I have incurable boil-like bumps all over my body – haters think I have herpes

A New York woman is speaking out about her battle with a painful skin condition that causes “boil-like bumps to break out all over her body.

Selina Ferragamo, 28, was diagnosed with hidradenitis suppurativa, a rare, lesion-causing inflammatory skin condition, after developing painful red bumps in her groin and armpits, making it difficult to get around or sit down.

“I didn’t know my condition was going to be a forever thing and my armpits had gotten so bad that it hurt to walk,” Ferragamo, who first developed the painful lesions nearly a decade ago, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.

“Each step sent a sharp, shooting pain into my armpits, where I struggled to bend over and I really couldn’t do anything.”

She originally thought the boils were related to her polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, and waited to seek medical treatment despite the overwhelming pain, which was nothing like she “had ever experienced before.”

Describing the condition as “isolating,” she recalled how was unable to work and “basically lived in bed.”

“I make memes to help me cope living with this, as laughter is the best medicine,” she said.

It is not known what causes or triggers the condition, and there is currently no cure. However, Ferragamo has altered her diet to avoid dairy and alcohol and has undergone three surgeries to fight infections and reconstruct her armpits.

She is also taking medication to balance her hormones to keep flare-ups at a minimum, explaining that her skin is now in the “best” condition it could be, despite scarring.

Regardless of her best attempts to manager her appearance and symptoms, she faces cruel comments from others who think she has “herpes” or “skin mites.”

“I’ve gotten the wackiest comments, such as I must have an STD or it’s because I’m overweight,” admitted Ferragamo, who said she often feels “depressed” and cancels plans with her friends due to her condition.

“It’s taken a major toll on my mental health, where some days, I feel like a burden and others, I’m anxious for eating something that could cause a flare up.”

The librarian says she wants to “be like other people who can ride a bike or go for a walk,” but is instead under “constant stress” due to her skin.

However, she lives by the mantra, “those that mind, don’t matter, and the people that matter, don’t mind,” she said.

She’s also “grateful” for her boyfriend, Mike, 33, who has made the agonizing experience “bearable.”

“It’s very hard to be open about a disease that can be so gruesome and unpleasant, where some people might not have the best reaction towards it,” she said.

“I’m very lucky to be with someone that takes care of me and doesn’t see it as a hindrance.”

Ferragamo, who is working to raise awareness for the condition, urges fellow sufferers to remember that the “uncontrollable disease” is “not your fault.”

“You are never alone and all your feelings are valid – it’s okay not to be okay and you need to take time for yourself,” she said, adding that it could take “trial and error” to come to a proper diagnosis.

“If a doctor dismisses you, then go to another one – we all deserve to feel good on a daily basis and not live with a debilitating disease.”