However, when I went to high school, I became a little more comfortable in my own skin. I was able to see so many different types of people: people who had learning disabilities, people who were neurodivergent, people who had skin disorders like vitiligo, and people of all different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. This diversity somehow brought me comfort, knowing that there were several people like me but who were different in their own unique way. No one in high school ever made fun of me because of my skin disorder. Sometimes, my friends would ask me why my face was discolored in some areas. I no longer felt ashamed or had low self esteem when people asked me about my vitiligo. I had reached a point in my life where I had truly accepted that I had vitiligo and that it wasn’t going to go away for a while. I would answer people’s questions, and I would walk away from a conversation feeling happy that one additional person had learned about vitiligo. I was glad I could make a difference in the way people saw vitiligo and how they treated people with vitiligo. I reminded people to not only associate others with their visual differences; I didn’t want to simply be known as the girl with vitiligo. After all, visual differences are only a part of a person and shouldn’t limit what someone can or can’t do. Throughout my freshman year of high school, I continued my phototherapy on Tuesdays and Fridays. However, the blisters that resulted on the left side of my face made it hard for me to practice violin. Whenever I had blisters, I wouldn’t be able to raise the millijoule dosage for phototherapy, and I became very discouraged. Sometimes I would have to skip treatments, as well. It felt like I was making very little progress, and it was frustrating. However, the nurses were really nice, and they would make me feel comfortable. Being able to interact with them helped me feel better about my progress with treatment. They encouraged me and would give me Vaseline to apply after treatment. Overall, it helped make the whole treatment process a lot easier, both physically and mentally.
My Vitiligo Journey 