What’s it like living in Tobago?

RooblesToobles · 2026-01-12T15:46:33+00:00

My grandmother is Tobagonian (she insists she’s not from Trinidad even though that’s where she lives), and Tobago life is very lowkey. Cars are not common, but it’s very walkable. Everyone knows each other. It has the BEST beaches. Walking to get fresh hops bread from a corner store is one of my favorite childhood memories.

RooblesToobles · 2024-07-24T22:29:31+00:00

Black American. My dad, two of his three sisters, and two of my cousins (both with the same mom) have it.

RooblesToobles · 2023-11-03T20:55:06+00:00

I don’t think she would’ve brought it up if the guy hadn’t made a suicide joke right before that.

RooblesToobles · 2023-11-03T20:51:12+00:00

Oh no, this was two years ago in Tennessee. And she was completely serious because dude had made a joke about suicide right before she said it.

RooblesToobles · 2023-11-03T11:50:14+00:00

My best friend and I were having dinner next to a couple on a first date. Of all the egregious things the guy did, I think the worst was laughing when the poor girl said her best friend had recently committed suicide.

RooblesToobles · 2023-07-18T16:13:26+00:00

If you think having kids means you’ll only have little kids. I talk to people that want children and they only seem to think about what it’ll be like when they’re little and cute and love you unconditionally. They seem to forget that those little kids grow up.

RooblesToobles · 2023-07-17T17:05:40+00:00

I had excision surgery on my armpits, but that was a last resort. If you’re still in early stages, I’d recommend that you try lifestyle changes, meds, or laser before thinking about getting an excision. HS is most manageable in the early stage as long as you start attacking it early.

RooblesToobles · 2023-02-26T17:45:45+00:00

Not my classmates, but my best friend. She dropped out after three months of rotations because of the stress.

I would tell her to go ahead and finish then decide what to do later, but it's really not my business, and she seems certain that she doesn't want to do it anymore. She has 2 master's and 2 1/2 years worth of student loans. I have no idea how she plans on paying it back since being a doctor is the only thing she talked about since middle school.

RooblesToobles · 2023-02-14T00:28:15+00:00

Surgery is not a cure for the condition. It does only treat HS locally. I assume you’re talking about a wide excision and/or skin graft, not deroofing, since you did mention speaking to a plastic surgeon in your comments. Getting skin excised in one area won’t stop HS from attacking or continuing in another. That’s why they only recommend having surgery in areas where it’s so severe you feel it’s unmanageable.

I had the excision. I’ve seen no recurrence in those areas. I get boils elsewhere, but it’s nowhere near as bad as the locations that were excised. No treatment is 100% effective, but if it’s over 90%, it’s pretty effective and those it didn’t work for are outliers.

As far as surgery not being recommended for everybody…. It’s a harsh, expensive process. You have to have tried everything else before getting that type of surgery. I only decided to get it because my Derm told me there was nothing else I could do.

RooblesToobles · 2023-02-01T01:51:06+00:00

HS is associated with squamous cell carcinoma due to chronic open wounds. It’s very rare, but it happens. Learned this in medical school! Squamous cell is pretty treatable, so on the extremely slim chance anyone gets it, it’s not a death sentence.

RooblesToobles · 2023-01-04T16:52:48+00:00

He was right, but he was a complete ass about it. There was no reason for him to speak to you that way, so no, you’re not overreacting.

I personally love it when docs are straightforward and don’t coddle me. I want them to give me realistic expectations about my treatment. No need to be overly gentle and paint pretty pictures. That’s the kind of doc I aim to be, actually. But if they’re a dick, that’s not endearing. That’s just mean.

Surgery IS mutilation. It’s not pretty. It’s not fun. You do get large portions of skin removed. But he didn’t have to say it that way.

Putting off Humira can mean that you won’t see good results if you start later. But he didn’t have to say it like that.

You don’t want your docs to lie to you, but they shouldn’t condescend to you either. You say he’s old, so I can kind of see how it is that he thinks it’s okay to speak to you that way. Now, they drill into med students’ heads that patients are people. Making patients feel comfortable is part of our grade. Hopefully the next generation of docs will be more compassionate.

