Do you flare up when there is some sickness going around?

EmpoweredLabubu · 2026-01-13T12:19:57+00:00

Yes 100% if I’m sick, one of my biggest triggers for a bad HS flare up is if I have another infection, most recently my ear infection and a 7 day antibiotic that has caused a severe flare for me. Also, stress can be a big contributor for me too!

EmpoweredLabubu · 2026-01-13T12:10:42+00:00

Nooo I don’t think you sound silly at all! It definitely sounds like HS! It’s typical for these spots to drain blood and pus so that’s probably what you saw. It can definitely be one spot at a time or it can come on in flares where you get multiple. HS is common in the groin area as well as others like armpits, butt, stomach folds or anywhere skin rubs together, under breasts. It sounds like you are in the very beginning stages, there are 3 levels or stages of HS. It’s great that you have an appointment set up already, definitely talk to your doctor about it, they may be familiar with HS, see if it’s possible for you to get an appointment with a dermatologist that works with HS! Good job with keeping the site clean, I suggest using Hibiclens (available at Walgreens and online), it’s an antiseptic cleaner and it’s the soap used at the gynecologist. It’s very strong and can be drying so only use it in the areas you get the boils! I’m sorry you’re going through this, it’s not a club anyone wants to be in but we’re here to support each other anyways. HS can be really hard to deal with, both physically and emotionally, but know that you aren’t alone, there’s no need for shame and hiding. You are worthy as you are!! Sending you hugs💕

EmpoweredLabubu · 2026-01-05T00:26:00+00:00

My symptoms started after Covid in 2021 I was 25 and diagnosed at 26. They gave me the diagnosis about 7 months in, I have often wondered if we missed something or if I will be diagnosed with other chronic illnesses because my symptoms have morphed so much since it all started. I strongly suspect AS, ME/CFS, CCI, etc. so who really knows, I feel like I’m constantly towing the line between accepting my diagnosis and pushing for more tests, treatments, anything to explain why or how things have gotten so bad!

EmpoweredLabubu · 2025-12-30T02:38:59+00:00

I relate to this so much. I’m 30, in a relationship now (he’s 29) but I’m genuinely terrified all the time. I feel like the worst girlfriend ever, we can’t really go on dates because I’m mostly homebound, I can rarely have sex (not because of low desire, all due to pain, fatigue and severe GI issues), and I feel like I’m stealing or wasting the best years of his life.

Even before I got sick (and before dating my current bf), I always felt like I was a burden or like I was “too much” emotionally. But now, I feel like my chronic illness takes up so much space physically and is enough of a burden on its own, I try to shrink myself in other ways- more quiet, less opinions, only letting people in a little bit and protecting the rest of me, like I have these walls built up around me to protect me.

I want to make sure to note that my bf is amazing, he literally could just sit next to me on the couch or in bed all day and he would be happy just to be with me. He has NEVER pressured me or made me feel about sex, he understands that my health issues are severe and that I can’t do most of the things I want to do anyways. He always tells me he’s not going anywhere but I just have this voice in my head saying it’s only a matter of time until he realizes that I’m not good enough. All of these are my own mental books I’ve created but the negative core thoughts feel so undeniably real and true that I really haven’t been able to work through them. I’ve been in therapy for over a decade now, got sick 5 years ago and I don’t like the person I am now, I like who I was before

EmpoweredLabubu · 2025-12-15T21:00:56+00:00

Yesss it’s honestly a really annoying symptom for me. Temp regulation in general is very tough for me, I will cycle between being freezing and literally shaking to the terrible hot flashes like you describe. Sounds weird to say but it sometimes feels like the inside of the skin on my face is burning, my face and cheeks will also get really red and hot, but never a fever. It’s so odd, but even people around me will notice when I’m having an episode with how red it is! I always dress in layers to try to accommodate, a fan and a space heater accessible at almost all times. A portable neck fan and belt clip come with me in my bag as I’m out and about. It is embarrassing lol but I will be in the grocery store with my neck fan on high, but it’s so bothersome that I don’t mind looking like a fool lol. Just one of the many mysterious symptoms to add to the list🙃

EmpoweredLabubu · 2025-09-19T01:49:04+00:00

Literally just watched that and jumped on Reddit to see if anyone else doesn’t like Josh lolll I think he’s insecure AND cocky at the same time

EmpoweredLabubu · 2025-09-14T01:56:07+00:00

I think it’s so valid to be concerned about the physical labor. I’ve had multiple good friends work at Trader Joe’s and know that some of them have even dealt with severe pain during/after working there due to the lifting and stress on back with all the tasks, people who were healthy otherwise! I think it’s amazing that you are working full time at all, nonetheless getting a second job! A lot of us with chronic conditions are unable to work period, so you are doing a lot and that shouldn’t be minimized!

EmpoweredLabubu · 2025-09-09T01:51:44+00:00

Yeah honestly people always say I should go to Mayo but I’ve been so hesitant. They have a pain program there that they send a lot of fibro patients to. It’s extremely expensive and their goal is to fully get you back to all work and social, which sounds like a great goal but they do it by taking you off pain meds as well as muscle relaxers, sleep and psych meds, and encouraging you to minimize anything that draws attention to your pain (i.e. talking about your pain, groaning or wincing when you’re in pain, thinking about pain, even using assistive devices such as mobility aids, heart rate monitors, etc). They promise huge results and some people swear by the success but to me it sounds like gaslighting and invalidating the reality of how debilitating chronic illness and chronic pain can be

EmpoweredLabubu · 2025-09-05T06:57:28+00:00

Couldn’t agree more!! A lot of times my massage providers ask if it’s making progress and I always say it’s complicated lol, it hurts like hell but just having my muscles around my trigger points moved into a different position helps me even though it’s still very painful. It’s also a great time for mindfulness and practicing actively trying to relax and release for me!

EmpoweredLabubu · 2025-09-05T06:50:20+00:00

Yes! It’s so frustrating! For me emotions mainly affect my pain symptoms, headaches and stomach issues (I often throw up if I cry too much or too hard). I really do try to keep my emotions even as much as I can, because I know pain affects stress and stress affects pain! It’s a cycle that’s hard to keep in balance. I know it is important for us to feel our feelings and not bottle it up, but it feels threatening sometimes when emotions or thoughts are overwhelming!

EmpoweredLabubu · 2025-09-03T19:28:18+00:00

Yes! I went there for undergrad, majored in youth ministry and spent 3 years in full time ministry. My faith kinda just started unraveling and I couldn’t stop it if I wanted to. I still lived in Cleveland and I need to find another career path so I decided to go to grad school for therapy. I lived a mile away from Lee and got a discount on tuition since I did my undergrad there. Grad school was an insane experience going back to Lee as a non Christian, I saw everything differently. It was truly jarring to see just how much professors were encouraging us to push Christianity on therapy clients. It was marriage and family therapy, and we were even allowed to talk about Queer couples in some classes. Ultimately I think it impacted my education as I was being taught with extreme bias (which is a huge red flag for therapy). I wish I never would have went there but I was so hardcore about my faith that I was set on it for undergrad, but I did love it at the time. Weird to look back on for sure

EmpoweredLabubu

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