During the summer, I discovered a water blister right by my ear. A day or so later, I had another one by my nose, and then two under my eye. And when they dried up, then it’s a flaky patch. I felt pretty much like a leper.

This reminded me of the rash I would get from gluten and wheat. Dermitiis Herpetaformis, they call it. But usually the rash was on my elbows and knees and buttocks, not face. Could it be the return of the gluten curse? After a few days of halfheartedly giving up gluten (by that I mean, give up bread, but it’s ok to eat a cookie), I get serious and cut out gluten, because the face was just getting worse. I felt so very ugly and it’s a very itchy and painful situation, too. By Friday, I had had it. I sent this message to Ryan,

“I didn’t get a great response to the chime choir sign up this morning. I don’t know why I get my hopes up. I feel gross, my face hurts and itches, and I’m terribly irritable. (I got an appointment with the derm doc on Wed. I may have to sequester myself inside and not go out into public from now until them, though.) I get home to find the kids doing what else, but lounging on the couch with the tv on. No one did any of the things I asked them to do. I’m about to cry.

I tell you this, not so you will feel sorry for me and buy me pretty shoes, but so you’ll know why we had 5 children when you left the house and only 3 remain.

And maybe so you’ll feel sorry for me and buy me some pretty shoes. ”

Yeah, I’m pitiful. But by Monday, the rash had started to clear up. Tuesday was even better, with no new blisters. Maybe it really is the gluten. Should I still go to the dermatologist? Yes. I should. To ask him if it was what I think it is, at the very least.

Today was the day of the dr visit. New doctor in a different building, but I found it ok. After I checked in, I went and sat down in the waiting room and took out my kindle to read. I only got through about two pages before they called me back. I followed the nurse to the exam room, told him a bit of my story, and said I had a mole thing to check, as well. He went out and got the doc. Immediately. Seriously, I didn’t even have time to read at all. Wow!

The doc came in. He’s one of those people with a presence. Tall, nice looking, and smiley. He looked at the weird thing on my ankle and dismissed it as not anything to worry about (scar tissue, basically), and then I told him about my face rash. He got right in close to look at my nose, eyes, cheek, and said he didn’t think it was associated with gluten. He said he’d give me a steroid cream rx that should take care of that immediately. Then he looked at the age spots on my face.

Yes, AGE SPOTS. Although he said they were from the SUN, not from AGE. Trying to be nice, that one. “I can zap those spots, he said, Freeze them, actually,” And he whipped out a gun thing and aimed it at me. “Oh, we’re doing that right now?” I said. I was a little unprepared for his efficiency. “This will just hurt a little bit,” he said and then sprayed that freezing air or liquid nitrogen or whatever it was at those spots. Yeah, it hurt, but not terribly. He told me that these spots will turn red, and then eventually fall off, and there will be new white skin underneath. Cool! I’ve hated these spots on my face for a long time. I wonder if it works on hands, too. So, for now, I have darker spots on my face. Makeup doesn’t really cover them, but I’ll try.

Not sure if I should continue with the gluten free (I ate bread today) or not.