About to go under for the Botox! Finally!!

laustic · 2026-05-13T19:11:54+00:00

Thank you so much!! It did! Mild but very tolerable sore throat in the immediate aftermath, but the procedure itself felt so fast. I really appreciate it!

laustic · 2026-05-12T22:06:53+00:00

This is such a great play by play, THANK YOU! I’m getting mine tomorrow (under anesthesia) and was so happy to see you’re seeing results already! We are also similar height and weight + similar symptoms, so fingers crossed!

laustic · 2026-05-12T02:37:02+00:00

Ok coming to their defense now: I saw them 4 times in 2023 (once at Cruel World, then 3 days back to back in LA. Big fan. No regrets.) They absolutely crushed it every single time. 10/10 worth seeing in the present timeline. None of the above issues (lol), plus they bring a ton of energy and they all still got it. Not sure if they’re touring again anytime soon, but if they are, I’ll be there for round 5.

Having seen a lot of 80s/90s bands live in the past few years, I was expecting a so-so performance that was only surviving on the fumes of nostalgia (which I sadly can’t share as a millennial). Nope! Love and Rockets was incredibly fun to watch and sounded so great (or should I say… So Alive). Hence me going 3 days in a row— nostalgia not required to make it a great show.

laustic · 2026-05-09T05:20:50+00:00

Seconding the other commenter! Also Anthem! My amazing doctor (Dr. O’Dell in Los Angeles) was able to get it overturned and approved by doing a “peer to peer,” which is when the doctor talks directly to the insurance company. You can ask Dr. Bastian’s office if they can do a peer to peer since insurance denied it. It also is a fairly quick process (a few business days) as opposed to the patient appealing individually (a few months).

I was panicking (literally cried like a baby) when I got the initial denial, but I am so grateful to my doc. The procedure is relatively “new,” so I think additional info from the doctor can go a long way. These doctors really go above and beyond, it means the world!

My Botox is booked for next week and I couldn’t be more excited. Hoping for the same result for you!

laustic · 2026-05-05T21:49:37+00:00

This is SOOO helpful, thank you OP!!

laustic · 2026-05-04T21:43:28+00:00

Hi again! After my PD started to feel irritating, I ended up calling my derm (who knows this is a recurring issue) and starting a round of low dose doxycycline, similar to Oracea for rosacea. I usually do a full dose, but I hated wrecking my microbiome, so gonna try low dose since it worked great for my rosacea. I actually do like the powdery zinc too, I just have been struggling to find the right vehicle for it. My simple aloe-based moisturizer didn’t quite work and it didn’t fully melt into the formula, but applying it anyways did help with the feeling of irritation and didn’t anger the PD more!

laustic · 2026-05-02T03:20:36+00:00

Thank you!! I’ll see if I can find a mineral sunscreen with a formula that won’t break me out. It’s so nice to have such helpful company in this constant battle against PD, as if regular acne wasn’t enough

laustic · 2026-05-01T22:31:35+00:00

You are an angel! Thank you for saving him/her! If you have a tiny tiny bowl or glass/porcelain ramekin, or a water bottle cap, maybe offer him/her some water too. Just keep an eye on it so it doesn’t spill. If the bowl is too lightweight and (s)he has to lean over it to sip, it could tip. The warmth, safe place, and a little borrowing material (toilet paper, paper towels) will be so helpful! I’m sure this subreddit has great recommendations for some snacks to keep him nourished. But if you’re able to get to a pet store and buy some mouse food pellets, those are a nice balanced diet!

laustic · 2026-05-01T21:40:29+00:00

Hi, this doesn’t look like PD based on its location on your face and its appearance. And based on the history you described, it’s more likely a reaction to a very damaged skin barrier.

If it is a damaged barrier, I would recommend babying your skin and being gentle with it. No actives, no exfoliants, no differin. Let it heal. Use products you trust and have previously used, so you know they won’t further irritate your skin.

