I was working at a 2 star hotel and getting screamed at daily by angry (justifiably so) guests. I was 21, stressed out and my anxiety was out of control. That's when I noticed a white spot on my left hand. I started doing my own research and thought that I might have Vitiligo. I've always had a white spot on my leg for as long as I can remember, so I never though anything of it. I went to a dermatologist and he said, "You have the Michael Jackson disease... you don't like little boys, do you?" That is SERIOUSLY how I was told I had Vitiligo. And then he said, "There is nothing you can do about it". He didn't do a test or order more blood results. I knew nothing about what was wrong with me. Did any of you ever take a test to determine whether or not you had Vit? I don't even know if ones of those exists. However, I can say that just buy joining this website I have begun to realize that I have options and that I can treat my Vit.
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Ive had vit for almost 11 years now. Im turning 15 soon, i was abut 4 when i was diagnosed.I dont really remember much of it. except for the ointments and protopic. it would always burn my skin so i stoped using them. Back then i had it on the fronts and backs of my knees and my face. Eventually the vit on the back of my knees went away id say about age 7 or 8. then as lifed moved on i was getting older and having some family issues, i was very stressed alot. kept alot of my sad feelings inside. it started to spread to my hips and my one elbow. Imin highschool now and then again comes the stress, i have another spot on my neck and the inside of my arm. I dont handle stress too well, acctually not well at all. Since ive been getting color to my skin from it being summer im starting to notice slight disscoloration in some areas of my skin. but all we can do is grin and bear it. accept it oneday.
I first noticed it last summer when i was in my sisters pool in the sun i had strange white patches on my face and i thought after research it was melasma and would go away....this year i went to see a skin care specialist who said it was vitiligo....i am still awaiting to see a dermatologist to confirm this
Summer of 08' my last year in the Army I got a blister on my right thumb from swinging a bat in a baseball game. Within a couple weeks it healed and it was white. I had no idea what it was and figured the color would come back. When I got out of the Army that December and came back home it was still there and i began searching the internet and read about Vitiligo. I wasn't sure I had it until my fingertips started becoming white then I realized it was Vit. Obviously I was completely devastated. 2009 was the worst year of my life. Honestly it was worse than the over 2 years I spent in combat...sounds crazy but you guys understand what I mean.
Now over 2 years later It has progressed somewhat slowly, I am much better mentally and I am learning to live with it. I've only been on this website for about a month and I am happy I joined. It feels great to talk to people that can relate in this extremely unique way
In the beginning I did nothing. Once it started spreading faster I decided to try PUVA. I stood up in this machine (after taken oral meds) it was miserable. I had to wait forever to get in, it was a first come first serve basis at kaiser. the pills made me sick so the DR said to forget about the pills and to try protopic. BUT waiting up to 2 hours to get into the booth was ridiculous.I quit going but continued to use protopic.
Protopic didn't seem to help and seemed to be making my skin thickish but then I went to Mexico one summer and within a week 2 quarter sized spots repigmented! It was amazing. So then I went on a quest for more info. I finally ended up buyinga used UVB machine. Protopic and UVB seems to repigment my legs if I catch it early. It is not working on my wrists or feet or "old" spots.
I keep getting a spot on my face but whenever I put protopic on it is seems to go away (no UV exposure). I have not tried diets, vitamins etc...
. Then a year or so later I , the pills mprotopic and have an at home UVB light. It reprigments my legs pretty well if I stay on top of it. It wont' repigment tops of feet or wrists, or it seems anywhere where the skin is "thin"
I started seeing signs at 17 on my thumb, then as the school year progressed i remember that i started using that cover girl powder liquid makeup you put on with a makeup pad, i remember my skin started like getting dry and peeling around my eyes, only to reveal these white circles around my eyes shortly after under my nose and the corner of my lip and then spot on my thumb got bigger, at this time i still did'nt realize it, and i never went to the doctor nor did my parents ask, they were too busy raising the rest of my younger siblings and i got lost in my own world, over time the spots jus kept appearing and finally one day someone said to you have that MJ disease, and i was like, ok, there's an explanation, but by the time i woke up i was 22 and jus like whatever about it, only recently did i go to the doctor, i never let it bother me, i just ignored it cause thats what my my family did, so now here i am coming to reality of the situation and realizing how many people are out here, i feel lucky to be a part of this website and community, I'm very happy to have found people who i can relate to, and research with... thanks guys so much for sharing your stories, I don't feel alone anymore <3
Hi Amanda you are so lucky that you have noticed your spots very early and you are with a confidence.
