It’s 3am
It’s three-o clock in the morning. Here I am, writing a blog. Why? Because I know that those of you who have Hidradenitis Suppurativa will have been in my shoes before. You’ll have been awake like me at 3 am in pain and discomfort.
So, I thought we all needed a bit of peer support – a reminder that it will get better, a reminder of the small things we can do to get through this.
So, I started by writing myself a reminder, here it is.
Tip 1
So there’s the first tip. Write yourself something positive. Stick it to the fridge, the mirror in the bathroom, wherever. Make sure its your words, you will believe it more if its your own words or phrase.
Tip 2
Second part of 3am flare up is get comfortable. Get up, put some clean comfortable dressings, make a warm drink and get back into bed.
Once you’ve given yourself a bit of positivity and clean dressings, and had a drink, there’s only one thing left to do – sleep! If you can’t sleep (I can’t at the moment) have a read of some of the blogs on this website. There are a host of topics, top tips, and information that will help you. Even if its just a gentle reminder of how to do the right things to help keep your hidradenitis in check.
In the morning, I will be calling my Doctor for some stronger pain medication. I have booked the day off work so I can allow my body and mind to totally rest. You will know as well as me that if you don’t listen to your body telling you to rest, things will get worse, and you will end up with no choice. To make better days come, we need to have choice, hope and control.
I read on the internet somewhere that hope is seeing the light despite being surrounded by darkness and at 3am, I know that light and better days will come. Hidradenitis might be with me for the rest of my life, but it doesn’t mean that it needs to be in control. By taking control in small ways, we allow ourselves space and time to heal.
About the Author
Clare Knighton is a Peer support worker from Worcester, England. Clare lives with HS and has done so for the past ten years. She is passionate about helping others to talk more openly about the condition and about improving our mental wellbeing.
