Surgery Success - 7 years later!
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 6:09 pm
I had the surgery in 2005 because I was finding the Drysol and plastic wrap weren't strong enough or very convenient. I had excessive sweating in my arm pits, hands, and feet. Botox wasn't around and I really wanted something more dramatic.
The surgery was extremely painful and the chest tubes were a nasty surprise when I woke up. I was in an intensive program at university at the time and had the surgery during my 2-week Christmas break. It took me about 6 months to get my strength back. In hindsight, I should have done it in the summer and taken a month off work.
The surgery was successful and I'm still dry. My hands were so warm that I could go outside in -30*C and they wouldn't get cold. A bit of frostbite though! My feet stayed bone dry for 2-3 weeks, so I went back on the Drysol and plastic wrap.
The side effects were surprising. The chest and back sweating is only when I'm anxious or hot. It looks pretty bad and I go through a lot of bras.
My feet are still sweaty, so I "cook" them once a week and use Summer Soles in all my dress shoes and sandals. My arm pits and hands do not sweat at all and I no longer use underarm deodorant. I don't stink, except my feet do if I don't keep my shoes clean enough.
I did get Horner's syndrome as a result of the surgery. My right eye is droopy. I use the Visine for Work 1-2X a day to keep it open. Right after the surgery, I couldn't get a proper photograph with flash taken. I don't know why - it was something to do with the flash not reflecting off my eye. Consequently, my university grad photos are horrid. I also have a bit of that facial sweating. It used to be triggered by eating anything and now it is only if I eat something salty, like a piece of cheese without any bread. So, now I eat very healthy, especially in public!
I am pleased with the results of this surgery despite the pain and my droopy eye. I don't mind that I still have to cook my feet - I was a mess before and didn't know how I would ever work in a professional environment. I am so much more confident and even went on to complete a Masters degree and met someone who I recently married. I never think twice about shaking hands with anyone anymore. I don't think twice about busting out the plastic wrap, socks, and Drysol once a week either!
I have 4 male siblings and I think 2 of them have a more minor version of what I had. One uses Drysol and is in a lot better shape than I was pre-surgery. I think the other just sweats on his head a lot.
I have noticed that I can't weight lift anything substantial anymore. I have absolutely no upper body strength. This might be because I'm a petite woman though I think it has more to do with the nerves being cut. I also have a hard time regulating my body temperature, especially if I need to "cook" my feet. My toes will get so cold and I will start shivering and will take ages to warm up. Has this happened to anyone else? I believe that I developed poor blood circulation in my lower body post-surgery - cold feet, thighs, and bum. This might be related to frost bite as I spend a lot of time outdoors and the winter here is quite cold.
I'm on the website to tell my story and hear from others who are post-ETS. It saved my life psychologically. I hope when I have kids, if they develop HH, that there will be more solutions available.
The surgery was extremely painful and the chest tubes were a nasty surprise when I woke up. I was in an intensive program at university at the time and had the surgery during my 2-week Christmas break. It took me about 6 months to get my strength back. In hindsight, I should have done it in the summer and taken a month off work.
The surgery was successful and I'm still dry. My hands were so warm that I could go outside in -30*C and they wouldn't get cold. A bit of frostbite though! My feet stayed bone dry for 2-3 weeks, so I went back on the Drysol and plastic wrap.
The side effects were surprising. The chest and back sweating is only when I'm anxious or hot. It looks pretty bad and I go through a lot of bras.
My feet are still sweaty, so I "cook" them once a week and use Summer Soles in all my dress shoes and sandals. My arm pits and hands do not sweat at all and I no longer use underarm deodorant. I don't stink, except my feet do if I don't keep my shoes clean enough.
I did get Horner's syndrome as a result of the surgery. My right eye is droopy. I use the Visine for Work 1-2X a day to keep it open. Right after the surgery, I couldn't get a proper photograph with flash taken. I don't know why - it was something to do with the flash not reflecting off my eye. Consequently, my university grad photos are horrid. I also have a bit of that facial sweating. It used to be triggered by eating anything and now it is only if I eat something salty, like a piece of cheese without any bread. So, now I eat very healthy, especially in public!
I am pleased with the results of this surgery despite the pain and my droopy eye. I don't mind that I still have to cook my feet - I was a mess before and didn't know how I would ever work in a professional environment. I am so much more confident and even went on to complete a Masters degree and met someone who I recently married. I never think twice about shaking hands with anyone anymore. I don't think twice about busting out the plastic wrap, socks, and Drysol once a week either!
I have 4 male siblings and I think 2 of them have a more minor version of what I had. One uses Drysol and is in a lot better shape than I was pre-surgery. I think the other just sweats on his head a lot.
I have noticed that I can't weight lift anything substantial anymore. I have absolutely no upper body strength. This might be because I'm a petite woman though I think it has more to do with the nerves being cut. I also have a hard time regulating my body temperature, especially if I need to "cook" my feet. My toes will get so cold and I will start shivering and will take ages to warm up. Has this happened to anyone else? I believe that I developed poor blood circulation in my lower body post-surgery - cold feet, thighs, and bum. This might be related to frost bite as I spend a lot of time outdoors and the winter here is quite cold.
I'm on the website to tell my story and hear from others who are post-ETS. It saved my life psychologically. I hope when I have kids, if they develop HH, that there will be more solutions available.
