ABOUT ME
A bit about me: I am in my mid-forties (yikes I’ve never actually typed those words before!?!), very happily married, and the mother of five great kids. We have three boys and two girls who range in ages 5-14. My husband and I are both fortunate enough to come from large Catholic families; so faith, family and community are the cornerstones of our life together.
I have had Hyperhidrosis my whole life, but until I was 33 years old, I never knew that what I was dealing with was a recognized medical disorder. I just thought I was a freak. I have spent the last ten years trying to convince myself otherwise, but when you believe something for so long, it becomes embedded so deeply in your psyche that it’s hard to shake. I have tried to live as normal a life as possible, and have managed to conceal my HH from just about everyone who knows me (my husband and until recently, only about three other people have known). I am not particularly proud of this. Keeping this disorder a secret from those who love me does them a great disservice. Did I believe my family and close friends would not love me if they knew? I don’t think so, but I do know that I never wanted people whose opinion I cared about to look at me… differently. If you are reading this as someone who also suffers from Hyperhidrosis, I think you understand.
This website is a very very personal look into the experiences of my life with HH; the mistakes I have made, the fear I have lived with, the emotional pain HH has caused me, as well as the lessons I have learned and the practical things I have figured out to make my life more manageable. In addition to motherhood and LAUNDRY, this website is now my occupation. Therefore, you will see advertisements from Google as well as ads for, and links to purchase, products that I endorse. Do not assume for one minute, however, that the things I write– or my motivation– are any less sincere than if this were a personal blog. On the contrary, maintaining this website for a living holds me to a professional standard, resulting in articles that are well-researched and ultimately beneficial to the reader. You will never see an endorsement from me for any of the “snake oil” cures that the Internet is infested with. I cannot fully control the Google ads that may appear, so if you see one of those ads on my site and it seems too good to be true, double check my Treatment Options section to see if I discuss it. You should also check on the website for the International Hyperhidrosis Society, www.SweatHelp.org, to see if they endorse it. Never allow yourself to be lured by false promises!
Starting HyperhidrosisAndMe.com has allowed me to come out from under a self-imposed veil of secrecy on my terms. After stuffing all of my emotions and experiences for these many years, I am finding that it is so very freeing– oh, yes, and so very terrifying!!– to finally be open about this subject. Thank you for visiting, and I hope my posts will resonate with you and that I can help you along in your own HH journey.
Here’s to finding peace–
Charmaine
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