VITILIGO FACE OFF: Facing The Michael Jackson In Me

more than 3 months ago, my sister, eske, noticed few white hair on my left eyebrow. at first she kept on teasing me about it, and she was calling me lola, saying that those white hair only shows that i'm really old. i ignored it, thinking that after a while it will just return to its original color. Days and weeks passed, i totally forgot about it because i barely notice it.

When my nephew, Sean, was admitted at Makati Medical Center for almost a week last February, i took a lot of pictures of me and sean, when i was browsing some of my pictures, i noticed a white spot just above my left eyebrow. i ignored it because at first glance i thought it was just a reflection from the flash of the camera. a week after sean was discharged from the hospital my sister-in-law, ate jade noticed the white spot above my left eyebrow, so i checked it out, the first thing that pop into my mind that it could be what they call in my hometown "Panaw". so i texted my mom back home to ask if papa knows a herbal remedy on "panaw" also i mentioned the white hair on my eyebrow. i also told my sister who then pointed out that maybe the whitening of some hair on my eyebrow and the white patch above my eyebrow have some connection. the next day my mom texted me and told me that papa doesn't know any remedy and maybe it could be a skin disease. so i googled it, typed the keywords white patches on the face skin disease and an article about vitiligo from Wikipedia was the first one on the list.

Vitiligo (Vittle-eye-go) is a skin condition in which there is a loss of brown color (pigment) from areas of skin, resulting in irregular white patches that feel like normal skin. Funny but one article mentioned that it is also called as the "Michael Jackson's Disease" since MJ is the most popular celebrity who happens to have the same skin disorder.

i came across an article that says that in some cases the hairs on the affected area turns white. so i asked my cousin, Dr. Alvin Ravalo, for his opinion about my condition and he said that based from my description and the photo i sent him, it could be vitiligo just like the famous pampanga former governor, fr. ed panlilio and he advised me to see a dermatologist.

As i read further about Vitiligo, phrases like "rare skin disease", "cause is unknown", and "no cure" struck me, it left me hopeless and emotionally distressed.

Four agonizing days later March 19, 2011, i consulted a dermatologist and she said it looks like vitiligo but based from my story, the progress was too fast so she first gave me an anti fungal cream for a possible fungal infection.

Three weeks later, she confirmed that it is vitiligo. she gave me a very expensive topical ointment called Protopic (Tacrolimus Ointment 0.1%) made from a rare soil bacterium found only on the island of Honshu in Japan which appears to have unique qualities in suppressing immune response and it is a treatment for eczema, and only recently that it has been used in clinical studies for the treatment of vitiligo. Initial result of the treatment can be seen after 4-6 months. Even though the treatment is showing very good success in many (but not all) people who are using it, still it gave me hope.

I've been using it for a month now so i'm praying for a positive response for the succeeding months.

The white patches are much more visible today than 3 months ago. And more hair strands from my left eyebrows are turning white and only yesterday did i notice that 1 strand of my left eyelashes has turned white. NO SWIMMING, and lesser activity under the sun.

Being diagnosed with vitiligo is not easy, i was not only physically challenged but also emotionally and spiritually. My social life was also severely affected, i was afraid or if not too shy to go out of our house. Whenever i go out of the house i would put too much foundation so to conceal the white patches. But i have overcome all of that now, thanks to support of my family and friends and most especially my FAITH in God.

ACCEPTANCE is the key + PRAYER = a POSITIVE outlook in life.

I do believe that it is God's plan for me and that everything has a purpose.