I have a secret.

I’m not so sure how ready I am to share this with the world, but it needs to be done. If not for me, for people out there who are like me.

I have been living my whole life with a medical condition called Hyperhidrosis.

According to the A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia, “Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition in which a person sweats excessively and unpredictably. People with hyperhidrosis may sweat even when the temperature is cool or when they are at rest.”

There are several types of Hyperhidrosis, including palmar (hands) and plantar (feet) that effect me most.

There’s always been little knowledge of this condition because people don’t like to talk about it. Talking about sweating is so taboo. It’s embarrassing. It is the reason I have lived with this secret my whole life. So little people in my life know that I live with hyperhidrosis. I haven’t told certain family members or even close friends. So, this blog will most likely be a surprise to them. I feel like I have two separate lives, always remembering who I have told and who I have not. Well, I can’t hide anymore.

My intention with this blog is to increase awareness of Hyperhidrosis and to provide support to people just like me who suffer from it.

So…why now? Why after 24 years of living with HH have I decided to talk about it?

If you aren’t familiar with the condition, you might not automatically realize how psychologically crippling it is. I am coming off of a really bad summer in the heat of New York City. The heat brought on so much excessive sweating, it was very difficult to live. I became very depressed and knew something needed to be done. I am so passionate about helping people with this condition and bringing awareness to it. In the past, I had tried setting up online support groups, but no one had joined. I felt stuck. I couldn’t invite my own friends because I didn’t want them to know I had the condition. Even now, as I write this blog…I’m thinking of keeping it private for a few days until I get the courage up to make it public.

This entry is just the beginning. I plan to write about my everyday struggles and tell stories of my past. I need this blog to illustrate how this condition is a real disability. I can tell you that my life is forever changed by it. I’ve lived with it my whole life, but I can’t even do the simplest things like hold a newspaper with out getting ink all over my hands. I have adapted to living in this world with my condition, but I don’t want to adapt anymore. I shouldn’t have to. I have the right to live my life the way I want to!

Deciding to write this has been difficult on my part. Please send your support, and if you know anyone with hyperhidrosis, please share this blog with them.

Caryn Joan