How to deal with hidradenitis suppurativa

[Tjayjay90]

I was diagnosed with stage 3 hidradenitis 6 years ago and I'm in constant pain I get no relief even though I am on pain meds. I have clusters of forming abscesses and open wounds in my groin on my bum under my arms and on my breasts. I'm constantly depressed because of the pain and the appearance of the scars and the forming abscesses. I have had more than 17 surgeries to drain or remove clusters and nothing seems to help. I'm wondering how to deal with the frustration, pain and depression that's comes with having this disease.

[JAY198899999999999990]

HS started for me when I was around 19 years old. I suffered with it everywhere on my body until I turned 25. By the age of 25, I had more surgeries than I care even to mention and more courses of antibiotics than any person should be allowed to take. Nothing worked, and I suffered in silence for years in real depression and frustration about my body draining, and nothing seemed to help me. I'm a male and frequently had to sneak into grocery stores late at night to get menstrual pads to protect my clothing; imagine that as a 19-year-old kid. My body was disfigured, and I went from being athletic to slightly overweight because of the depression and lousy diet; I couldn't even really work out, and I used to love fitness. At 25, I met this bodybuilder at my job. He was the maintenance man, and one day, I asked him how much protein he ate to look how he looked, and he told me he was vegan; I couldn't believe it. This guy was massive and completely shredded. We talked daily at lunch, and he gave me tips on eating and how being vegan changed his life. I haphazardly started, and it began to change my life, not immediately, but it did! I eventually stopped all processed sugars and all meat except fish, primarily wild-caught salmon. I kept a heavy focus on plant-based eating, and ultimately, the years of pain and suffering were ended. The draining finally stopped, and I could lift my arms again. Diet changed my life. I'm now 36 years old, and  I haven't had significant HS flare-ups since, and when I do, it's because I need to tighten up my diet. I search for these stories from time to time to share. Start cleaning the body with good whole foods while still taking your antibiotics and other medications that work well for you; slowly discontinue when the body starts healing. For me, this saved my life. It took time, but it worked and will work for you!