HS stage one, my story, and questions. Help!
Posted , 5 users are following.
Im a 22year old female. About 200lbs, 5ft. Stay at home mom to a 4yr old. 6 months ago i found tender lumps under my armpit. Gyn sent for sonogram, they said I had lipomas, and sent me to a genreal surgeon. GS informed me what I has was HS. I was skeptical, my lumps come and go, also ive never had any open sores or any drainage. Before 6 months ago i never had any skin problem like this ever. Then i went to my primary who then told me it was probably HS but that it was really mild. Gave me Doxycycline and i went on my way. later he wanted me to take spiralactone(sp?) so i just started that. Ive also had crippling social and regular anxeity my whole life. Last week i started for the first time since before i got pregnant with my 4 year old. not only did my social anxeity kick creep back up on me, but my stress level increased as well. I had no lumps or anything active when i started working. Then within a day or two of working and stressing, I woke up with 6-7 lumps under each armpit. Next i had 3 days off, which at that time the lumps were tender but not unbearable. When i went back to work after my "chill" days, I worked with this awful woman, who literally sent me home because she forgot to train me to serve, but didnt want to get in trouble with the main boss, so she blamed it on me. Well at that point, i was done, im not lazy, i hustle, and even did the things the servers were too lazy to do. I just brokedown, i had been busting my ass ever since i started working there, and she had no right to treat me this way. I had a panic attack, i was crying uncontrolably and a mess. I bottled up all the stress and it exploded when i got home. after sleeping for 2 hours, i woke up with pain under my arms. My lumps had swollen twice their size, were painful to the point i couldnt go back to sleep. I even called my boss and quit my job for fear of my arms and my mind. (although my boss did call me back later and told me she'd like me to come back and she'd personally work with me and my anxiety and that she doesnt want to lose me because im one of her hardest workers even though im new) I still havent made my mind up wether i will return to work. My HS is very mild, but im terrified that stress is what causes my flare ups, and im scared to death that my stress will cause me to progress to stage 2 or 3. What are some triggers to watch out for? what kind of diet should I be on? how should i take care of the lumps and inflammation? is there any supplements i can take to help? or otc vitamins, cremes, home remedies anything you can reccommend? I dont know much about how this all works. My doctor pretty much gave me the meds and that was it. Is there a possibility I can prevent it from breaking open or progressing to the higher stages? Sorry to talk everyones ears off. I just dont have anyone. My mom yells at me that im worrying about something that hasnt happened yet (stage progression) and she acts like its no big deal, My boyfriend hes sweet, but he doesnt quite understand anxiety and uncontrollable it is, or how severe HS can get, they just think i have infected sweat glands and they dont realize its a uncurable disease, plus that my severe anxiety might make it worse. Thank you to anyone that can help or that took the time to read this all. sorry for any spelling mistakes or mistakes within the post.
0 likes, 6 replies
MsPrincess213 kotie
Posted
In 2013, I found out I was pregnant with my first and only child around May. In October I started seeing these lumps and drainage under my right arm. I went to see my PCP and he referred me to a dermatologist. After he found out I was pregnant he immediately told me it was acne, so I knew being pregnant was not going to resolve my issue. In January I gave birth to my daughter. When turned 27 a month after giving birth the flare-ups became aggressive. However, I was going through a lot of medical problems and personal problems at the same time, so I disregard the issue. Summer 2014 they became more painful and was told it was staph, so the next year and a half that's what I thought I had. Until this past June, I underwent futher testing and found out it was HS. Since I have been suffering for 3 years my PCP knew that medication and home remedies were not going to solve my problem, so he referred me to a general surgeon. I seen the surgeon on July 13, 2016 and scheduled for surgery for August 16, 2016. Therefore, I am having surgery in 3 days under both arms. I am nervous, but I am ready. I'm in stage 2 and the pain is out of control, so I definitely don't want to get to stage 3. Best of luck to you.
kotie MsPrincess213
Posted
I'm sorry you have to go through that. I can't even imagine the pain your going through. It's a cruel thing for women to bring life to the world then develop something so life shattering right afterwards. I'm praying for you for your surgeries to be successful. I had a friend who said she had a skin disease and now I finally know it was HS and I saw what she went threw (at the time I thought it was boils and not a life long struggle). I hope these surgeries changes your life for the better. Nobody deserves this. How did or are you coping with this? I'm trying to be hopeful but I'm kinda giving up. I don't know if I can do this the rest of my life especially if it progresses. Is there anything that you finds helps with the symptoms or maybe care for it? Does it interfere with working? How does your family handle it? How did you tell them?
