Power steering

Other than not able to use the camera with dials or slide down cover, I was also unable to drive cars which do not come with power steering. But luckily most cars nowadays come equipped with power steering feature.

I still recall how embarrased it was years ago, when my friend asked me to help her reverse park into a narrow parking lot. She was driving one of the smallest national cars - Kancil. But for your information, the Kancil did not come with power steering function. So although the car is light and tiny, i had a tough time manouvering the steering wheel. All because of my sweaty palms. There was no proper grip at all. And you could already predict the outcome - neither I could reverse park that car.

I have always installed the steering wheel grip in all the cars I drive. Even though they do come with power steering function, I just want to make sure that I always have proper grip to the wheel to prevent any untoward event.

Today, I do not need worry on that anymore. I have recently tried driving a Kancil without the power steering function. And you would also probably have guessed the outcome - I am now able to reverse park because my palms are dry and the grips are perfect.

Camera

During those sweaty palm days, I never was able to use a digital SLR camera. The heavy camera with its fully functioning dials and knobs and whats not, were really not easy in my hands. Loose grip, and the camera would fall to the ground. And with all those dials, my fingers were always wet, and it was really very difficult to turn it properly. All because there was inadequate grip between the fingers.

I had always opted for small point and shoot cameras, without dials, and only contained digital buttons. I could only press the buttons, but definitely not turning those dials. Even the Sony Cybershot series which come with the slide down front cover, I was not able to use properly. I was not able to pull down the slide cover each time, because my fingers were wet. All I could use were those like Canon iXus series, and not all of the models, but selected ones like the iXus 850, because all were only press-on buttons, and no dials.

Therefore my choices of cameras were always limited.

But now, I can use any camera I like. And I am planning to get a Digital SLR, and join my friends for outdoor shooting some days!

Piano

Although I managed to stop at ABRSM Piano Grade 7 level, I didn't really enjoy my piano sessions all these years. It was all the sweaty palm problem. No one could comprehend my problem, except my piano teacher. She was very compassionate, in fact she sympathized with my sweaty palm condition. She fully understood how difficult it was to play the piano with wet hands and fingers. I had to always bring along a high absorbent cloth with me to piano lessons. In between the playing sessions, either my teacher or I would have to continuously wipe the keyboard with that piece of cloth.

Wiping my hands would not bring any good, the sweat would just keep coming on. Playing scales, staccato pieces or stretching the fingers apart for chords would be the hardest for me. The grip on the keys was never good. Hence, the playing of the piano could never be improved. No matter how much I practised the piano, the slippery fingers would always give way and made me accidentally press on the wrong keys. Frustration was the word I could use to describe how I felt in those days.

During exam time, the examiner usually did not understand how a pair of wet hands could jeopardise the playing skill. It's just like you won't understand how a colour blind person could not see green or red; or how a myopic person could not see the blackboard clearly.

Today, my hands are dry. I wish to restart my piano lessons. Or in fact go for guitar lessons as well! This is just another instrument I could not play at all in the past.

Thumb print

As a hyperhidrosis sufferer before this, the worst nightmare was every time when my thumb print was needed either in the banks or immigration offices. It was almost always a futile effort trying to dry up the thumb in time, for the scanner to detect my thumb print. Pieces and pieces of tissue papers being used, but the thumb was even more hardworking than before in producing more sweat! So uncooperative!

But today, my thumbs are dry. The prints are clear. Whether be it an inked print, or using the scanner. Both no problem. The only thing I wish now, is that there isn't any problem identifying or matching my thumb print. Because previous prints might be more blurry, as compared to now, and therefore causing a mismatch of print!! :)

Writing on Paper

It used to be so difficult to continuously write with pens on papers. The hand would sweat and sweat, it just won't give a damn! In exam, it's even worse, when I needed to write lengthy essays or draw diagrams. The papers would curl up so badly, or got drenched by the sweat. Putting on another piece of paper just below my wrist to prevent the sweat from directly in contact with the exam sheets would be the choice; or sometimes it sweat so badly that I needed a handkerchief for the "absorption power". And by doing so, once my classmate thought I was so "kiasu", as if people wanted to copy my answer, and therefore I purposely closed up the answers with a piece of paper!

In tuition classes or lecture halls, as the tutors went on like bullet train and scribbling all over the board, students were copying everything down on their ruled pads. But for me, it was a real frustrating moment. As I wrote faster and faster, the palm would get more and more sweaty. The pen grip was loose, the sweat would make the papers soaked, the armpits would start dripping and wetting the underneath of my shirt. And so, I kept having pauses in between the copying sessions, either to vigorously dry my palms on my trousers, or excused myself out of the room, just to shake them dry! Total nuisance!

At times, the lecture hall was so packed, that we had to squeeze along the bench with a tiny writing area on the table, that would be my nightmare! Besides what I have mentioned above, the crowd would actually made me sweat more, even on the forehead. Heart beat would go faster. And I used to think that I had social phobia, but now I know it was just sympathetic overdrive.

