So, as one can imagine, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time explaining to people what Hidradenitis Suppurativa is.(short explanation – chronic cyst and boils due to malfunction of glands in the armpits, breast groin buttocks, and for me this includes my left ribcage and abdomen) Also, as it pertains to me, I am in the third and most extreme stage. What does that mean? It means that all my affected areas have scar tissue, openings and tracts underneath the skin that branch out, expanding the areas where cyst can and do form causing flares.

Even with that, the day to day challenge of living with this disease, especially as a woman, cannot be tied up in a textbook definition. Hidradenitis causes my body to constantly produce and drain pus as well as blood in areas where my wounds are deeper…. Constant Drainage! This is one of my biggest challenges. This aspect of HS is inconvenient, uncomfortable – as you can imagine having fluid coming out of multiple areas of your body would be…. but it also has deteriorated my inborn femininity….. That’s the hardest part outside of painful flares!

I’ve spent these 13yrs bandaging, protecting bedding, clothing and honestly morphing into something that feels much unlike a woman and sometimes unlike a human at all.

Having said that…. The below are pics that I can share to give a visual for better understanding:

Thank you for allowing me to share. Being open and honest with those I love and I know love me is part of my coping mechanism… Thank you again ❤️

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