:experience life:

:::: 44ºF (feels like 41)  |  mostly sunny 

Because the photodermatitis continues even during these cold Autumn days. . . I am writing again.
Not with hopes that I will get a book out of it, but hoping that by logging how I feel at certain times of the day/season, I will better manage the condition.
...I sure wish I had continued writing about my photodermatitis after my Senior Project Show, so I could look back, read, and amaze myself with how much I have grown. Yes, I have grown.

So what's the big deal about photodermatitis anyway? Why do I want to bring attention to myself, you might be asking... About 73% of people affected with skin disorders in the United States do not seek medical advice... Why? Lack of information, but most importantly, because they feel embarrassed and even ashamed.

It wasn't too long ago that I still couldn't accept my own skin. There wasn't a day that didn't pass when I would look in the mirror and point out my scars and feel sorry (sometimes ashamed) about myself. I thought I had "created" it and sometimes I even thought of it as a curse...

Yes, I want to bring attention to myself somehow. I want that when people look at my skin, they know exactly what they are looking at. I want them to be aware of how common skin disorders are and instead of a "weird" look, they give me a friendly "hey, how is that photodermatitis treating you today?" kinda greeting. I know, probably too much to ask, but someone has to get it started.