My name's Will. I first started seeing signs of HS in my early 20s…wasn't quite sure what it was for a long time…got progressively worse to a point where finally I had to deal with it.

When I first started getting these abscesses, I would go into an urgent care, and I remember being frustrated when over and over, you know, I’m going in and nobody has any idea what it is, and nobody has any idea how to fix it. They’re just trying to give me short-term solutions, and it got to a point where I kind of gave up on getting it looked at.

It took years before I finally found out what it was.

So, my friend actually sent me an article about HS, and it seemed like this was a very likely possibility, and so I went to the dermatologist, and just about every symptom lined up.

So that’s when the dermatologist diagnosed me with HS.

I think it’s incredibly important to know what you’re dealing with so that you can know how to address it.

I absolutely love traveling, and I’ve definitely had issues traveling with HS. You know, having my arms cramp, my legs cramped. Especially in the armpits. Armpits and kind of groin area, that’s when they really get bad. When I went to Amsterdam for training the first time at my new job, I landed and had just a massive abscess, like in a very painful spot that made it difficult to walk. But I’ve made a conscious effort not to let it impact my enjoyment because I love to travel. I love to go explore new cities, walk around, and I kind of just tough it out a little bit.

The more honest and open I’ve been about HS and about the symptoms that I’ve dealt with, the more comfortable I feel with having it and dealing with it overall, because I think people tend to empathize when you open up about your insecurities because we’re all dealing with our own insecurities in our own ways.

HS has somewhat impacted my romantic life because it’s concerning to take your shirt off, and you have a big abscess on your back. But, from the people that I’ve actually, you know, spent time romantically with, I haven’t actually had a negative experience of anybody having an issue with it, as long as I don’t have an issue with it.

I am the most fun person I know. I love to enjoy life. It’s been tough to deal with physically at times, but I’ve refused to let it impact how I see myself overall.

I always have wanted more out of life. I’ve always wanted more success, more friends, more experiences.

But I enjoy every minute of it. So I love making new friends and spending time with my friends and traveling and having fun and filling my life full of more experiences, more things, more people…but it’s all about enjoying the ride.