For Cheyenne, watching John live with acne keloidalis nuchae meant witnessing changes she could not stop and questions she could not answer. In this chapter, she speaks about the frustration, the difficult treatment experiences, and the loss of hope that followed years of searching for help.
Watching the Changes Add Up
Asked what it was like to watch John go through his experience, Cheyenne answers plainly: “It was hard. It was really hard.” She recalls seeing gradual changes, depression, weight gain, and a growing sense that John was losing hope.
Her perspective adds another dimension to John’s account. The condition affected him directly, but Cheyenne also lived alongside the uncertainty, watching someone she loved struggle while trying to understand what might help.
A Difficult Experience With Injections
Cheyenne remembers one especially frustrating period during John’s visits to doctors. She says that after injections, he experienced hiccups that continued for about a week. This was not an occasional hiccup that quickly passed, she explains, but something that seemed to go on without stopping.
She recalls John describing the experience as an allergic reaction to the injections and says he stopped receiving them. Her account describes what the couple experienced; it does not establish a medical cause for the hiccups or independently confirm an allergy.
For Cheyenne, this episode added to the feeling that John already had too much to deal with. Seeking answers had become difficult in its own right.
Supporting Someone Without Having the Answers
“It’s hard to see somebody that you love going through something so difficult,” Cheyenne says. She explains that she was not a doctor and did not have the answers he needed. When the conversation turns to feeling powerless, she agrees.
What she could offer was encouragement: supporting John and urging him to continue exploring treatment options. But encouragement did not erase the frustration of going from one doctor to another over roughly 20 years without finding the answers they were seeking.
When Years of Searching Wear Down Hope
Cheyenne describes those repeated appointments as a “revolving door.” Over time, she says, frustration set in and hope faded. She recalls a doctor telling them the condition would never go away.
The chapter does not resolve what comes next for John. Instead, it makes room for the experience of the person beside him: someone who saw the struggle up close and kept offering support even when she could not change the situation herself.
Watch the Chapter
Watch Episode 6, Chapter 6:
Take the Next Step
Continue following John’s story in the next chapter.
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Medical Disclaimer
This article shares a personal experience and is for informational purposes only. It is not a diagnosis or individualized medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional about symptoms and treatment options.
Further Reading
- https://dru.com/john-acne-keloidalis-nuchae-baldcast/
- Umar S, Ogah O, Yang J, Tan BH, Aiead N, Shitabata PK. A Candidate Syndromic Triad of Acne Keloidalis Nuchae, Dissecting Cellulitis, and Secondary Cutis Verticis Gyrata. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2026 Aug 28;19:615576. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S615576. PMID: 42683347; PMCID: PMC13532648.
https://www.dovepress.com/a-candidate-syndromic-triad-of-acne-keloidalis-nuchae-dissecting-cellu-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-CCID
