Following Treatment After Photodynamic Therapy - Hawaii

I've been a past user of Efudex on my face, and now many years later I've been advised by my dermatologist to try PDT. He feels it's the best course of action to pinpoint my preskin cancerous cells laying under the surface of my skin. He also said it's to avoid future cancer cells from springing up, and future surgery's. It's taken me about six month to wrap my mind around the idea, and to get over the fear of the unknown.

I arrived in office with a hat and scarf in hand. My Dr. steamed my face, cleaned it with an alcohol swab, and then applied one stick of Levulan. It tingled and has an alcolhol base. It is not painful. I sat with it on my face for 3 hours. My Dr. suggested and perscribed one Vallium and one pain pill one half hour before I sat under the lights for 16 minutes. It may have been the meds but 16 minutes flew by, and I was so busy talking to her it only felt like 3 minutes had gone by. I've been sunburned plenty of times in my life, and this is all it feels like now. I have been applying pure Aloe spears (cold from the fridge), and Vasaline about four times a day. Cold Aloe feels the best! It's day 4 and my face is still really red, tight, and is not peeling. My sunspots seem to be very dark, and I hope these go away too. Time will tell. The Dr. said I may need one or two more treatments.

DAY 2 - My face feels more sunburnt today compared to the first day which was just yesterday. I can't figure out how all this new skin is going to look so nice and new after I finish taking a look of myself in the mirror, so I am just going by blind faith for now. My face feels stingy in certain places and when it gets too painful I apply a cold, slice of aloe, and slather on more Vasoline. Cold aloe wins hand down for burn relief, and it stays cold for awhile.