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Meet the Graduates from Our Recent Hyperhidrosis Physician Education Sessions
For the second year in a row, Hyperhidrosis: A Practical Approach for Optimized Results attracted a passionate group of medical professionals and hyperhidrosis patients. A morning lecture and discussion on all matters related to living with and treating hyperhidrosis was followed by an afternoon dedicated to state-of-the-art, live-patient Botox-injection training and iontophoresis demonstration.
These unique educational seminars give healthcare professionals an opportunity to enhance and fine-tune their understanding of hyperhidrosis, which, even in the medical community, is widely misunderstood. These seminars also expose doctors and medical staffs to the range of treatments available for hyperhidrosis and provide an opportunity to perfect their skills in treating it.
The feedback indicates that this kind of intensive training increases these dedicated professionals' sensitivity to the effects of this disease and lays the groundwork for a long-term commitment to providing the best in hyperhidrosis care.
For the dozens of hyperhidrosis patients who participated in live-patient demonstrations and received free Botox injections, their experiences were profound. A variety of areas afflicted with hyperhidrosis were treated--underarms, hands, groin, head, back, under breasts -- and, for the first time, many felt relief from a burden they've carried for years.
It's our hope that their experiences will ripple around them, creating an opportunity to help someone else-- a family member or a friend of a friend-- someone who may also carry the burden of excessive sweating.
The feedback from all attendees has been copious and, without exception, each letter praised the results as well as the opportunity to learn about the disease and to connect with other people who live with it.
Here are a few samples of the patient feedback:
"It was overwhelming to sit with nine other people and hear them talk about experiences that were the same as mine. Going to Texas for Botox treatment on my hands was one of the best things I've ever done! I feel so much freer and less self-conscious now. It is so much easier to speak to people when you're not clutching a damp Kleenex or worrying about your hands dripping."
--Dottie H., Florida
"I still can't get over what a valuable service I was given at no cost. I know axillary Botox can be at least $1000 out-of-pocket! The results have been great so far, and I feel like it couldn't have come at a better time with the advent of warmer weather and clothes with more underarm exposure! The service the Society provided is invaluable. It is only after you begin to sweat less that you realize the lengths you go to in everyday life to mask the problem. The amount of time, energy, and money spent dealing with underarm circles is unbelievable and, by receiving this treatment as a patient volunteer, IHHS has profoundly lightened the load."
-- A.T., Texas
"There are no words good enough to express how grateful I am to have taken part in the Virginia seminar. I have struggled with excessive underarm sweating for over 20 years and had tried pretty much everything. It got to the point that I wore nothing but black, and became somewhat of a recluse to avoid any embarrassing situations. I was excited to be selected for the Virginia treatment, although a little pessimistic that it would work. I did my homework online and read many success stories, but after suffering for so many years, I had become a "believe it when I see it" kind of girl.
I flew from California; it was that important to me to try something new. Within a couple of days of treatment, I began to notice a difference. Today, almost two full weeks after treatment, I am essentially sweat-free. As silly as it sounds, it is such a liberating experience to not have to worry anymore about what's going on under my arms. I have more self confidence and wake up each day with a smile on my face. It couldn't come at a better time either.....I just got accepted into nursing school and the required scrubs are light blue. That alone would have been a roadblock for me to even apply."
-- Stephanie J., California
"The injections have made a HUGE difference in my sweating. The doctor injected my forehead and about halfway back on the top of my head. I have NO SWEATING at all where I was injected. It's a miracle. The doctor told me that I wouldn't have sweat running down my face into my eyes when I bend forward. I wasn't sure that would happen. But it's true. I bend forward and no more sweat running down my face. That alone has made so much difference. I can't thank you enough."
-- Sarah M., New York
These patients are up-close examples of the power of treating a person with hyperhidrosis. But for physicians and medical professionals, helping their patients with hyperhidrosis can be just as powerful and immensely rewarding. Here are some of their remarks:
"I thoroughly enjoyed working at this IHHS training event. The physician attendees and their staff are excited, attentive, and appreciative of the program. The patients are delighted with the hope of experiencing relief from their symptoms. This program rates as one of my most rewarding experiences of the year. I also have a child with hyperhidrosis. I have witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of this condition and the frustration of finding a knowledgeable physician. I have also witnessed the life-changing results of treatment. It is so very important that we continue to train professionals and educate patients about hyperhidrosis so that those who seek treatment will be able to find a qualified practitioner in or near their hometown."
-- Jane R., RN, BSN, Missouri
"The program was really an eye opener for me. I knew about hyperhidrosis but did not understand just how bad it was for these people until I actually saw it. My heart goes out to them all and I hope we were able to give them some relief. Hats off to IHHS & Allergan for sponsoring the CME-- I sincerely hope that this education can be continued and that somehow ALL of the insurance companies can be convinced that this is truly a medical condition and start covering it."
-- Elizabeth R., CVT/Office Manager, Texas
"I have now been part of three training sessions for hyperhidrosis, and after each event, I find it hard to put into words how wonderful it feels to not only treat so many patients who desperately need it, but to give doctors the tools to do it properly. The training and treatment we provide during these sessions is more important than anyone could ever know. We change lives at every event! Not only are patients getting a new lease on life--one without embarrassment or low self-esteem-- but we are giving doctors and their staffs the tools they need to educate and treat hundreds more patients. That's incredible."
-- Anthony V. Benedetto, DO, FACP, University of Pennsylvania & participating faculty member
Michael H. from Forney, Texas, who received Botox injections at the Texas seminar for his palmar hyperhidrosis, witnessed a conversation between his doctor and a group of doctor trainees that sent a powerful message about a doctor's role in treating hyperhidrosis.
When one of the attendees remarked that the insurance reimbursements for the procedure were small, Dr. Daniel Carrasco responded: "This service is not approached from the standpoint of making money; it's about helping the patient with a problem and knowing you have done something to change their life for the better."
Daniel Carrasco, MD of Austin, Texas, was part of an outstanding group of faculty members who trained doctors at both the Texas and Virginia seminars. Doctors like Rachel McConnell, MD, Nandini D. Kohli, MD, and Michael Simpson, MD, received hands-on training from these highly capable faculty members and were able to treat an average of 10 patients each.
Similarly, at the Virginia seminar doctors like Sylvia M. Suarez, MD , Sandra Read, MD, and Kelley Pagliai Redbord, MD, received this specialized training under the expert guidance of our faculty members, like David M. Pariser, MD and Dee Anna Glaser, MD.
You can find all of these physicians and many more listed in our Physician Finder. Remember, physicians with a star by their names have completed specialized IHHS-certified training and are especially equipped to treat your excessive sweating.
Physicians and healthcare professionals who weren't able to attend one of this year's CMEs can put it on their calendars for next year. Send an email to info@SweatHelp.org to be placed on our CME VIP list. You'll get your invitation first, before they're sold out.
For people with hyperhidrosis who want to be a part of future patient volunteer groups, keep reading this newsletter and check out our Web site monthly for updates and upcoming announcements.
Finally, we cannot end our wrap up of this year's incredible CMEs without thanking Allergan, the maker of Botox. For the past two years, their generous sponsorship of these live events demonstrates their devotion to helping people who suffer with hyperhidrosis, not only through treatment, but also by improving understanding of this disease through education.
Our hope for the future of this invaluable program is that it will continue. It is a crucial element in our quest to build a strong foundation of hyperhidrosis understanding so that the millions who live with excessive sweating can one day experience liberation from its constraints.
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Find a doctor who treats excessive sweating. |
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