My Golf Ball-Sized Armpit Bumps And Their Medical Misadventure - Women's Health
My name is Selina Ferragamo and I am 26 years old. I'm a librarian who lives on Long Island in New York, and I use my Instagram page (@hidradenitis.selina) to inspire my 6,000 followers to feel empowered and confident.
I first started noticing a painful feeling in my groin during my sophomore year of high school. I found it uncomfortable sitting in a hard chair during my classes, but I thought it was due to ingrown hairs from shaving.
That pain came and went. Then when I was 17, I started feeling bumps under both of my armpits that grew larger over the years. The one in my left armpit was the size of a golf ball by the time I turned 21. I couldn't even move my arm without feeling extreme pain.
My mom was so concerned that she took me to urgent care, since I didn't have a primary care doctor at the time. It did not go well. The doctor didn't numb the area enough when he drained the pus and fluid from my left armpit, so I felt everything during the procedure. It was absolutely intolerable.
Not long after that, the bump under my right arm ballooned to a size I could no longer ignore. I knew I should go to the doctor, but I was scared because the draining procedure at urgent care had been so painful. Eventually, I couldn't put it off anymore. Even the vibrations of my footsteps would send sharp shooting pain to my armpits. It was so bad I didn't want to walk anywhere.
Looking for answers
When I sought care for my right armpit, I was covered under my mom's insurance. I wanted to see a dermatologist but that required a referral. So I picked the closest general practitioner and made an appointment. That proved to be another misstep. That doctor did a full-body physical before she lifted my arms for literally two seconds to look at my bumps. She never put a name to anything I was experiencing. She just said that she knew a general surgeon would be the person who could help, and put me on steroids and antibiotics to stave off an underarm infection.
It was that surgeon who, in 2017, finally told me what was wrong: I had hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a chronic inflammatory skin disease that causes painful, boil-like lumps to form under the skin. Unfortunately, he never explained that HS is a lifelong autoimmune condition, not just something that could be fixed with a one-off operation.
During my appointment, the surgeon recommended that I have a procedure on both of my armpits to remove the bumps. The pain of the surgery and the agony of being shaved under my arms, which he needed to do beforehand, was terrible—I will never be able to put what I felt into words. For about three months after the surgery, I literally could not move without being in excruciating agony. That was likely because the doctor never put me on antibiotics so my wounds were healing really slowly.
Assembling the right care team
Since that initial operation, I've had two more surgeries, but under the care of a different team of doctors. I found a new primary care doctor, a dermatologist, and a new general surgeon who is the best thing that has happened to me. For example, in 2018, he performed a procedure to remove the infected glands and lymph nodes around the bump in my right armpit. My surgeon had a plastic surgeon in the operating room with him who closed up the incisions to help avoid post-op infection and decrease scarring.
Right now, I'm managing my HS without needing any procedures to drain my flares. Although my left armpit and groin flare occasionally, my right armpit is doing great thanks to the surgery. When I get flares, I try to soak them with a hot compress and I also like using Vick's VapoRub on them if they're unopened to soothe the skin. I also try to limit my stress and anxiety levels and try not to have gluten and processed sugar, which are my triggers.
How I'm helping others
I really don't know what to expect with HS and that's why I want to help others manage their unpredictable chronic conditions. I figured an easy way to reach a lot of people would be through Instagram, so I started an HS account. When I first created it, I had no idea what to expect. I just wanted to share my journey, including my frustrations and difficulties managing my symptoms. But it developed into so much more. People started commenting on my posts, offering support and advice, and following me, which really helped me feel less alone.
When I think about it, my social media has been like a silver lining of having HS. I've met such great people and I'm so lucky to be able to talk to them. Not that it's always easy. I often cry reading the messages they send me where they describe how much pain they're in.
Ultimately, I want people to understand that with a condition like HS, some days are good and some days are bad. For example, some days my HS eats me up to the point where I don't want to get out of bed. But on a good day, I stand up tall and feel confident—even with my scars. I used to avoid wearing tank tops that would show my flares or scars. But I've discovered that it's really okay to go sleeveless.
All of this is part of my journey. And it's one I'm so happy to be able to share, especially with people like me who are struggling to find ways to manage their own chronic health conditions.
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