No Filter - Dealing with Rosacea
In February 2019, I noticed a small, red patch on the left side of my face. I didn’t think much of it.
I figured I had a pimple or skin irritation that would soon go away. I put concealer on it and tried to forget about it. Little did I know that this small red patch would end up covering my entire face and cause months of doctor appointments, tons of money, and even a trip to the emergency room. The redness on my face turned out to be a type of Rosacea. Rosacea is a condition that causes redness and sometimes small acne-like bumps on the face and is common in middle-aged women.
Initially, I saw my primary doctor who thought I may have had a bacterial rash that I could have caught while on vacation at Universal Studios Orlando. We rode several water rides and I had picked the area thinking it was a pimple. She cultured the area and put me on antibiotics. The area did not improve, so she sent me to a dermatologist. The dermatologist suggested it was a type of contact dermatitis. He asked me several questions about what products I was using and what types of things I come into contact with. Nothing was out of the ordinary but he gave me a topical hydrocortisone and told me to be mindful of what I was using. Soon after that, the rash that had been isolated to the left side of my face spread to the right side and became more painful.
In frustration I returned to the dermatologist who then told me that “a lot of people have problems we can’t figure out.” He made me feel awful. I felt embarrassed about how my skin looked, and was in a lot of pain. It was swollen and felt like a horrible sunburn that I couldn’t get rid of. I became more and more depressed.
I returned to my primary doctor and she prescribed a low-level dosage of doxycycline, which seemed to help a little. She also ran blood panels and they revealed a positive ANA, which meant antinuclear bodies were found in my blood. This prompted my doctor to send me to a rheumatologist. Often, a positive ANA can indicate Lupus.
Even with this potential prognosis, I wasn’t about to miss out on riding roller coasters. Tim and I made our first trip to Cedar Point in mid-May. We had Fast Lane Plus and rode as many rides as we could, a large portion of them being on Steel Vengeance. By the end of that day, my face was killing me. By Sunday night of that same weekend my face was so swollen and red that we went to the emergency room. I became worried when I noticed the swelling had progressed down to my neck. The ER did nothing and told me to follow through with the rheumatologist, as it was probably Lupus.
I went to the rheumatologist the next day, which required me to miss work. My face was bright red and very sore. They did x-rays and numerous blood tests. She told me that she doubted I had Lupus, but we would see what the tests revealed. After I described my first visit to the dermatologist, she suggested I find another doctor.
The test results were returned and, thankfully, negative for Lupus.
I was able to schedule an appointment with a PA at another local dermatologist’s office. At this point, I was an emotional wreck. My husband went with me and I broke into tears as I waited for her to see me. I had all my records sent over and explained everything I had gone through for the last four months. She was so kind and understanding as she listened to my story. She then proceeded to tell me she thought I had an unusual type of Rosacea. She prescribed me a higher dose of Doxycycline and daily antibiotic cream. She said to see how I respond and we could go from there. This appointment was June 3rd and by my brothers wedding on the 15th, I was feeling and looking like myself again.
The PA I saw told me some important things I would need to change in order to manage my Rosacea. One of the most important things is protecting my skin from the sun by wearing a non-irritating lotion with no lower than a 30 SPF rating. While researching, I discovered that there are both physical and chemical sunscreens. Physical sunscreens tend to be less irritating to people with sensitive skin as it does not absorb into the skin like chemical sunscreens. In addition to daily sunscreen, careful use of facial products is also necessary. People with Rosacea tend to be sensitive to products containing fragrance and alcohol.
She also suggested the importance of wearing a hat while outside. Some of my Cedar Point pictures and videos after May, you will notice I was wearing a hat. I’m not quite ready for the wide-brimmed hats as she suggested! I tried some on in the store for a laugh but a ball cap is much more my style.
Stress is also a huge trigger. It’s difficult not to get upset when something is happening to you that you really can’t control. I’ve been working on going to yoga and exercising more as a way to release some tension.
I’m glad I found a doctor to finally help me discover what was going on. I have improved, but I still have bad days and flares. As a result I’ve made some life changes. It’s embarrassing to share some of these photos of my skin at its worst but I’m happy to share this story in the hope that it can help someone else. I have found some other great blogs and posts online of people sharing their experience with Rosacea. This blogger shares some great info on her page: https://talontedlex.co.uk/
If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact me. I’d love to hear from you.
