Posted by LeAnne on July 17, 2013 at 8:56am in Main
I got vitiligo when is was 16 and pregnant with my daughter does it make anyone else feel like a monster ! How do u handle questions from normal people like what's wrong with u and kids are just as bad any advice on how to not take it so hard ?
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Interestingly, most people don't ask, they stare. Adults hardly ever ask, children do. I am a special education teacher and am around kids all day. Mostly they want to know if it hurts or if I've been burned. My short response is, "my immune system thinks my skin color is making me sick, so it is working real hard to delete the color." They usually don't know how to respond so I sometimes add that it doesn't hurt or bother me. That's kind of the end of it.
Don't feel like you need to educate everyone, however, when I get a pedicure I always tell them it isn't contagious. Most will then ask what it is and can relate it to Michael Jackson. The ONLY time I am really aware of it is when I am trying on shoes or getting a pedicure and I wonder what people are thinking, other than that I never think of it or feel like a monster.
The husband of a husband/wife team that own a local Mexican restaurant has vitiligo. He sometimes comes out and serves . I once showed him my wrists and said, "Hey, we're twins." He did a double take and smiled. A parent of one of my students noticed my spots and asked me about it and then showed me her arm, she had no idea she had vitiligo. She said her doctor didn't know what it was.
You are beautiful! Don't let some lightening of your skin define who you are. In this day of tattoo's it isn't unusual to have different colored skin. i have learned that sometimes when people are staring they aren't thinking negative thoughts. For example, I have a brother with Downs Syndrome. When I see someone else with Downs I watch because I can relate, not because I think it's something bad. Stand tall, if others don't think you have an issue with it, neither will they.
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Don't feel like you need to educate everyone, however, when I get a pedicure I always tell them it isn't contagious. Most will then ask what it is and can relate it to Michael Jackson. The ONLY time I am really aware of it is when I am trying on shoes or getting a pedicure and I wonder what people are thinking, other than that I never think of it or feel like a monster.
The husband of a husband/wife team that own a local Mexican restaurant has vitiligo. He sometimes comes out and serves . I once showed him my wrists and said, "Hey, we're twins." He did a double take and smiled. A parent of one of my students noticed my spots and asked me about it and then showed me her arm, she had no idea she had vitiligo. She said her doctor didn't know what it was.
You are beautiful! Don't let some lightening of your skin define who you are. In this day of tattoo's it isn't unusual to have different colored skin. i have learned that sometimes when people are staring they aren't thinking negative thoughts. For example, I have a brother with Downs Syndrome. When I see someone else with Downs I watch because I can relate, not because I think it's something bad. Stand tall, if others don't think you have an issue with it, neither will they.
It's a journey, you'll find what works for you.
Agree with John !