Today, I write as much and as long as I love to. No more sweaty problem. The papers remain dry and neat. The pen grip is excellent. And best of all, attending any conference, no matter how crowded, I remain cool and calm. Hand shaking with all the participants around me. Improved social networking, and my palms, dry and warm! How confident I am now.

Funny, isn't it? Just a tiny thoracic T3-4 nerve problem, could give rise to all sorts of unimaginable nuisance to those hyperhidrosis sufferers!

Basketball

When I was younger, I loved to play basketball. It was the "in" thing during my high school time. Every boy played basketball and wanted to be Michael Jordan. Everyone tried to leap into thin air, and wanted to slam dunk! How cool it was.

But heck, my palms were sweaty. Ball was always easily tackled and snatched by opposite team members, because there was no grip at all, even though I tried to hold on tight to the ball. It was so slippery, and sometimes even when I was trying to pass on the ball, it slipped off and went out of court! Team mates finally realised they didn't really prefer to pass the ball to me if possible, because most of the time when they threw the ball at me, I tried to grab it but the ball would slip out and went into the opponents' hands! So I was the culprit for losing the game most of the time! How depressing it was, at those "ego years" (especially when female classmates were watching us playing the game!)

Today, although I don't play basketball anymore, the sad story remains clearly in my head. Now, I am teaching my kids to play basketball, and I can finally hold on to the ball tightly now!

Moisturizer & Hand Washing

Before the ETS, my palms sweat like mad, and I used to joke that I didn't need any moisturizer on them. True enough. Most of the time, my palms were wet, and in fact I was trying all the time to dry them, so that I could do things which I liked. But most of the time, my palms failed me badly. They just wouldn't listen to their "master"'s command. The more I commanded them to dry up, the more the palms acted in the reverse. More sweat.

Nowadays, I do not wash my hands so regularly anymore. I used to wash them very often because the sweat just made my hands feel sticky. Until the extent that most people thought I had the obsession and compulsion of hand washing. Psychiatric referral? ;) But I knew very well that I just wanted to get my palms back to their normal condition after each wash - just like "rebooting" my palms to the state of "fresh, dry and clean".

With both my palms dry now, at times they could be a little too dry (relative to the past), and warrant some application of moisturizer on them. This I think is good, because moisturizing the palms, and also in fact the whole body is proven to be protective and healthy for the skin. With such habit of frequent application of moisturizer, I also opt for the UV protection cream, which in fact gives me additional UV protection when I am out in the sun. So, it's good. :)

ETS and Eye Laser Surgery

Many people have asked me why didn't I opt for Robinul (Glycopyrrolate), Drysol, iontophoresis, botox injections, propanolol tablets etc, and instead went straight ahead with the ETS surgery which is theoretically non-reversible.

Well, my answer for that is simple. It's just like how a myopic person who opts for the refractrive laser eye surgery. Is it necessary? Well, not. Is it not better to continue putting on a pair of glasses or contact lenses? Well, yes. But the bottom line is - that person who has opted for the eye laser surgery must have weighed all the pros and cons over the years, and have probably waited long enough for this kind of surgical technique to be more matured and reliable.

Same for ETS, I believe I could have opted for those mentioned above, but then again, those are not without side effects too. Take for example, Robinul, will not only dry up the palms, armpits and soles, but also dry up your mouth, eyes and giving you the irritating sensation systemically. Why? Because such drugs do not just act locally or in a targeted fashion, but actually involve the whole body.

ETS is a more permanent solution, just like the laser eye surgery. Whether in the next 20 years a better solution for sweaty palms or myopic eyes will be available, I don't know. I live in this 21st century, and all I can say is that I can only hope for the best at this point of time.

Sweaty Lower Back

For every surgery you undergo, do expect some side effects and problems. Same goes to the ETS.

Compensatory sweating, as they will tell you, post ETS will vary from person to person. Some have it a lot, some others minimal. As for me, 1 week post ETS, the compensatory sweat is starting to come - but I won't say it is "haunting" me (yet? too early to tell?).

I notice more sweat over the lower back (lumbar) area and also the back of the knees (popliteal areas). Skipped areas, yes. Surprisingly the buttocks (gluteus maximus and the anus) are spared! Thank God! ;)
Soles do sweat a bit, but I must say it is tolerable. In fact I used to sweat more in the soles prior to this.
I realize that the sweat will come more if the surrounding gets hot. Either when my blanket is too thick trapping the heat, or sitting too long on a leather chair/sofa with minimal heat loss. Then the sweat tends to come a bit more.

But like what Dr Khoo told me before, the compensatory sweat is something still tolerable by most of the ETS patients, and nothing beats the excellent feel of having back our dry palms! As what Dr Khoo used to joke with me,"You don't shake people's hands with your legs or buttocks."

