"Letting Off Steam"

28 February 2003

Yesterday I visited a different doctor to get a second opinion about follow up treatment to my surgery. This time I remembered the appointment, and this time I knew I was going to sweat buckets again, so I was better prepared. I broke down and resorted to antiperspirant. I dislike those chemicals so much I think this was the first time I had used antiP since the surgery. I know it was the first time I used it since I stopped shaving my pits because getting the stuff onto my skin, rather than just the hair, was a bit of a challenge.

With my body chemistry, antiP plus sweat leaves permanent stains on my clothes, so I wore an old polyester blouse I didn't really care about. It already had some salty perspiration rings from a prior wearing. Is that awful? I hope not. My feeling is who is going to notice? I knew the stress would have me sweating past those rings before long anyhow.

The antiP was stemming the tide from my pits so by the time I left work to go for the doctors my blouse was "only" wet out to the prior stain, which was large enough to be just visible when my arms were down. Yes, the antiP was working. If I hadn't used it, I would have been sweating even more. Trust me on that.

By the time I arrived at the doctor's office, my pit stains had expanded some, but thankfully they were not quite as drippy as the visit I wrote about a few weeks ago. While I sat and read a magazine, out of the corner of my eye I could sense the stare of a man sitting diagonally across from me. Why is it that people stare?

I was in a strange kind of mood, so I decided to have some fun with it. After all, no one in the waiting room knew me. While I continued to read the magazine, I nonchalantly propped my arm on the back of my chair. My staring partner now had a direct view of the big wet spot which by then had begun to drip down my side. With his curiousity satisfied, I thought he'd stop staring, but no. So I curled my hand and reached up to pull on the fabric, which was soaked. He watched as I "played" with it mindlessly for a minute or two. I then stopped reading, looked down at the stain, and pulled my arm down quickly. I then looked over at him and he averted his eyes immediately. Caught!

Soon I was led into the exam room where things pretty much transpired (perspired?) like the last doctor visit I wrote about. At least the nurse didn't ask about my sweating and look at me like a drug addict. I didn't sweat quite as much, not to my wasitline this time, but still my blouse was soaked down past my bra brand. Speaking of which, this doctor too wanted to know if I usually wore a bra! He saw my puzzled look and went on to explain that wearing a supportive bra as much as possible is a good idea while the neck incision heals. No one had ever explained that to me, and he claimed he could tell the difference by the way the healing was progressing.

It's now too late to make much difference for me. _sigh_ It would have been nice if someone had told me. Usually my bra is the first thing to come off when I get home from work. Sometimes on the way home I do that nifty trick that used to impress my boyfriends: take it off without removing my shirt. But I digress.

Oh, before I forget, there's one more interesting thing to tell you about. I left the doctor's office at midday and headed back for the office. To help my blouse dry, despite the cold weather, I did not put my coat back on. When I got outside the building, there was steam rising from my armpits into the cold air! I must be the little steam engine that could!

And here is a nice email I received not too long ago:

Hi Janet! My name's Becky, and I just wanted to say I loved your website, Inspiration - it makes such a change to see this kind of attitude, and wish more people were like you. I suffer from hyperhidrosis of the pits and hands, and I hate it when people make comments or judgments when they see a sweat-mark, like, oh, she's so dirty, or she must not wash. They don't seem to understand that's just the way some of us are, amd we can't help it. So it was refreshing to find your site, and to feel a bit normal for once! :-) Thanx :-)

For prior stories, see the archives.