In the deep end

Truth be told, I run multiple blogs. I had one for parenting that I just disabled, but then I have another one that I use to keep up with friends. This blog is on Live Journal. Throughout my short time as a LJ member I have met a few people that I know solely online and overall it has been a good experience.

Today one of the people that I recently "friended" (a non HS-sufferer to my knowledge) innocently mentioned signs that displayed rules she had seen at the pool in one of her blog entries. She mentioned that there were a couple of rules that were no-brainers like "Don't run," and "Do not enter pool if you have oozing wound." That second one made me sit up straight, for I have never seen a sign that read that. Have you?

All of a sudden I felt very unwelcome in the public pool world. Then this makes me wonder if people with HS would be asked to leave a pool if someone discovered their disease. On the one hand, open wounds on strangers can be scary in such a communal place. I get that. But at the same time, we know that our condition is not communicable. How would we present that to the proper authorities if need be? In fact, should we even be expected to do so?

Personally, I find the prospect of being approached about the wounds under my arms and on my thighs a little on the terrifying side. I am constantly trying to improve my self-confidence about my scars and the leakage in my own head, so to have to do it in a public place with a stranger would bring me to a new low with this disease and I think I would just retreat.

I know that for many people the swimming pool and sun are excellent sources of comfort for those HS aliens. Surely there are some of you out there going to public pools. In the public pool situation, what do you do? Do you go for full coverage? Are you careful not to raise your arms? Do you just dip your toes in, claiming that you have cramps or just ate?

Have any of you been approached about your wounds and scars?

What strikes me as a tad humorous about all of this is that the woman on Live Journal was just making an off-handed comment, probably trying to throw a little humor into her post. For me, it was something completely different. The thought of there being a rule specifically meant for my condition remained on my mind all day and obviously got me thinking enough to post about it here. It goes to show us that even with the most innocent of topics, we HS sufferers do not have the luxury of treading lightly.