MsPrincess213 kotie
Posted
I started getting the lumps when I was 3 months pregnant. I have been through a lot since 2014, but I am not the type of person that gives up easily. I'm sorry there was no otc medicine or home remedies that helped me with the pain, so I just dealt with it. However, last month I grew tired of disease, so I went to see my PCP and he referred me to a general surgeon. Yes, it does interfer with my personal and professional life. I have a 2-year-old child and currently a Doctorate student. My family is extremely supportive. I have no doubt that I will get through with it just like I did with my previous surgeries. Since I only have one child and currently in school online my family is able to help me when it's needed. With that being said, I am ready. I have only 3 days until my surgery on both armpits. God will be with me during my surgery and during my recovery phase. I am not skeptical or afraid. I'm just ready!
Hokage kotie
Posted
Hey Kotie, first of all i'm sorry for what you have to go through, i know its unbearable and extremely frustrating living with this condition but you can make it manageable by doing the right things
.
Seems like your trigger may just be stress, as your boils occur when/after you are emotionally imbalanced... therefore a quick solution, TURMERIC !!! I doubted it at first but the doubt goes once you realise its effectiveness, whenever you notice any lumps beginning to occur take a supplement containing turmeric ( with bioperine ), take 1-2 before you sleep depending on the mg of curcumin and another 1-2 on an empty stomach in the morning.
The reason why you'll have to get a product containing turmeric AND bioperine is so the anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric can be derived from the curcumin which is already present but only activates with bioperine. ( Bioperine is the catalyst for curcumin and is 95% present in black ground pepper )
This method will harden the lumps and prevent growth hence prevention of wounds and leaking. So far turmeric has been great as it prevents inflammation, and HS is just a type of inflammation so try it !!
Ok so now that lumps are covered, to prevent your HS from becoming worse or causing and infection in a specific area you need to control the affected area and keep it clean, for this i recommend Hibiscrub (or hibiclens), its a clinical disinfectant and it is AMAAZINGG for HS sufferers. ( Destroys any bad smells and stops spreading of infection, in other words kills all bacteria and any fungal infections, also keeps skin germ free ) Use this around three times a week, wash the affected area ( or all over your body ) and you should be good, but make sure you aren't allergic to any of the chemicals present.
As far as triggers go, you may just have A trigger or many triggers that build up and cause a huge mess, this is where it gets difficult.
If your main trigger ( seems like it ) Is stress, then the best you can do is control this condition as ive informed you. Im not going to tell you not to be stressed because thats near enough impossible and people dont get that :@. You may also want to look into nightshade fruits and vegetables, and eliminate them from your diet; This has been a miracle for some people, and also try a paleo diet whilst avoiding products with gluten. If you realise diet may be key for you then understand that it may take between 1-2 months before the effects of a diet are certain, so you'll have to be patient.
The reason why ive informed you of turmeric as an internal remedy and hibiscrub as an external remedy is because these two have been most effective for the majority of people with HS. So until there is a cure just bear with it and be strong, once you understand HS it becomes a way of life and is no different from brushing your teeth every morning haha. Take care and good luck !!
P.s. Any confusion or questions? Feel free to ask.
hypercat kotie
Posted
Hi the first thing you must do is get a referral to a dermatologist for a proper diagnosis. Doctors know very little about it and care even less. Then aggressive treatment is needed to prevent it spreading to other areas. The sooner you catch and treat it the more treatment options are availale.
There is little known about HS but I was told it is more common in people who are overweight and smokers. I find stress is my biggest trigger. You need to deal with your anxiety and stress so see your doctor about that if you haven't already. I hope this helps a bit. x
EllesMom kotie
Posted
You have a ton of things to worry about and I GET IT TOTALLY! Stress is my biggest trigger too and it does make me break out and flare up horribly. I'm going to send you a PM and give you my info so we can talk easier and I think you will do well with some guidance. I have had HS for 17 years now and I'm an RN so I know a thing or two about it and we have a whole lot in common.