Kathryn Shusta

In case you missed it, check out Part 1 of this series! I previously shared how taking breaks and swimming are two strategies I use to treat my mental health...

Recently I wrote about seeking therapy for my mental health and hidradenitis suppurativa by finding a therapist who has a clinical specialty in chronic diseases. Therapy is one of the...

Chronic diseases can be challenging to manage and can take a toll on our mental health. Hidradenitis suppurativa is well documented to have an effect on quality of life and...

Around a year ago, I wrote about my experience during a Remicade infusion in an infusion center. Since then, I moved and now I receive my infusions in my home...

I have had hidradenitis suppurativa for 19 years. For most of those years, I have been able to hide my HS with my clothes. This is because my HS occurred...

"As a friend, I think that the most helpful thing you can do is listen to what your friend is saying they have a hard time with.” In this video...

I previously wrote about red flags in healthcare providers and how to know when to say no. But it is just as important to find a doctor that is better...

In this video, Katy and Gwen continue the discussion on friendships and HS. Katy has had hidradenitis suppurativa for 19 years and Katy and Gwen have been friends for 16...

As someone with Hidradenitis Suppurativa, going to the doctor can be nerve-wracking. One way our friends or family can support us (and better understand HS) is by attending the doctors’...

How do you talk about what we go through with friends and family? How has HS affected your relationship and friendships? Has hidradenitis suppurativa impacted your personal relationships? As someone...

Twelve years ago, I was diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa. In those years, I have seen six dermatologists, five primary care physicians, and countless other nurses and medical practitioners. Through experience...

“Your skin issue, are they like boils, and do you get them in your armpits?” We were standing in the kitchen of a large rental house in northern Michigan. It...

As someone who lives with a debilitating chronic illness, it is important for me to recognize what brings me joy and make time to do that as much as possible...

I am writing this on my first plane ride in two years. After months of not flying due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I am flying home for a wedding. I...

I was diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa 7 years after my first flare. I felt conflicting emotions after my diagnosis. It took me a long time to learn how to advocate...

Check out Part 1 of Katy's story, This Is What Happens During A Remicade Infusion. Remicade infusions involve a lot of waiting. Next, I wait for the medicine to be...

Two years ago, my dermatologist and I decided to stop Humira and try a different TNF inhibitor, Remicade (infliximab). As an off-label prescription, this medicine is considered an experimental way...

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is unknown to most people, even many medical professionals. This ignorance leads to many myths and misconceptions about HS. There are the more common myths that most...

Recently I was asked what is the most challenging part of living with a chronic illness. The challenges with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) are aplenty, so I wrote a list: endless...