the story behind my healing…

My earliest memory of acne was in seventh grade, right around the time I got my first period. I was a gymnast at the time and would come home from practice with a few cystic bumps on my back and chest. My mom assumed it was from sweat and tight leotards and treated it with rubbing alcohol pads. *SIGH*

I also had heavy, painful periods, headaches, fatigue, yeast infections, night sweats, and other symptoms I believed were normal and everyone dealt with.

Throughout high school, my skin got worse, still presenting itself mostly on my back and chest, as well as around my mouth. It was mild, but it was persistent and uncomfortable. I managed it the best I could with bandaid solutions like salicylic acid body washes, benzoyl peroxide scrubs, pads, pimple creams, anything I could find at the drugstore.

In 2016, I went on a cruise and caught a really strange upper respiratory infection. Ever since that trip, I coughed up phlegm every day, started getting sick more frequently, and dealing with sinus issues.

Everything escalated when I went off to college in 2017. My freshman year, clusters of itchy, pus-filled bumps started developing across my chest, back, neck, and forehead. After doing my own research, I was pretty positive that it was folliculitis. I went to see a dermatologist, and it was confirmed.

Throughout the rest of my college years, I was in and out of the dermatologist and my primary care doctor, cycling through countless oral antibiotics and topical treatments — including minocycline, doxycycline, clindamycin, tretinoin, Bactrim, triamcinolone, ciprofloxacin, adapalene gel, ketoconazole shampoo, and more, on top of trying every drugstore product. I was even told to dilute a small amount of bleach into bath water and soak in it… and I did it. *DOUBLE SIGH*

When I say I tried it all, I mean it. I spent night after night reading every article and endlessly google searching. Even after all that, my skin was still struggling, my existing symptoms worsened, and new ones began to appear, including my first eczema flare, brain fog, skin rashes, hives, hoarse voice, fevers, chills, teeth grinding, jaw pain, confusion, frequent sore throat, an intense bronchitis infection, always getting sick, bladder sensitivities and different neurological symptoms.

In May of 2021, I saw an endocrinologist and decided to try one last option for my skin, Spironolactone. My skin did improve, but many of my other symptoms worsened. My periods became so irregular to the point where I was bleeding almost every day. I stopped the medication, tried it again, and the same issues returned, so I knew I had to get off it for good.

My health hit its lowest point in 2021–2022. Lip eczema flares every few weeks, heart palpitations, worsened neurological, skin and digestive issues, and an extremely painful eye chalazion that had to be surgically removed. I also tested positive for C. diff after a stool sample, likely from years of heavy antibiotic use and probably present long before I knew. I was prescribed a strong course of vancomycin that really took a toll on me.

Throughout 2021–2022, I saw a new dermatologist, a gastroenterologist, an endocrinologist, a gynecologist, an ENT, an ophthalmologist, and finally, as a last resort, an infectious disease doctor. Still, no one could explain why all of this was happening. Time and time again, I was dismissed, offered another medication, and rushed out of the door within 15 minutes. My bloodwork showed high EBV levels, but I was told everything was normal. I was exhausted and beginning to lose hope, but I never stopped. Deep down, I knew those answers existed, I just hadn’t found them yet.