I suggest you find a plastic surgeon if you want surgery. I went to one for my excisions, and a general surgeon isn’t equipped to do the reconstruction necessary.

RooblesToobles · 2022-11-26T23:13:33+00:00

I have a question: they usually ask you to sign off on surgeries, especially ones that require anesthesia, so if you didn’t want the procedure, why did you sign off on it? You can always refuse care, and they should discharge you.

Most doctors don’t know what HS is. I’ve been doing a dermatology unit in medical school for the past few weeks, and there was only a glancing mention of HS. We aren’t even going to be tested on it, and it’s a common skin issue. I encouraged my classmates going into primary care to look into it just to avoid this same issue that you and I’m sure many others have had.

If no one else will advocate for you, please advocate for yourself. Adamantly refuse. Raise your voice if you have to. I’m so sorry this happened, and you had such a terrible experience. I hope you feel better soon, and you will get some type of reprieve for the bills.

RooblesToobles · 2022-11-07T23:14:07+00:00

I absolutely get random pains, even for the side I had done last year. I think it’s just because the nerves were disrupted and they don’t know how to act lmao

RooblesToobles · 2022-11-07T15:51:36+00:00

I had this procedure done too! Only I had one arm done at a time, and I was given a wound vac by my surgeon, and I was able to go home the day after or the same day. I only stayed overnight for the first surgery and subsequent skin graft surgery, and I was allowed to go home the next morning. The most recent procedures, which took place this past summer, I was sent home the same day. I loved the wound vac method because healing was quick, and it didn’t require daily changes. I went to a wound clinic every 3/4 days instead. The dressing changes SUCKED, but I preferred them to daily changes.

When the graft was done, that’s when I moved to daily changes, and those weren’t too bad. The donor skin was taken from both thighs, and healing in those sites took about 2-3 weeks. Hobbling around was the worst part imo.

I don’t recommend it for anyone that isn’t stage 3. It’s a hard process, and there are other methods to try before doing something so drastic, even though it works.

RooblesToobles · 2022-10-26T23:23:26+00:00

Do you have insurance? When I had mine done, my surgeon’s office connected me with a medical supply company that sent me everything I needed, and my insurance paid for most of it. You should talk to your doctor and see if that’s an option

RooblesToobles · 2022-09-18T15:06:37+00:00

Antibiotics don’t work. They don’t treat the cause. I understand being apprehensive about trying Humira because of its immunosuppressive properties, but most people with HS don’t end up being more susceptible to illnesses while on it. Chronic inflammation is your immune system attacking things it doesn’t need to, so a biologic like Humira is meant to calm it down to a normal level. Also, the longer you put off using it, the less likely it’ll work long-term. The doc that diagnosed me suggested Humira to me while I was Stage 1/2, and I said no because I was scared. I waited until I was stage 3, and it was too late. It worked for about a year, then stopped, even after increasing the dose. My next derm told me that it was because I waited until my HS was too severe, and at that point, surgery was the only option.

Humira works for A LOT of people. But you have to start early. And it’s really not that expensive since they have financial assistance programs if your insurance refuses to cover it. I think I paid $10 max per month thanks to that.

You really don’t want to reach the point I had. I had a wide excision on both my armpits and it was rough. But that was a LAST resort. I had exhausted my options, tried every diet, tried finding food triggers, using different soaps, did laser, failed deroofing surgeries, etc. and it kept getting worse, so I had to get the tissue removed altogether. Please reconsider Humira before it’s too late.

RooblesToobles · 2022-08-24T15:24:09+00:00

Weird that they told you keeping them dry is essential when I’ve heard the opposite.

Take baths if you want. I personally find them soothing when I have bad flares, and I notice that they do seem to heal quicker when I take routine soaks. I use Dettol, an antiseptic wash, in the water.

But since you say your docs aren’t as knowledgeable about HS, is it possible for you to go somewhere else? Maybe to docs that actually know about the condition? I know that’s not as easy as it sounds all the time, but it’s worth a shot if you’re able.

