Week Ten

04/06/03

THIS IS THE HALFWAY MARK!

I no longer have ANY bumps under the skin. The shape of my chin is going back to normal, and no longer distorted by the acne. This is good because I was afraid that it was scar tissue, but the fact that it's going away is a pleasant surprise.

There are some red, peeling places where there used to be pimples on my face and still a few pimples on my neck. I also have some places on my chest and arms with scabs in places where I've scratched at the dry skin.

The doctor said that Accutane slows the healing process, so I expect these red spots to last the duration of the treatment. Especially since I still pick at them every couple of days. (bad habits are hard to break, but I'm trying)

Based on my previous experience, I think these spots will fade away after I stop taking the Accutane and they are finally allowed to heal. Overall, I am very happy with how things are going at this point.

My side effects are still not much of a problem. I was having a lot of trouble with achy joints for a week or so and I was really getting worried that I'd have to stop the Accutane, but then about a week ago, the pain went away completely. I'm thinking it was either some sort of virus, or it might have been because I was doing a lot of hiking and gardening, and maybe not drinking enough water those days. Whatever the case, it's gone now. But I'm really making sure to drink a lot of water.