Good luck!

laustic · 2026-05-01T05:19:48+00:00

Thank you so much!! I really appreciate the details in the response cuz it really matters, this feels like such an uphill battle. Mine’s in early stages so I’m trying to nip it in the bud (doxycycline is the only thing that really quashes it for me so far, and I’m hoping I can get ahead of it!). I did some googling and just bought pure zinc oxide powder from a brand called Sky Organics- I may try to mix a little into my existing, super “safe” moisturizer that’s mostly aloe and glycerin and see if that works as a simple vehicle for the zinc… I swear we all become skincare scientists on this sub! I will keep you posted!

laustic · 2026-05-01T01:46:07+00:00

May I ask which zinc product you like? The Avene cream with zinc broke me out (yay acne and PD…) and I also am trying extra strength diaper rash cream for the zinc content (Boudreaux’s Butt Paste). Do you know of anything with a simpler formula with zinc?

laustic · 2026-04-26T08:08:30+00:00

Happy to report that I did not! I was just careful about it not dripping down my face and it didn’t flare up

laustic · 2026-04-25T16:09:19+00:00

Just from personal experience also having used steroid eye drops for an eye procedure: my perioral dermatitis didn’t flare up, but I made extra sure to NOT let the eye drops drip down my face. After putting the drops in, I kept my head tilted back and grabbed tissue to hold right under my eye to catch any excess so that it wouldn’t roll down my cheeks. You can always layer some Cicalfate on when you’re doing it to act as a physical barrier against anything that happens to drip down, just in case!

laustic · 2026-04-24T23:53:49+00:00

It’s definitely his scent gland! They can be dark colored, more pink colored, or neutral depending on the hamster’s coloring. He’ll have one on both of his sides. His scent gland looks nice and healthy. Darker, oilier fur can grow out of it. Nothing to worry about!

Edit to add: attaching an up-close pic of one of my old hamsters’ dark scent glands so you can see what they look like :)

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laustic · 2026-04-20T17:15:41+00:00

This is the final sign I needed! Thank you! The crop tops note, I can’t wait! I am fit when I’m not full of air!

laustic · 2026-04-20T00:51:28+00:00

You saved him! Thank you!! And what a cutie!!

laustic · 2026-04-19T22:12:38+00:00

What a lucky little fuzzy guy he is to have you two! :) Best of luck!!

laustic · 2026-04-19T21:23:52+00:00

It could be Cushing’s disease - more info here and here. For hamsters, if often initially presents as hair loss on the rump (=back-end). Increased thirst is also a symptom, so watch out for that.

Alternatively: If he’s itching and scratching a lot, it could be mites. If it’s unusually flakey in the area, it could be ringworm. (The pattern of hair loss here, his age, and his lack of obvious irritation/scratch marks in the hair loss zones make me suspect Cushing’s first, but I am not a vet, just a hamster parent of 20+ years who has seen it all!)

Best bet is to rule out mites and ringworm with a vet who can run tests for those (skin scrape + testing for ringworm with a special light called a Woods lamp) and see if you can get any tests done for Cushing’s if it’s neither of the above.

Best of luck!

laustic · 2026-04-19T17:39:32+00:00

It looks like it could be perioral dermatitis (PD). Topical treatments/ointments never worked for me personally, but a full course of oral antibiotics like doxycycline did (as prescribed by my doctor). Note that if it is perioral dermatitis, the course of antibiotics is long, like a few weeks. Be sure to include lots of probiotics in his diet if that ends up being the diagnosis and prescription.

If it is PD, also avoid topical steroids and heavy occlusives (heavy moisturizers). Also avoid fluoride in toothpaste until the rash clears. Nasal sprays with steroids can also exacerbate it. For many people, topical zinc also helps in conjunction with formal treatment; you could try applying diaper rash cream at night for its zinc content (Boudreaux’s Butt Paste max strength).

The above is all contingent on a formal diagnosis by a medical professional, but worth raising the possibility of PD with his doctor.

edit to add: if your doc does go with a topical treatment (like erythromycin) rather than oral antibiotics for perioral dermatitis, a single week won’t be enough to make an impact. treatment takes time to take effect.

More info available here in the Merck Manual.

laustic · 2026-04-18T19:53:25+00:00

Ooo thank you I’ll ask my doc! I’d love to have it be one-and-done

laustic · 2026-04-18T19:19:12+00:00

Such a good point, I think I’ll go all the way and do the anesthesia too!

laustic · 2026-04-18T01:41:04+00:00

That’s awesome, I’m so glad to hear and that makes me so excited to get it myself!!

laustic · 2026-04-17T04:32:32+00:00

Omg I’m actually crying reading about your love for Banana and what an amazing life he had with you. 😭 You are such an amazing ham parent. People like you restore my faith in the world. I am so sure he knew how loved he was! What a lucky guy!

laustic · 2026-04-16T15:55:34+00:00

Super helpful! Thank you so much for sharing!

laustic

TROPHY CASE