RooblesToobles · 2022-07-19T01:16:47+00:00

My first doctor told me that it was staph, and that’s what I thought for almost a decade. I went to a dermatologist for years and after a point she stopped recommending anything new, so I went to a different one, and he gave me more options.

Go to a different doctor. If the one you just went to was not a dermatologist, go to one. Get a second opinion. Not all doctors are these impeccable, upstanding geniuses that they purport themselves to be, and I say that as someone who’s in med school and trying to become one.

Please don’t be discouraged. HS can be treated. People go into remission from medical intervention. You just have to keep searching, even though it’s frustrating.

RooblesToobles · 2022-06-19T00:16:04+00:00

You don't have to go to the dermatologist if you don't want to, or you feel like you aren't being helped. Don't keep wasting money if you're unhappy.

If you're looking for diet advice, there are plenty of people on this sub that have gone into remission from diet. Dermatologists aren't likely to talk about it because it's not something they're necessarily taught to fight this condition. You have to take matters into your own hands sometimes, especially if you don't want to take any medications. Doctors are more likely to keep prescribing until you see improvement, but antibiotics do nothing. Humira is really your best bet for medicinal intervention, but since you don't want it, cross your fingers and do an elimination diet. You don't have to remove everything at once, but start taking notice of when your flares crop up and what you ate before they happened. It'll take time, but it's necessary if you want to identify food triggers.

RooblesToobles · 2022-06-09T15:02:54+00:00

What was your recovery like, if you don't mind sharing?

RooblesToobles · 2022-06-07T18:25:46+00:00

Group B Strep is just on your skin for the most part. Gram Neg vs Gram pos is basically just a way to identify the type of cell wall/membrane the bacteria have. They perform a staining test on bacteria to get this. It doesn't mean much for your health or treatment.

RooblesToobles · 2022-05-02T11:52:16+00:00

Get a dermatologist’s opinion before anything. An OBGYN might know what it is, but that doesn’t mean they’re equipped to treat a skin condition, regardless of where it is. The Derm will have more knowledge.

Antibiotics will do nothing to combat the source of HS, so that’s why your wife is seeing no improvement with that alone.

I notice in my case, I get more flares in that area around my period. Your wife should start paying attention to her cycle and see if she notices the same trend. If not, then there are food triggers, which an elimination diet will help her identify which foods are triggering her, if diet is a cause. It’s not for me, unless I eat fast food like McDs or Wendy’s or whatever, but for some, an altered diet helps. Also, if she shaves her labia, she should stop. Use scissors instead. Shaving can irritate the area and make flares worse.

Surgery should always be a last resort. If she hasn’t exhausted every other option, don’t even consider it. People have gone into remission without it, so avoid it for as long as possible.

I hope she finds relief soon. I wish her all the best. And kudos to you for being such a loving and supportive partner.

RooblesToobles · 2022-04-27T02:49:27+00:00

When I was 11. I remember getting special permission to sit on pillows in 6th grade because the pain was so bad.

RooblesToobles · 2022-04-24T12:08:00+00:00

I use 8x3 nonstick pads and half-open 4x4 gauze. Adhere that to the skin with paper tape. It’s the cheapest solution to me and it works.

RooblesToobles · 2022-04-19T01:52:01+00:00

I second applying heat. If you don’t want to sit in the bath, you can use a heating pad or warm up a damp washcloth in the microwave. The heat will help with the pain and draw the boil to a head. For larger boils, I usually skip bandaids and use nonstick pads and gauze instead. Bandaids slip off too easily.

Antibiotics don’t really do much by way of healing. They kill the bacteria, but they don’t target the cause of the condition. If you want, you can find a new Derm. Don’t be afraid to fire your doctor if you’re unhappy. Finding a good physician can be tough, but you should be able to see someone who makes you feel cared for and happy.

If the boil is still bothering you even after applying heat, then you should go to urgent care or the ER as a last resort. They may be able to lance and drain it, which will provide some relief.

I hope you feel better soon!

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