Dear God. This article is remarkable. It is very touching...and I sort of felt like they were writing about me! People need to know about this...I applaud you for organizing this. I know it is hard but it is important for people to know who you are. I think it is a lot better for people to approach you knowing....rather than later lose people who 'find out' about your illness due to 'snobiness' on their part.

I want to say bless you but I don't think that would be appropriate from me right now, lol.

My mom's birthday is also December 3rd. She also has the boils around her panty line as well. And recently she brought to light that her mother had them really bad under her arms....so I really do think this shit is genetic. My mom had a hysterectomy in her early 30's because of some problems she was having and she swears the hormonal changes helped to clear up her skin.

She also moved to California a few years ago after divorcing my Dad. The weather in California is better for your skin too, she says; we are in the humid south in Arkansas.

You really have an opportunity to make some cash with college textbooks. My local community college sometimes sells out of date books for like $2 each. Some have not even been used. More than likely other schools around the country still use the books.

Sometimes you can get like 10 books for like $2 each and easily sell them on ebay for $20 or more.....i've done it before. I've sort of just had a bad past few months and let myself go. I think my ebay account is suspended because I owe them like $4 or something, lol.

I haven't had a hair cut in like months and have not shaved in weeks until tonight. I grabbed the scissors and cut my hair and shaved. It took like an hour but GOD it made me feel good about myself. I have vowed to get on the job hunt tomorrow and I need to try and stick to that plan.

Goodness my heart goes out to you. I am playing the social security waiting game with you dear. Applied in early Nov. and haven't heard shit yet. I quit a great job with the Federal Government about 3 years ago with good benefits and everything. And had to recently quit my job delivering pizza.....I mean how sedentary can you get?

Goodness it seems like I have so much to say! Let me close this out!

I am very touched by the article and I am proud of you for having the courage to get it printed. You are a voice for all of us on here. I wish you all the best!

P.S. I've read that the symptoms decline when people are in their late 30's early 40's......if we make it at least we can sort of look forward to that!

ok ok ok

Bye!

LOL I am 42, and they have not declined...trust me. :) I can't wait to read the article! I'm really glad you got the word out about it...Great Job. :)

major props for getting the word out there!!!

thank you all so much for your kind comments. im starting to feel alittle better about it being in the newspaper. :)

lol, but not very funny. I'm w/respectful, I'm 47 & mine haven't declined either. However, on a good note for me, I have not had as bad a case as the most of you. But when mine flare up they are very painful & take forever to get under control. Have only had to have 1 of them lanced in adulthood, & that was only because I was seeing the Doc for totally unrelated issues & when he saw it he immediately said we're lancing that. Awful, awful experience!!! That packing is a real "booger"

Wonderful article K9! I wish the best for you and a very wonderful New Year. And congrats on your marriage!

HUGS

39 and no relief yet.... I still hope each night and despair each new day. My son who is 18 and had never had any signs of HS just developed a cyst on his face...... I am so sick. I freaking hate passing it to him... life fkn sucks! Please dear God let there be a cure soon.

My kids are 4 and 2; with another one due in April. Bless their hearts. When they get a little older, like maybe in 10 years....I think I am going to go ahead and make the move to Cali to live with my mom. Hopefully by then the disability will have gone through.

There is just more out there. Better climate and more doctors/surgeons. The weather here in Arkansas is awful for this disease. The summers are so hot and humid! And the winters; like now; can be frigid. My mom lives in the Chino, CA area and it is like always lows in the 40s 50s and highs in the 60s 70s. Sounds like paradise to me!

hi, i would love to read the article but cant find it when i follow the link...x

i found the article! Very well done to you!

i thought i was doing a good thing about telling my story to the public. but all it seemed to do was backfire on me. several members of my family told me probably a year ago now that if i didnt dump my husband( who is 25 yrs older than me), that they would disown me. i took that as a blessing, and said bye-bye!
now they have the balls to make public comments about me on this article, saying im lying about this disease! you all have access to see my surgery pics. does it look like im a liar to you??? that i magically fabricated all the horrible things in my life. they have no fucking idea. and thats what hurts the most. i hid my disease for so long, and when i finally speak about i am called a liar. my family also said that i had severe acne. i wasnt diagnoised with HS till june 09. although ive had this for a long time. and yes the doctors always thought that it was severe acne. but hey i seen a doc who was finally educated and diagnoised me with HS. and just because the newspaper makes a few typos doesnt make me a liar. like with my dad being adopted. yes he is, not by his mother, but was adopted by a different father. and my mother was fully adopted. my parents are there for me with this disease. the great family also wrote something like how they love me and care about me. well if they cared about me then why go write the awful things they did. talk about making me feel lower then ever. sinking me into deeper and deeper depression. but i guess it was my mistake for going public.
for those trying to read the article. go to www.sparkstribune.net and scroll down alittle and click on read more stories. the headline is THERES NO TURNING BACK.
and if any of you who would like to contradict theyre comments. please to so. they made a comment like where is your support group now.
god i hate my life!

There. I added a little venom to the righteous anger that was brewing inside me when I read the detestable comments left by your family and used it as fuel to leave an equally vicious comment that I am quite proud of!

Got your back!

Dustbucket-

thank you so much, that was really cool for you to write such a powerful comment. i only wish my family could be like those of you here on this support group. again thank you so much. :)

GREAT article! Like you, I once would not speak of this to anyone, but now the pain is too strong and the reoccurance too frequent. People need to know why I miss 2 weeks of life almost each and every month. 5-7 days coming on, on the 5th or 7th day I give to the pain and go to the doctor for lancing and draining, then she wants me to be off of work to recover.

I am 46 and they are more advanced now than ever in my life.

Enough of me, thank you for sharing your story.

k9 - do NOT allow them to bring you down. you are an amazingly brave person. they have no idea what they are talking about. it pisses me off they made the focus of the article be about who was or wasn't adopted. lame.

i made a comment - and a new thread encouraging everyone on the board to go and post a comment. you did something most of us are to afraid to do. you should be commended - not brought down by your own family.

they should be ashamed. and you should hold your head high. ignore them - they are ignorant. put them in your prayers and move on.

because you are awesome. nuff' said.

you all are so awesome!
when i woke up this morning i was terrified to see what else my horrible family was going to write. but all i seen was amazing comments from the people that matter the most. and that is you guys!
thank you all, you really made my day! :)