u/Secret_Hovercraft995

I appreciate everyone who has shared some or all of their journey here, it's been massively helpful dealing with a sudden, weird condition like AA.

I found my first spot a month ago, about the size of a golf ball. Right now I have five large spots or patches, and at least six small ones. My regular family doctor gave me a steroid cream and referred me to dermatology. My dermatologist took a look and said I have so much loss that the injections would be "too much."

I think she meant, there is too much area to cover with shots and it might be too much pain. (I've done IVF several times so I disagree.) She gave me a lotion instead, which is better than the cream, but now I have to look at this and touch my balding scalp twice a day and walk around with greasy hair every single day. It's very upsetting. I don't see how the lotion is better than the injections for someone with 20-40% loss (estimate: I don't have a score that I'm aware of).

She also hadn't heard of LDN and couldn't advise me on microneedling frequency.

I'm frustrated.

Right now, I'm taking Allegra which seems to have really helped the tingling; doing a no sugar, no dairy, no gluten diet and gearing up for the full Autoimmunity Protocol diet which has helped me in the past. I'm using the lotion and microneedling once a week so far. I am on a bunch of supplements prescribed by a naturopath. (B, C, D, zinc, probiotic, magnesium, and others.)

I have another appointment tomorrow. What would you advise me to push for?

My dad is a lonely, bored widower in his eighties. He has memory loss but is pretty sharp most days. He worked alone and doesn't have any religious affiliations, major hobbies or existing communities. He uses a cane and doesn't move well so sports are out. He loves the news and current events. Wondering if there is a place he could go where he'd meet older guys (or ladies!) to talk to, have a coffee with, that kind of thing.

I'm curious about whether or not the unusual physical pain I seem to experience is a lingering C-PTSD issue, and/or, a new issue as a result of the compounded stress.

At this point, I'm generally well-regulated. I don't have big reactions, I don't yell at people, I pretty much take things in stride. I'm just pretty mellow overall.

However, when I experience even low-level physical pain I experience it, physically and emotionally, in a way that feels over-the-top. Simply scratching my face when I feel an itch now *hurts* in a way it never did before. Banging my knee on something feels very painful. When a small child accidentally head-butts me or elbows me in the boob I yelp out in pain even though I know it shouldn't hurt that much.

It definitely seems to have increased; in my youth I had a pretty average relationship to pain. Would love any ideas about this. Intuitively I think it has to be a nervous system thing and I am concerned I might be repressing or "using" pain in some way. I'm also just older now so maybe this is a perimenopause thing, like everything else seems to be!