On Monday I went to the dermatologist to get my FMLA documentation updated. It's been a year and that document is only good for 1 year at a time (at least from my employer's point of view).
I was pretty darn excited about going and sharing my "wealth"! My skin is not clear (yet) - but parts of it are well more clear than they've ever been before. So I was very excited to go in and talk to my doctor about how my diet has been changing my skin for the better.
When I told the nurse of the situation she said she had goosebumps and that she was so happy for me. When the doctor came in she asked me about any current lesions - and of course, I do have the one on the right breast. I also have some "pimple-like" breakouts on both breasts and in my cleavage but those are barely of concern to me because they don't hurt or cause me to be off of work due to draining or pain. The current incidence isn't really something they could do anything about because it is an open deal and it is a crater-like site rather than a bumpy area.
The doctor was impressed with my skin being pretty clear and I told her of my diet and what foods I'm not eating ... and she was glad to hear that it was working for me.
When she came back into the room with the attending physician (resident? I don't know which is which, but the "big guy") she took a step back and allowed him to take the lead. Then, after examining me he stated that I was lucky because he's seen folks with this disease way worse off than I am. Yes, that's true. Even at my worst there are people out there that have this way worse than I did... but I told him that my skin was clearing up because of my diet. When I told him what I wasn't eating - processed foods, legumes, tomatoes (questionable), grains, and gluten - he looked at the other doctor and said "yes, the anti-inflammatory diet ... it has been researched and tried, not in derm, but for other applications and it sometimes helps. It doesn't cure but for some folks it does relieve the symptoms. It doesn't work for everyone."
Now, he didn't say this to me, he said it over me and was speaking directly to the other doctor as if I was a test subject that couldn't hear him or something like that. I nodded my head and though "duh, exactly what the prescribed drugs you have do for this disease... !"
He uninflated my sails that simply. I was so angry for him not even recognizing that this can and does work for anyone who really puts their minds and diet to it. I want it to work. I need it to work. There are no quick easy fix pills out there to make this just go away. I do not want to have surgery on top of surgery to get rid of this. I do not want to spend all my money on hibiclens and dressings to cover up the breakouts. I would like to be able to wear sleeveless shirts and bathing suits at some point in my life. I want to be able to lose weight and feel desirable... if those of us with HS lose weight we still don't feel desirable because of our skin. It is ugly and scary for most people out there who don't have it. I don't really blame those folks though... it is not pretty.
So, in all regards folks, don't listen to the stupid doctors in your life. If you're doing something that works for you, stick with it. Do it with all the power of your mind and know that it will work. Doctors and lab rats have to stick with what they know... and what they know is that the drug companies pay them a lot of money and give them lots of perks to push their drugs and to have folks dive in to their drug trials. DON'T RELY ON DRUGS TO SAVE YOU. Your doctor doesn't care if you get symptoms from something far worse than HS (and yes, there are things far worse than HS)... because if your doctor cared they wouldn't even suggest you subject yourself to the drug they're pushing.
Yes, they are drug pushers and that is all they are. Stop fighting your body. Start listening to your body and feed it the food that works for it. Feed it the nutrients that help it serve every inch of you and keep you healthy. Get away from the crap you've been eating and eat nutritious food. Just do it for 3 months and see how much of a difference it makes in your life.
Make a promise to yourself to do it. Don't try to do it. Don't look down the road and say "ah, my sister's boyfriend's kid is having a party on the 17th of next month so I'd better just wait"... do it now. Do it for you. No one else cares about you but you. You have to be the adult and do this for yourself or else you won't know the glory of limited breakout areas and healthy skin.
I promise. This will work for you.
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