Here I am, as promised. After telling you about how my condition first appeared, I want to share the next part of my journey as I search for a way to manage Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS).
Like many of you, I often ask myself, "Why me?" and envy people who have never had to deal with anything like this. Of course, there are worse problems in the world, but we should still aim for the best possible quality of life, right?
I'd been having a particularly difficult time lately. Remember the two abscesses under my armpit that we'll call Bill and Bob for today? So I asked myself, "Okay, this happened to me and I can't change that, but is it really possible that in 2020, amid potential trips to Mars, political drama and kittens, conspiracy theorists, neo-fascists, neo-Nazis and New Zealanders... Oh no, they have nothing to do with this. Anyway, despite all the progress in medicine, is there really no definitive cure?"
Driven by my natural curiosity and mule-like stubbornness, I started searching every corner of the web, the dark web, the light web, the rainbow web, trying to understand how to manage Hidradenitis Suppurativa.
The video that changed my perspective
That is how I came across a TEDx video, part of a talk series focused on sharing scientific, motivational and inspirational ideas. In it, an American man living with very severe HS described what had helped him manage the condition. He said that after trying every kind of remedy, from futuristic treatments to traditional home remedies, a particular diet was the only thing that had helped him reach remission. For anyone unfamiliar with the distinction, I say remission rather than recovery because HS has no definitive cure.
He also recommended a book where, he said, I could learn more about this seemingly elusive diet.
"Well," I thought, "I've tried everything. There's no harm in giving it a go. At worst, Bill and Bob will keep me company. At best, I'll finally set some boundaries and tell them that my body is not a hotel. No vacancies."
A new hope
I bought the book and started reading. It opened up a world of hope, personal success stories and emerging scientific theories. As I began to find some of these ideas promising, I decided to consult a naturopath.
She had actually been the first person to suggest a specific eating plan to me, but through my own ignorance and stubbornness, I had simply chosen to ignore her.
How did it go? I'll save that for the next article. For now, I'll just say that this was when I began to see food as an important part of my own experience. This is my personal story, not medical advice. I am not a doctor, and HS has no definitive cure.
Reader comments (0)