One day leprosy survey people came to our colony, finding out if anybody have this problem, they saw a small patch on my knee and asked me and tested it and told that it was a vitamin defieciency, and our family doctor suggested my parents to give me citrus friuts as much as possible. so, i am almost completely on citrus fruits then i realised that there is a sudden out burst of my vitiligo. I could'nt even remember how my Vit have spread.
Friends out of my personel experience I would like say you that try to avoid citrus fruits and food that contains a lot of vit C.
Also dont change the medication and doctors often. If you are fed up with the treatment ,jst don't take any medicine follow little diet restrictions and stay calm, avoid stress, eat healthy, that really cures ur VIT a lot. I did this it really cured some of VIT, kNow again I started taking medicine frm jst two years
That's certainly the most inappropriate thing a doctor could say, not funny at all.
I had my first white spot when i was in college it was on my left underarm, i was 17 at that time. but it was a tiny little spot so i didn't care much about it. after a year more spots started to appear on my body and legs so i went to a dermatologist to check on my skin. At first the doctor doesn't really know whats going on with me, then I have been making appointments with the doctor since and finally he told me that i had a Vitiligo. But during that years i still can cover it up. now it has pretty much cover most of my face, its getting noticeable and white hair started to grow on my mustache! hehe
I found out when I was in high school. My family doctor had no idea what it was, I have always had a birthmark on my leg and he said it might be realted to that? It's surprising how many doctors have no idea what this is! I found a Great doctor in Cincinnati OH (James Nordlund) He gave me topical treatment for it, used it off and on for a couple of years. It was very time consuming and you have to expose yourself to the sun, something I was trying not to do. At this point I've had vit for baout 13 years and have learned to live with it.
Replies
Summer of 08' my last year in the Army I got a blister on my right thumb from swinging a bat in a baseball game. Within a couple weeks it healed and it was white. I had no idea what it was and figured the color would come back. When I got out of the Army that December and came back home it was still there and i began searching the internet and read about Vitiligo. I wasn't sure I had it until my fingertips started becoming white then I realized it was Vit. Obviously I was completely devastated. 2009 was the worst year of my life. Honestly it was worse than the over 2 years I spent in combat...sounds crazy but you guys understand what I mean.
Now over 2 years later It has progressed somewhat slowly, I am much better mentally and I am learning to live with it. I've only been on this website for about a month and I am happy I joined. It feels great to talk to people that can relate in this extremely unique way
In the beginning I did nothing. Once it started spreading faster I decided to try PUVA. I stood up in this machine (after taken oral meds) it was miserable. I had to wait forever to get in, it was a first come first serve basis at kaiser. the pills made me sick so the DR said to forget about the pills and to try protopic. BUT waiting up to 2 hours to get into the booth was ridiculous.I quit going but continued to use protopic.
Protopic didn't seem to help and seemed to be making my skin thickish but then I went to Mexico one summer and within a week 2 quarter sized spots repigmented! It was amazing. So then I went on a quest for more info. I finally ended up buyinga used UVB machine. Protopic and UVB seems to repigment my legs if I catch it early. It is not working on my wrists or feet or "old" spots.
I keep getting a spot on my face but whenever I put protopic on it is seems to go away (no UV exposure). I have not tried diets, vitamins etc...
. Then a year or so later I , the pills mprotopic and have an at home UVB light. It reprigments my legs pretty well if I stay on top of it. It wont' repigment tops of feet or wrists, or it seems anywhere where the skin is "thin"
Hi Amanda you are so lucky that you have noticed your spots very early and you are with a confidence.
One day leprosy survey people came to our colony, finding out if anybody have this problem, they saw a small patch on my knee and asked me and tested it and told that it was a vitamin defieciency, and our family doctor suggested my parents to give me citrus friuts as much as possible. so, i am almost completely on citrus fruits then i realised that there is a sudden out burst of my vitiligo. I could'nt even remember how my Vit have spread.
Friends out of my personel experience I would like say you that try to avoid citrus fruits and food that contains a lot of vit C.
Also dont change the medication and doctors often. If you are fed up with the treatment ,jst don't take any medicine follow little diet restrictions and stay calm, avoid stress, eat healthy, that really cures ur VIT a lot. I did this it really cured some of VIT, kNow again I started taking medicine frm jst two years
Wish every one good luck, keep smiling :-)))))
That's certainly the most inappropriate thing a doctor could say, not funny at all.
I had my first white spot when i was in college it was on my left underarm, i was 17 at that time. but it was a tiny little spot so i didn't care much about it. after a year more spots started to appear on my body and legs so i went to a dermatologist to check on my skin. At first the doctor doesn't really know whats going on with me, then I have been making appointments with the doctor since and finally he told me that i had a Vitiligo. But during that years i still can cover it up. now it has pretty much cover most of my face, its getting noticeable and white hair started to grow on my mustache! hehe
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