Tiredness?

I have read in the net that some people who have undergone the ETS, complained about being more tired and easily fatigue than before. I can't really comment on this at the moment, as I am down with cough and cold. So obviously I feel more tired than usual. More sleepy most of the time. However I cannot attribute this to the post-ETS problem.

My surgeon has also told me about how the ETS essentially equate to people being put on low dose beta blocker medication. Therefore, the sympathetic drive is reduced. No sweat, heart beats slower, less anxious, appear more calm and steady, lower systolic blood pressure.

Not sure if this also translates to those other beta blocker side effects like lethargy, tiredness and impotence!! Haha, just kidding, unless I have also undergone the lumbar sympathectomy for the leg sweating, I won't get impotence as one of the risks!

Burn Your Nerve

I have read many blogs and internet sites prior to plunging in for the ETS. Most, if not all, of the patients who went for the surgery regretted. Many would say that, if given a chance, they would rather live on with the sweaty palms.

I find it rather amused, that these people were the ones who actually searching high and low for the ultimate cure for their hyperhidrosis condition. But when the results did not turn out to be 100% of what they wanted or dreamed of, they blamed the surgery.

Nothing can definitely replace the original and untouched creation given to us by God. Take for example, when you have myopia, and no matter how good your pair of glasses are, you can never achieve the perfect vision of your friends who do not have myopia. Similarly, even after laser eye correction, you might be off glasses forever, but some of us would still risk of getting haloes, distorted night vision and dry eye syndrome.

Therefore the important question here is, before opting for the ETS, have you actually decided that from now on, you want a pair of dry palms, which you have been longing for? Is it the permanent solution that you are looking for? Are you ready to compromise for some sweatiness elsewhere in your body in exchange for a pair of dry warm palms? Do you need your hands to work most of the time, like hand shakings, doctors examining patients, piano teacher, sales personnels etc. Oh by the way, if you are a swimming instructor, you DO NOT need this surgery, as you would be wet anyway! ;)

Also what I understood from my own surgeon, the clamping method used in the recent years, together with the technique of clamping the thoracic chain at T2 and below, yield a better outcome, as compared to previous years. Burning or cutting off the chain in fact gave more compensatory sweating, and possibly Horner Syndrome because of the involvement or interruption of T1 and their stellate ganglions. Even the vibration from the cutting technique can affect the higher centre, ie T1, and thus possibly causing unwanted outcomes.

Think about it. ETS may not be the best option, but I can say it is the only solution you dream of all this while of getting a pair of dry warm hands. Unless you have other options, maybe 20 years down the road, ETS at least can give me many years ahead with self confidence and no more avoidance.

30 years have past with wet hands, all I hope for is to have the next 30 years or more, with dry, warm normal palms.

Standing in a Bus

Pre-ETS

Standing in a moving train or bus with sweaty palms could both be dangerous and annoying. Holding on the rail as the high speed vehicles dashing through the city, might not be as safe as you thought; as the slippery grip would any time give way, and myself falling forward when the train came to a sudden halt. Similarly, if I would to hold on to the safety ring on the coach ceiling, the sweat would start dripping all the way, tracking down along my forearm; or the armpit would sweat non-stop, occasionally sending out awful smell!

Though not all the time my palms would sweat that badly, I must say at least 99% of the time they sweat! And even if the first 5 minutes they didn't, shortly after holding on to anything, the palms would start their normal "routine" of sweating.

Post ETS

Now I can hold on to the rail or safety ring in the coach, without fear of falling forward. The grip is excellent. As expected from any ordinary person's grip. You cannot imagine how comfortable it is now to appreciate the grip I never had all this while.

Sweat No More

I woke up from general anaesthesia in the recovery room, with my wife sitting next to me. Smiling. I was a little in pain, and feeling a little difficulty breathing, but this was what I had expected. Oxygen 5L/min was given. IV Pethidine one dose. I felt like my lungs were working hard to re-expand to their original state, after the deflation took place during the operation.


Immediately reaching out to have a look at both my palms. Both dry! Oh God, could this be real? Yes, my wife told me. They are now dry. The surgeon did not exaggerate the result, as he told me "you will experience instantaneous result post op". True enough. Dry and warm palms.


30 minutes ago, I was pushed into the operating theatre. With the anaesthetist smiling at me, and comforting me that everything will be ok; he meanwhile injected something into the branula on my right wrist. I felt a sudden gush of pain, as if the IV line was "bunked" and the fluid extravasated into my subcutaneous tissue. Tearing apart feeling in my right hand. I then wanted to ask the anaesthetist about whether it was a norm to have such pain after injection (though I knew it was probably Propofol injection pain), in less than 10 seconds, I felt a sudden giddiness, eyes blacked out, speech slurred, and went into "deep sleep". After that, I really left everything to Dr Khoo's team. In fact, anything they wanted to do on me, I had no say!! "I'm all yours!"