Gosh, I have hit so many personal TSW milestones recently that I can't quite believe it! Today marks one THOUSAND days since I started Topical Steroid Withdrawal. One thousand of anything is so big and to think for over two thirds of the time I was suffering so badly, I just can't believe it.In celebration of this milestone, I thought I'd include photos of all the before and afters I have posted of my skin most Tuesdays on Instagram (here) as part of the hashtag #transformationtuesday which I have been doing since last year. I don't think it will ever sink in that I was the girl on the left - it feels like another life completely. I am BEYOND grateful that I have these photos otherwise I know I would have forgotten just how bad it was at times.
Seeing the photos all together in this blog post really hits home what my skin has been through. How did it ever get that bad? And more importantly, how have we been ignored by the people who should be helping us?
Through TSW you lose your identity but end the end of it you bloom into a whole new person who is stronger, happier and much, much wiser than before. These photos show just how much things have changed for me physically but they truly don't show how much I have changed as a person.
I will be forever grateful.
Cara xxx
 |
| Tuesday 5th May 2015 (Left) & Tuesday 13th October 2015 |
 |
| Sunday 28th July 2013 (Left) & Tuesday 20th October 2015 (Right) |
 |
| Wednesday 18th February 2015 (Left) & Tuesday 27th October 2015 (Right) |
 |
| Monday 11th November 2013 (Left) & Tuesday 3rd November 2015 (Right) |
 |
| Monday 29th July 2013 (Left) & Tuesday 10th November 2015 (Right) |
 |
| (From left to right) 24th, 26th & 30th November 2015 *Photo of one of the the small flareups I experienced over a week on my right hand and how quickly it took to get better again. |
 |
| Tuesday 2nd December 2014 (Left) & Tuesday 8th December 2015 (Right) |
 |
| Tuesday 23rd December 2014 (Left) & Tuesday 22nd December 2015 (Right) |
 |
| Sunday 28th December 2014 (Left) & Tuesday 29th December 2015 (Right) |
 |
| Thursday 17th October 2013 & (Left) & Tuesday 19th January 2016 (Right) |
 |
| Shoulder: Sunday 28th July 2013 (Left) & Sunday 8th November 2015 (Right) Knees: Thursday 3rd April 2014 (Left) & Sunday 8th November 2015 (Right) |
 |
| Saturday 24th January 2015 (Left) & Sunday 31st January 2016 (Right) |
 |
| Saturday 27th July 2013 (Left) & Monday 8th February 2016 (Right) |
 |
| Sunday 15th February 2015 (Left) & Tuesday 16th February 2016 (Right) |
 |
| Tuesday 23rd July 2013 (Left) & Tuesday 23rd February 2016 (Right) |
 |
| Sunday 28th July 2013 (Left) & Tuesday 1st March 2016 (Right) |
congratulations! never go away from the internet like many who healed.. keep updating us and let us know the status periodically.. I am one of the sufferer and I have used the betnovate - N on face for around 1.5 years... I have compeleted my 9 month of withdrawal, but flare occur and the skin shows the tiny cracks and then the healing beings which last for very long till the skin sheds and then the process begins again... guide... what to do... symptoms: skin on face specially cheeks and forehead gets very tiny cracks which you cant see .. they look like rash but when seen closely .. they are cuts tiny very tiny... also, skin gets red at that area and bumpy and then the whitish yellow skin starts healing it and then the procedure may start again anytime after relaxation of two three days... when will this over cara?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment Aapka :) I am sorry to hear you are going through this - it sounds to me like a symptom of TSW. If you are worried though, I would always suggest going to a doctor to check for things like infection etc, just to be safe. Unfortunately we are all different and until someone decides to study this we won't know how long it will take or much about why certain things happen to us through this process. I truly hope things improve for you soon and congratulations for reaching 9 months, that's amazing.
DeleteBig hugs
xxx
A thousand heartfelt thanks to you, Cara, for sharing your journey through this truly awful condition. I have been suffering for 13 months now and don't know how I would have ever managed to navigate this horrific experience for this long without people like you. I know I still have a long road ahead of me, but reading your posts and seeing your photos gives me great hope that one day this shredded, inflamed, itchy, flaking, and oozy body will see some relief. You are my inspiration.
ReplyDeleteGosh, thank you for such a lovely comment, it means a lot. I am so glad I have been able to help in a small way. TSW is a scary condition with little information out there so we all have to help each other where we can! Congratulations for sticking with it for well over a year too - amazing.
DeleteWishing you the best of luck with the rest of your withdrawal and just ask if you ever have a question or need support.
Big hugs
Cara xxxx
You look fab Cara!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Louise <3 I hope your skin is still doing well - you have been such an inspiration to so many people going through TSW (me included!!!).
DeleteBig hugs
xxxx