Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Sweaty Palms Update: 3 months

Remember my little (read: HUGE) problem with my sweaty palms. During my fittings, I couldn't even touch my dress because my hands were so wet. After receving the botox treatment at the IHHS conference in Frisco, TX, life has been a little bit sweeter. Let me recap a bit:

before:
-excessive sweating in hands and feet by doing nothing
-wetting papers including important documents and books
-stiffness in my fingers (sometimes preventing me from typing)
-cold hands and feet (can you imagine..they're wet too)
-ruined shoes
-unability to wear some shoes (and I LOOOOOove shoes!)
-constant wiping on my clothes
-afraid to meet people for fear of shaking hands
-reduced confidence (how ever did I score Dee?!)
-difficulty in applying makeup (blending with my fingers was impossible)
-my lap top would make me sweat like crazy
-any activity would make me sweat...e.g. shopping
-difficulty in driving, as in holding the steering wheel
-etc., etc., etc.

after:
-increased confidence
-less distracted by my hands in the office, at home, in a social setting, etc.
-i could wear my shoes without fear of ruining them!
-i can use my touch phone with ease
-i can type without sweating all over the keyboard
-i can hold hubby's hand without having to pull away because of the sweat
-i can touch paper and hold money without drenching and ruining it
-etc., etc., etc.

However...with 3 months past, I am starting to feel the sweat seeping its way to the surface of my hands. It scares me! I don't want to go back to constantly worrying about it again. Back to my search for a doctor who can treat me!

I was quoted in a USAToday article that came out yesterday, June 22, 2009. I'm a little sad in the shortness of the article and how mine and others' suffering isn't really emphasized. People still don't get that this isn't something we can control.

And on our wedding day...while standing before of our family and friends, i only pulled my hands away to wipe the tears out of my eyes (instead of pulling away to wipe my sweaty hands).




All photos taken by { j a c }

2 comments:

Sarah Elizabeth said...

I also have hyperhydrosis. I get the botox in my armpits and it's been a serious lifesaver. I really need it in my hands/feet, but I don't think I could withstand that pain. But- i really do understand your pain. It sucks, but there'll be an even better alternative someday, I'm sure!

Daisy said...

Unfortunately shared DNA doesn't stop with the positive ones. I tend to have sweaty palms and feet too. When meeting people for the first time, I would have this hands-to-ass pose and pray that the fabric in my pants have absorbed the moisture from my palms before the handshake. The worse thing is constantly ruining my shoes including those that I want to keep forever. I'm holding out for a cure though.