Hidradenitis Suppurativa

HS started for me when I was about 14 years old. I randomly started to get painful bumps in my groin area. I was a virgin so I knew it wasn't an STD but I couldn't figure out what it possibly could be. My family didn't have health insurance so I couldn't visit a doctor and honestly, I was too embarrassed to tell anyone anyway. I was overweight so I dismissed it as a "weight thing" and hoped it would just go away. Over the years, it came and went and luckily it was mostly dormant until I graduated high school.

After high school, my HS came back in full force. Instead of being only in my groin, it was also in my armpits and under my breasts. This made for much more pain. At times, it was so painful that I couldn't lift or move my arms. At this point, I still didn't know what it was called or why I was being punished by this horrible disease. At this point, I had health insurance but didn't have a regular doctor and also couldn't afford the deductibles anyway. I started to make the connection between stress and more bumps so I started learning ways to reduce stress and that seemed to help. It wasn't until I was getting married that my HS got really bad. Luckily, the bumps went down and laid dormant for awhile after the wedding.

"I can't remember exactly when, how or what I was searching for but I stumbled upon information about Hidradenitis Suppurativa. Reading through the symptoms, I just KNEW that I had HS. I joined some support groups and found that I was not alone.

Unfortunately, we had a very rough first few months of marriage. We were very much in love however my husband lost his job. We were without an income for awhile and then when he did find a job, it was part time and seasonal. Luckily his sister moved in and with what she paid toward the rent and bills, she helped us stay afloat. While this was going on, I was desperately searching for WHY I had these bumps and what I could do to get them to go away.

Over and over again, I kept coming to pages about folliculitis, boils, furuncles, etc. I knew deep down that none of those things were what I had. I kept searching until one day when I finally found what I was looking for. I can't remember when, how or what I was searching but I stumbled upon some information about a disease called Hidradenitis Suppurativa. Reading through the symptoms, I just KNEW that I had HS. I joined a few support groups and found that I was not alone. Finally, I had a group of people who knew exactly what I was going through and exactly how much pain I had to endure.

Suddenly, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. I now knew what the disease was called and I could treat it. Unfortunately, that's when I found that HS is not curable. I can treat it but there's no guarantee that any of the treatments I try will work. To date, I have tried Zinc supplements, Turmeric and stress reduction. These 3 things do seem to keep my HS in check but there are many HS sufferers for whom these treatments do not work. These people sadly are told that surgery is their only option. The affected areas are cut open and the sweat glands are removed and/or the roots of the HS bumps are removed. This surgery is often times successful at first but many times HS shows up again at some point.

Websites:

HS-USA.org

HS-Foundation

HS Support Chat

Hidradenitis Suppurativa Support

Yahoo HS Support Group

Hidradenitis Suppurativa Friends

HS On Facebook:

Hidradenitis Suppurativa Support

Hidradenitis Suppurativa Friends

contre la maladie de verneuil suisse

contre la maladie de verneuil belgique

Idrosadenite suppurativa o Malattia di Verneuil Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Knowlege is key!

Would more people care if _____ had HS?