Sarah's Blog

Wednesday, May 31, 2006 10:27:31

Not a lot to say. Still peeling. The pain is MUCH better and I'm not quite as red. YAY. Still not sure why I'm doing this. :)

Monday, May 29, 2006 14:16:19

Sorry I didn't update yesterday on the PDL thing but I ended up having a wonderful dinner with Mike and my father-in-law at P.F. Changs, after which we went to see X3 (if you're X-men series fan, go see it and if not wait for tv - it wasn't as good as the other two).

Anyway, today (Day 4) is a little better than yesterday but they are about the same. Just a lot of peeling and I'm not sure if Ican use a scrub to help it out. Sometimes it still hurts (that's when it's better than yesterday as yesterday it definately still hurt). Hopefully it will continue to get better.

Saturday, May 27, 2006 21:46:39

Levulan - PDT treatment Day 2:

Red today... probably will still be red tomorrow. It's getting better, though. The right side of my face is significantly less red than the left side - I blame this on my own personal stupidity in not adhering strictly to my doctors demands that I NOT drive in the car at all for the first 24 hours (even though I did wrap my face up like I was the frakkin' invisible man). The area around my chin is peeling a bit, flacking really. This may partially be because that area did that anyway due to the tazorac before the treatment.

When I woke up this morning my face hurt like hell to be touched. Parts of it still do. After applying ice most of the day it's a bit better. But my face feels really oily. I think this is because of the stuff they gave me to put on it. There's a "soothing cream" and a non-rinse cleanser. I really want to just have normal face wash. I probably will try some tonight just for the simple fact that it can't be any worse than getting soap on my face in the shower.

This better work.

Friday, May 26, 2006 23:00:32

Have you ever heard the saying "be careful what you wish for?" Of course you have. Well, I wished that I looked like Kim Cattrall from Sex and the City. And guess what? Today, I got my wish granted... only when I wished to look like Kim Cattrall I didn't mean from the episode where she got the chemical peel.

Yes, today I went to the dermatologist. After months of resisting Accutane, we decided I should try Photodynamic Laser Treatment with Levulan. What's that? A treatment where the goal is to rid you of your acne, shink the oil producing glands in your face, make your skin look younger, and rid your skin of any pre-cancerous sundamaged cells. Sounds like a dream. Well... let me tell you how my morning went:

I arrived at the dermatologist at 8 am. They promptly took me back to a room where they made me wash my face before they scrubbed it down with Acetone (you know it as "nail polish remover"). After that was finished, they appliked the Levulan... and let it sit on my face for an hour. Apparently this is to let it soak into your pores to work it's magic once it's activated. It doesn't hurt, but it's not fun waiting around. After this, I washed my face again and was escorted to a different room where I waited forever. When the doctor finally came in, she applied the laser to activate the Levulan. It was like being in a dentist chair with a small x-ray machine up against your face - only this one shot sparks of light at you. The analogy I've always heard was that it feels like a rubber band being snapped on you or a finger flick. Let me tell you, it's a whole new form of torture. While it doesn't really hurt a lot in itself, the shock to the system is such that after about the fifth shock your body starts to twitch. I think I left nail marks in the nurse's hand I was squeezing so hard. Once this was done they decided to also put me under the Blue light (which I'm sure you're familar with) because it activates at a different wavelength than the laser but has similar properties. Then they glopped sunblock on me and sent me home with instructions to stay out of the sun.

I felt fine when I got home but after a trip in the car to the eye doctor with a scarf on my face to block out the light I was in sheer pain. I canceled my plans to go to see the new X-Men movie because of it (that's how you know it REALLY hurt)! So now, I look like Kim Cattral: My face is a shade of red so deep you can't tell the difference between my lips and my cheek skin (I have very pigmented lips). It'll calm down in a few days... then it may peal. With any luck, I'll have georgous skin underneith. But guess what? The first week of July, after I get back from my next trip to Oxford, I get to have it done again. Until then, I'll try to keep daily updates on my progress for anyone interested. There's a severe lack of "personal expereince" on this subject out on the web. Not that anyone will find this.

Monday, May 22, 2006 15:46:20

Tonight is one of those nights that just makes me drool all over everthing: 24 season finale and Alias series finale. Of course, I nearly had a heart attack when I woke up this morning and found our cable had gone out. It came back within about 10 minutes but I'm seriously hoping it doesn't happen again. If it does, I will have to beat down someone at Time Warner Cable (applause... I know many of you want to do exactly the same thing for different reasons, of course). My friends at work tried to cheer me up by telling me that if this happens, I can at least get Alias the next day by downloading it off of the internet (legally). I told them I hadn't thought of that but it would hardly do me much good if my cable's out becasue that would also mean that I don't have an internet connection. See... that's the catch. The network people make their shows available (presumably for those of us who didn't catch it and couldn't record it) but if the cable is out (the only thing keeping me away from my Alias tongiht) then it doesn't really matter, does it?

Sunday, May 21, 2006 13:14:14

Ok, now that I've seen the movie The DaVinci Code there's a little more to say. Overall I liked the movie... about as much as I liked the book. It's interesting but it's shallow in the same places the book is shallow, it's overblown in the same places the book is as well, and just like in the book, seemingly cluless characters come out with gran theories and stores of knowlege you had no idea they had (and there's no reason they should). So basically, the movie is exactly like the book. If you enjoyed the book you'll enjoy the movie most likely.

