posted 07-05-2003 10:51 AM            

Well, to sum up......I used it as a spot treatment two or three times per day since Tuesday. I developed a few oil filled ones that I noticed one morning and I applied the Elidel directly to them. By the end of the day they are gone. It goes on creamy and smooth, and doesn't seem TOO drying other than I did put it on a "healing" one and it did dry it out further and make it a bit more red. But the oil filled ones from yesterday a.m....I put the Elidel on twice in the a.m. and once before bed (however, they were mostly gone by then).....today they are gone. I am still spot treating even the tiniest little thing to see what happens. They have never gone away like that.....and I DIDN'T pick them which was sssoooo tempting to rid the oil in them right away!!!
I'm still not sure this will be the solution. My skin probably looks about 70% better than it did a week ago, but that's also because some of the irritation from the azelex has gone down further. Unbelievably though, its still dry on the surface, even with the jojoba oil.
I am only using glycolic cleanser once daily, jojoba oil twice or three times sparingly daily, and spot treating with Elidel.
Could THIS actually work?? I'm not sure. I sit here actually afraid to type the words "My cure". I still don't like the texture of my skin. I still don't like the uncertainty of trying this only to possibly fail AGAIN. and I still don't like that I can't just assume that everything will finally work out....only to lead to possible dissappointment.
I pray it works and posted this here in case anyone out there with an autoimmune disease has had the same problems. I hope that I can come back here and say it worked for me. But I'm too unsure and scared right now. If this has been from the lupus all this time, maybe now I can treat it and get back to my life. I Pray the same for all of you with your treatments.
I will update when I feel I have something to add.

posted 07-05-2003 11:14 AM            

Anyway,
i don't know if you red my post,
but i had my 1st microdermabrasion 2 days ago. My face still is red. I look like i have a really bad sunburn, and all my marks show through it. I didn't think my face was supposed to be red after it, but my e. said that i would be fine the next day, well, that was yetserday and today i am still sunburned looking. i am discouraged. and all the stuff she has me using on my face (aha/bha/bp/....) is drying the heck out of my skin, worse than accutane. i flake every time i move, and i crack and my little wrinkles don't bounce back after i smile or frown i am trying to be positive that this will work, but my face just looks so red and awful i am not sure what to do anymore.

posted 07-05-2003 11:26 AM            

I'm also trying to be optimistic, but its so hard to be let down again then.

I think you have used so many products in the past few months that some of the redness could be caused by the irritation left over from the azelex and tazorac. Mine is still irritated and I haven't used tazorac in about a month and I haven't used azelex in two weeks. I still have that dry patch on my left cheek with a few bumps under the skin. I have these tiny ones emerging today. I am afraid that by using this cream, I will somehow be shutting down the part of my immune system that actually HELPS acne. Is that possible?? Like I'll end up with more or something??

Anyway, I hope your face tones down soon . I wil check back later. I'm glad you're on this new path and maybe, just maybe, you will be sooooo much better by the time you start school. I think you are doing the right thing. But your face probably needs to adjust to the microderm and probably the dryness of the other products. Are they going to keep you using all of them?? And are you moisturizing??? Maybe they will cut down a bit. When do you see the Estitician next??

posted 07-09-2003 11:01 AM            

Actually, The drs are assuming that the lupus was brought out into a full flare by a hysterectomy I had, however, I did take the minocycline after that and it did make it worse.....I was really sick from it.

I still have mixed reviews on how everything got started and tied together, but I'm not sure I will ever know for sure.