If we remember back to when we entered puberty, we received a lot of information about what our body was doing to us. I don’t know how other families handled these things, but my mother always said GO ASK YOUR FATHER. That was most uncomfortable for a 12- or 13-year-old girl. I didn’t want to talk to Dad about my “monthly visitor” or any other things of that nature. Dad was a teaser and was not a quiet talker so if he knew, EVERYONE knew. It was best to just not discuss it. So, that was how we grew up.

Dad used to run, long before it was fashionable. He was a referee for Jr High and High School basketball and football games, so he had to run to keep his stamina up. People would stop him and offer rides all the time thinking it was an emergency, he never wore sneakers, he wore his loafers to run. But if us girls needed “girly supplies” he would include the 7-11 on his route and come running up the road carrying our supplies, no bag needed. So humiliating! Those Weinar girls!

Consequently, I never learned to talk about girly things of any kind with any person at all, certainly not my parents, sisters or friends. Even talking to a doctor was too embarrassing, I always just pretended I knew what they were talking about.

This behavior really does still exist in me today, God love John, he has somehow learned to figure out what is going on when I don’t discuss things. He really does have a lot of patience!

As we age, of course our body changes again and all kinds of weird things start happening again. I don’t know about you people, but I don’t want to talk about that stuff either. Getting out of my comfort zone is what is best for me so talk about it I will. If you already know all this stuff you can pass on today’s reading, if you are shy and humiliated by all this stuff READ ON! Don’t be afraid, I am not going to talk about the most personal stuff, I’m going to talk about skin. There is plenty of time for other topics, I am not quite THAT daring yet!

I have always had oily skin, or HAVE I? Since Mom didn’t talk about this stuff, I don’t know if it was oily or it was oily because it needed moisturizer, and I never used it. I’m fairly sure Mom never used any girly stuff, she never wore make-up, as far as I remember, only lipstick. So she wouldn’t have been a good advisor. My older sister always had a beautiful complexion, but I never asked what she did. She didn’t share her make-up, so I was pretty sure she wasn’t going to share that info either. She is 5 years older than me, we shared a room all our lives, and that was all we shared. We didn’t touch each other’s stuff.

Consequently, at 69 and a half (LOL) my skin sucks. I have blotches, bumps, pores, red dots, and hair everywhere but where it should be. Since I don’t talk about this stuff, I do not know how to get rid of it. Or what is wrong with me that I keep getting more and more of it. I have bought machines that are supposed to do the trick, but they do not really do what they promise they will do. They sort of do stuff but not really. (I will not name brands since they don’t work for me, only if they DO work for me!)

Enter Dermatology. I have been going to various dermatologists for several years and they burn or freeze or cut off things I don’t want on my body whether I can see them or not. I was a fair-haired teenager, always sun burned, rarely tanned and I am absolutely paying for the sins of my youth. Although I’m really glad we didn’t know back then because we sure had lots of fun in the sun. All this skin cancer stuff has taken the fun out of beaches and pools in the summer.

In July when I went for my 6-month checkup, my new Dermatology provider is Kim Pham, FNP-BC. I have gone to the same office for quite some time and the specialist kept changing and the “feel” of the office was sort of down. When I went to the check-up everything was different. All the faces were new and the happy, which makes ME happy. When I go to a doctor and the office is glum I prefer not to go. I did all the preliminary check in stuff and was not in the waiting room very long at all. BONUS! When Kim gave me my skin exam I really felt like I mattered, it wasn’t routine to her, she asked me questions and cared. What a difference! She showed me where my skin had issues that could be fixed, not with a big expensive treatment but with a moisturizer that I could by at Walmart! Seriously! She ever taught me how to apply it with tap,tap,tap and not rubbing it in. And she did not try to up-sell me products I didn’t need. I felt very comfortable with her and then I began to ask her questions. What are these stupid bumps? What are these red dots? Why does hair sprout everywhere but where it should? And she was very professional with her answers, didn’t make me feel silly or stupid. And I trusted her! Amazing. Especially for me. Then I dove in and asked if she did any treatments for skin issues. And how much did they cost and what should I have?

I bought the lotions she told me to buy, sunscreen and moisturizer over the counter stuff and used them for 2 weeks. She promised I would see a difference before I went back to her and guess what?! I DID! A huge difference. I also did get a treatment for my skin that was very reasonable and is helping with my other issues. She called me to check on me, making sure I had no side effects from the treatment. Kim is the ultimate professional and genuinely wants to help us resolve our issues and feel better about ourselves too.

She has several different cosmetic treatment packages, depending on what you might want or need. What I needed might not be what you need. If you ever wondered, don’t be afraid to call and ASK her. I wanted soft skin and less fuzz; you may want Botox. All I can say is she will be fair and honest with you and make you feel very special. Kim office is in Apopka off Rock Springs Road.

And, by the way, she is a medical professional. This also made me feel much more comfortable. She wasn’t going to bleach my hair, cut my toenails and wax my lip. That was important to me too. I do not receive any kickbacks by writing this, I just am passing on my life experience, as usual, when I find something that matters to me. Men and women alike face these situations. It is so nice when you find someone that makes you feel comfortable and not silly! Kim is definitely that person for me!