I know what depression is because Gram said Gloria was depressed for a long time after her husband, Bill, died. She was so sad that she started sleeping all the time and skipping garden club meetings. She even forgot to string the Christmas lights in front of the town hall.

Gram told me she and Ruth had to drag Gloria to the doctor, where she got medication and therapy to help her feel happier again.

I don’t want to ever be that sad.

But then I think about the pictures I saw online. People whose faces were two totally different colors. People with white patches all over their bodies. I bet they get stared at a lot. Like when Lily broke her foot skiing a few years ago and had to be on crutches afterward. Wherever we went, people would always follow her with their eyes, like they were wondering what was wrong with her.

Lily loved the attention.

But Lily only had to deal with it for a couple months. I bet having people stare at you your whole life would make you sad and anxious. You would probably want people to just treat you like everyone else.

What Is My Prognosis?

The path of vitiligo is impossible to predict and occurs differently in every patient. Your spots or patches may stay small and be confined to one area of the body, or they may continue to spread, covering much or even all of the skin. Spreading can occur rapidly and stop abruptly, or it can occur slowly over a long period of time.

If my white patches keep spreading, people might be staring at me for the rest of my life.

If I spent my life being bothered by what other people thought of me, I’d never get anything else done, would I? Gram says in my head.

But Gram had perfectly even, dove-pale skin. Snow White skin. People only looked at her funny sometimes because she chose to dress differently, with her long dresses and her parasol. I don’t have any choice about whether my vitiligo spreads or where it goes. I’m like a tree with vines wrapping their way slowly around me, and nothing I can do to escape their grip.

What Are My Treatment Options?

There is no cure for vitiligo, but there are treatments that can slow its progression and can help some patients to regain pigment. These include creams and light treatments. Your doctor will help you determine the best course of treatment for your condition.

As soon as Dr. Howard had officially diagnosed me, Mom started quizzing her about treatments.

“Many people decide not to treat this condition at all,” Dr. Howard told her, glancing at me. “But certainly, there are treatments to explore if Emma would like to.”