ORIGIN STORY – LYNN

My name is Lynn Chaplin and I am a woman who lives in Mount Pearl, NL. This is my HS Origin Story.

I was  fifteen years old when my HS symptoms started and I sought medical attention immediately. It took another fifteen years to be officially diagnosed by a Dermatologist. There are three stages of severity associated with HS and I’m in the most severe, which is stage 3. Along with HS I also have Psoriasis.

My Dermatologist and I work together on my treatment plan. My current treatment plan is the use of a biologic called Skyrizi. It is helping me with both my HS and Psoriasis. In the beginning of my treatment, biologics were not an option. There were a lot of pill therapies, ointments, lotions and creams that I tried. Basically, it was a process of elimination. When biologics became an option, we started exploring it and found that some biologics I tried were not compatible to me. This is common, as what works for one person may not work for someone else. I have faith in my current treatment plan with my Dermatologist and am hopeful because HS treatments are always evolving.

HS has impacted my physical activity the most because I was an avid runner before being diagnosed. Not being able to run has impacted me in a big way. It was my stress reliever; I loved how it made me feel afterward. I had no stress because it was all gone! Now, I do more walking in place of the running.

To stay positive while dealing with the negative feelings often associated with HS, I listen to upbeat and happy music to boost my spirits.  I might watch one of my favorite movies that will make me laugh or talk to my family when I am not having a good day.

I am so thankful for meeting the lovely ladies at HS Heroes, they give me so much hope and a reason to smile and stay optimistic. I am glad to know people who deal with HS everyday like I do. We have our own community and support mechanisms. They are always there supporting, guiding and informing us of any new medical information about HS to keep HS patients informed.

My Hero is my Dad because he is always so positive. When I am having a bad day and am down on myself, I talk to him. His words of encouragement keep me going.

A tip that I use to help manage my HS that I think might be helpful to other Heroes living with HS is trying to stay positive even though it’s hard to do at times. Become involved with your local HS support group and participate in their social activities and Facebook page. Reach out when you need them and be kind to yourself. Take care of yourself mentally, socially, physically and emotionally.

If I could say anything to an HS Hero who is recently diagnosed,  it would be to get yourself referred to a Dermatologist who has experience treating HS.  There are many more treatments available now compared to when I was first diagnosed and a Dermatologist can tell you about them. Have faith and work with them through this.