Month: August 2012

1 Down

Tonight I finished the renovation of our master bathroom that I wrote about previously.  There’s still a little bit of touch up painting to do, but the real work is over.

I’ll let the pictures do the talking.  Here’s the highlights.

This bathroom is mainly used by my wife.  She picked basically everything, I’ve got to give it to her on her choices.  The finished room really looks nice!

The floor I installed was one of those “easy tongue and groove” systems.  It was not easy by any means.  I had to literally install it one way and then remove everything and install it another way.

I reused the toilet, but converted it to dual-flush.  It’s amazingly green.

Now it’s on to planning and preparing for “the big one.”  A complete demo and remodel of our main bathroom.  The pressure will really be on for this one as I don’t see my wife being happy with using our shower, which is located downstairs.

Hidradenitis Supperativa

Such a strange term.  Almost impossible to pronounce.  This is the name for the condition that has dictated what is physically possible for me to do for the last 16 years of my life.

Never heard of it?  Neither had I until a random encounter with a good friend who has it as well.  I call her my ‘pain friend’ now.

Until a few years ago this painful condition was limited to my pelvic / upper thigh area.  I had my VNS device replaced in 2009 and the HS spread to my under arm area in a bad way.

The only way I have been able to control flare ups (which are horrible and debilitating) has been by shaving all areas of the body affected, using women’s anti-antiperspirant and doing as little physical labor as possible.  Now that routine is no longer effective.

My internist Dr. Bannec has helped me as far as his practice allows.  After a horrible experience with 1 of the 2 dermatologists in town (he just confirmed what I have and offered no real treatment plan), I’m looking for an expert.  No matter the distance or cost.

So far it appears that my closest options for experts in care are Detroit, MI and Cincinnati, OH.  Although it appears the guy in Ohio mainly deals with burn patients.

Once I graduate from Indiana University in December.  This will be my #1 life goal, to get this painful condition that has ruled my life for almost half of it, under control.