoying, mostly. Things were pretty slippery earlier, though. If they didn't run the buses here, we wouldn't have enough kids show up to have school! It would just be the very few whose parents drop them off, and they would be griping about it the whole time.
Meg, having read the other blogs, I am truly grateful that things have been so easy, thus far. I really do wonder if being on antibiotics for so long before I started has something to do with that. I took 2 full rounds of antibiotics, 2 weeks each, trying to get rid of the big cyst on my face. Neither worked, so accutane was suggested (I'd already been using the typical topicals).
I went for blood work today before my derm appointment on Monday. The guy who does the lab work was on the phone, and my GP walked by. She said, "Wow! Are you taking accutane already? Your face looks great!" I was surprised, and happy! She told me that her husband took accutane about 15 years ago (as a teen), and that he still complains about chapped lips all the time. To be honest, I think this is the first time that she's seen me in "Fresh" make up, but I have noticed some differences in my skin as well. Some of the pores on my cheeks are smaller. And I think the holes in my nose are just pores that are coming unclogged, and I've also noticed that the holes don't stay around for long (fortunately).
Meg, having read the other blogs, I am truly grateful that things have been so easy, thus far. I really do wonder if being on antibiotics for so long before I started has something to do with that. I took 2 full rounds of antibiotics, 2 weeks each, trying to get rid of the big cyst on my face. Neither worked, so accutane was suggested (I'd already been using the typical topicals).
Hmm...I have read other logs of individuals who were on some sort of antibiotics that seemed to have a barely noticable IB, or bypass it altogether. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people, it seems. The ouchies just keep coming, which is a little disheartening. How were your labs?
I won't know how the labs look until Monday, unfortunately. I am very curious. My cholesterol was very low, and my liver function was fine last time, so I am curious what has happened to those numbers. I am hopeful that it won't have risen TOO terribly much. I think she is planning on leaving my dosage the same through my course, so hopefully this will be a pretty accurate reflection of what my labs will be.
Hi! I am about to take my second round of bloodwork on Monday, first since I started the 60mg! So curious to see how the #s have changed (if at all!). If I may, let me recommend the Mario Badescu Moisture Magnet. If you have a Sephora near you, go in and see if they'll give you a sample! It really is amazing stuff...I bought a full-size bottle figuring if I didn't like it after a week I could return it but literally after the first use I was in absolute love! The skin on my face doesn't feel dry at ALL.
We're in a cold snap here, too, but nothing major...I'm in VA, so our winters are just wintery enough to be able to be called "winter"...nothing compared to my neighbors to the Northeast! Best of luck! I'll be following along with your progress!
Thank you for the recommendation LLV! I've been trying all manner of things, so next time I get to Lexington I'll have to check that out. I've put a little memo-note in my cell phone so I'll remember the name of it.
I live in Kentucky, about an hour from the nearest Walmart. The next cold snap that is supposed to come in won't be as cold as the last one, but it will still be cold enough to freeze water bottles and pans, and make doing chores miserable without proper gear.
Update: For the first time ever I have something showing up on my chest. It is a small bump just down from the hollow of my throat. I have no idea what to expect with this, and it does make me a little nervous. The thing that was on my temple shrank, but is now hanging out as a tiny little lump. I've learned that if I stay relaxed, my skin does much better. The least bit of stress and it freaks out!
Have a great day everybody! Here's to clear skin, and keeping calm!
Hey Jess!
I couldn't imagine living an hour from Walmart! Lol! There are 5 or 6 Walmarts in the city where I live, so one is never more than a few minute away. This is good and bad, I guess.
Sorry to hear about the weird thing on your chest. Hopefully it will go away quickly.
I was remembering today that one of the reasons you went on Accutane was a big cyst that wouldn't resolve with antibiotics - is that one gone? That would be quite a triumph!
Hope you have a nice, relaxing day.
I did have a nice relaxing day yesterday. Quite a bit of studying to keep me up in my classes, but that isn't necessarily stressful.
The large cyst is not enflamed, and seems to be shrinking, but it is definitely still visible. I had one a bit smaller than this that eventually had to be removed by a plastic surgeon. I am really, really hoping that it will go ahead and disappear this time. Right now it is about the size of the tip of my little finger... about 3/4 inch long, and a bit more than a quarter wide. It is kind of purple looking, too. It is a lump right now under my makeup, but since it used to be a lot bigger, I'm not going to complain about it a whole lot.
I didn't remember the date for my derm appointment right! It isn't today, it's Wednesday! I have to admit that I am quite disappointed both in my failure to remember, and that I have to wait 2 days for my lab results and to see what she has to say about my skin.