Now as for my previous entry and ranting about the whole debate about Jesus being mortal or God and how this movie attacks the divinity of Jesus, well... I'd still say the movie does not. Only one character in the movie seems to have this view and it's neither of the main characters of the movie. What the movie DOES make a statement about is the relative exclusion of the divine femine from the church's teachings. That is where the real controversy should lie: should women be priests? The biggest "shocker" of the movie and the book is really that Jesus picked a woman to lead his church. Unfortunately, this gets passed over so quickly in both the book and the movie it's up to the viewer/reader to remember.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006 19:35:21

Ok, so I think I'm going to tackle a somewhat serious topic that has been on my mind. Actually, this is going to be a bit of a rant, but I am SO TIRED of people speaking out against the movie The Da Vinci Code. WTF people?!? It's fiction! Get over it! Further, the reviews just keep spoiling the whole frakking story by telling the punchline (which I will NOT be hypocritical here and say what it is). But spoiled or not, I keep reading people saying it's an attack against Jesus's divinity. NO IT ISN'T! Did they not read the story or the book? Jesus was HUMAN and he was GOD. It's a funky concept I admit. But that statement people say over and over again. And you know what? It's contradictory in the logic itself. I don't have a problem with that!

So if Jesus was both human and God, why couldn't he do things that humans can do and that God can do? When I have this conversation with people about what proves Jesus was God they always point to his death saying he came back to life and ascended to Heaven. Well, hate to tell all the Da Vinci Code haters out there but I don't remember the book actually contradicting that statement. The book isn't about events that happened at his death -- it's about events that happened during his life. If it was his death that was most important (which I'm told good Christians believe) then shut the frak up and enjoy the frakking movie!

Personally, I liked the book because if you read it it makes you question. Even if you come to the conclusion that the book is an obsured work of fiction, that's fine. It's a fictional book. Yes, it starts out by saying "fact:" and lists a fact, but that's ok. There are PLENTY of books that do that and they do it to set up the world they created. Dan Brown did nothing different. And maybe he believes that his "Facts" are "Fact" but I didn't read anything that said he was an authority on Jesus's life (last I checked, the only person who could truly verify Jesus's life is Jesus himself and since he's not around to answer any direct questions at the moment I don't think we can consider anyone the ultimate authority on him).

It's called "Faith". Either you have it or you don't and reading a book or watching a movie that questions certain aspects of that Faith isn't going to change a damn thing about what you believe unless your "Faith" is weak to begin with.

Now me... I believe in God. I believe in Jesus. I'm going to see that movie this weekend and I'm going to have a good time doing it (assuming it's a good movie). Shut the frak up and get on with your lives, people!

Monday, May 1, 2006 12:12:01

So I'm back in the UK. I arrived yesterday. Flight was one of the bumpiest flights I've ever been on, but because of the incredible tail winds we got into London a full hour early. Unfortunately, the bumbling idiots (or our pilot who apparently can't park) couldn't get the airway locked onto the opening of our plane. So after 45 minutes they decide that we were going to have to use the stairs. It was a plesant flight however -- I was in the very back row of the plane (which was mostly empty), with a wonderful 22 year old law student from Rome, Italy sitting next to me named David. We had a blast just talking the whole way. Unbeknownst to me at the time, one of my co-workers was also on the plane. And thank goodness for him! Without him, I don't think I would have ever found my car driver (yes, they sent a car for me).

Anyway, I'm staying at the Cotswold hotel. I'd recommend it to anyone. The service is excellent, the food is GREAT and the rooms are nice (not the best, but I'm not that picky in Europe). The only strange thing is they have you leave your key when you leave the hotel. Very strange. But everyone is very nice, though I did have to wait an incredibly long time to check in. Once I got into the hotel it was shower (which I needed the maid to show me how to work because it's a very funky contraption), then I slept until dinner, ate a HUGE dinner and tried posset for the first time, then slept until about midday today. Yeah I'm not adjusting to the time change. Also tried something called "black pudding" for breakfast yesterday (I was told NOT to ask what was in it, just eat it). I'm being adventurous.

Today once I'd finally gotten up, I went to the Ashmodean museum (passing by the Eagle and the Child on the way). Among the cool things I saw there were the bust of Lucius Verus I had to study and name for one of my exams in school, lots of Egyptian interesting things, and a Stradivarius (which I'm sure I just butchered) violin. Now, seeing the cool violin is one thing... wish that I could have heard it or played it. Yeah, so what if the only thing I remember is twinkle twinkle little star. It's probably would have been the best damn twinkle you ever got out of me!

After the Ashmodean I vetunred farther into the City Center and came upon Christ Church which is not only the inspiration for various parts of Alice in Wonderland, but also where the Great Hall from Harry Potter is located. Yes, I have a picture of myself Mom - you'll get it. It was a nice BEAUTIFUL place to go. As I was leaving, I was about to ask this guard some questions when he stopped me and said "Oh my! I saw you walking down that way and I thought to myself 'What an incredible beauty!' Where are you from?" I was laughing so hard, though I graciously accepted his compliment. He was a nice old man so I think his cataracts accounted for his compliment becacuse my hair was a mess, I was wearing my cargos and a gray shirt with my black coat and glasses - everything but a runny nose. Anyway, he told me that if I wanted to get a great view of the city I had to go to the top of the spire at St. Mary's down the street. So I did. Warning: DO NOT GO TO THE TOP OF THE SPIRE IF YOU ARE AT ALL CLOSTROPHOBIC! They made those stairs for Smurfs! But it was a nice view. Again, I have pictures. I won't do it again, though.

So now I'm back at my hotel and going to hang around until dinner, maybe do some work.