I got word back from the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine folks I contacted. I was initially worried that they would just ignore me (having not being quite as prompt as Dr. Cordain and some messing with getting my email to the right email address), but they did get back to me, and they gave me several names with contact information, including a person at a semi-local Mayo Clinic.
That point caught my attention because my dad actually brought up the idea of going to a Mayo Clinic around the holidays today. Yes, it would be a grueling and most likely a rather unpleasant day, but I could learn a lot in a relatively quick amount of time (allergy battery, hormone tests, tests for digestive issues, etc.). Then again, everything could also come back normal and we'd be back to the "well, this diet-regimen works, but we don't know why," stage again. Not only that, but a Mayo Clinic visit is probably pretty pricey. Then again, going to the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine is going to be pricey (got quoted at $350 for the initial consultation and $250/follow-up). That wouldn't be an issue if our health insurance covered that kind of thing.
Furthermore, there are travel costs involved. I have friends who most likely wouldn't mind hosting me, but travel is expensive, time-consuming, and a general pain - compound that with whatever medical testing they may do - and it sounds like it could be quite a project. Then again, trying to cure this particularly stubborn case of acne has become at least a part-time job (fussing over food, cooking, research, tweaking, planning, etc.), and is always in the back of my mind while I'm doing my actual job - being a music theory grad student. Maybe it would be worth whatever money my family and I have to fork over to get my skin issues resolved once and for all. Acne does significant emotional as well as physical damage (and yes, though I don't let it on much, oh Lordy is it there), and I have had enough.
What would you do, dear readers?
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