5 QUESTIONS WITH: Imogen

In the midst of all this anxiety and fear our lovely world is currently experiencing, I thought I'd share something positive with a return to my 5 QUESTIONS WITH series, offering a little reminder that things do get better <3

Today, I am excited to bring you Imogen's story. Imogen and I have been friends on Instagram since November 2016 when she began posting about her battle with TSW (her fantastic account can be found *here*). I followed her journey through the terrible symptoms of withdrawal to her eventual recovery around eighteen months later! Now, her skin is absolutely beautiful and I couldn't be happier for her.

Without further ado, I'll hand it over to Imogen:

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself and your skin journey.

Imogen during withdrawal (2017)

I suffered from extreme eczema as a baby on my body and face. I recall seeing pictures of me as an infant with horrendously raw cheeks and my family all reminiscing about how awful it was. My poor mum was at her wits end and would cover me in emollient creams, tubular bandages and occasionally topical steroid creams although this was rarely. I was very allergic and reactive to environmental factors as a child as well as being mildly asthmatic. I remember not being able to go near an animal because they would cause a flare. Every winter, every summer and every family holiday abroad would bring on a flare of some kind and I would have to lather myself with creams to try to stop myself tearing at my skin. This went on for most of my childhood, however teenage years brought some relief and it seemed I had ‘grown out’ of my severe allergies and eczema although certain environments (dust, horsehair) would still induce a flare up. At the age of 19, I moved out of my family home while at the same time securing a job on a farm. Almost instantly, my eczema came back, mostly on my legs and arms. The next two years was a whirlwind of changing jobs and using steroid creams prescribed until I was absolutely covered in red, burning discoid eczema (something I now believe may have actually been the start of TSW). I saw dermatologists and GPs who eventually gave me Fucidin, a steroid-antibiotic mix. I was only meant to use this cream for ten days on my face, I used it for over 365 days. Every time I used it, I would have some relief however the next day, the weeping, raw skin would be back with a vengeance. The next step according to the doctors was to give me prednisone. I wholeheartedly did not want to take it and so I was stuck in limbo until I found ITSAN. I then went through TSW from October 2016 up until around April 2018. I now consider myself to be fully healed and I no long suffer from eczema. My allergies are virtually non-existent, and I have even been able to regularly horse ride in the time since my TSW. Before TSW, being anywhere near a horse would have caused a severe flare up and a tight wheezy chest. This leads me to believe that steroid creams were making my allergies and asthma worse…. All-in-all, there is life after TSW!

During TSW.

2) How did you find out about TSW?
I actually had a friend who had been through TSW the year before. I didn’t know much about it at the time she was going through it but when she found out I was relying so heavily on topical steroids, she pointed me in the direction of the ITSAN website and explained to me what could be going on. At first, I was terrified reading about other people’s experiences and hearing all their stories of TSW. How could someone put their body through this, they must be crazy right? The question that kept popping into my mind was “Can I really do this?”. However, I knew these steroid creams were poisoning me and the only options left were to stop using them or go down the route of stronger steroid medications. Something had to change and knowing that other people had gone through TSW before me and were going through it at the same time, gave me the encouragement that I needed to throw away the steroid creams. I’ve never been more certain of a right decision. That moment was life-changing.

3) Did you find that anything aided your healing?

Now I’m going to use every TSW-ers most hated phrase but, time is the best healer. It takes a lot of patience, but you have to trust your body knows how to heal itself. Having said this, there are things you can do to help it along. I found that for me, the biggest turning point was when I moved back home. I was suddenly in a much cleaner environment; I was able to eat healthier and be completely focused on myself and my healing. Less stress, more comfort. I would apply apple cider vinegar diluted in water twice a day to anywhere raw and oozing. I would also bathe in Milton bleach diluted baths three times a week. These were painful but did reduce the inflammation. Mentally, I found that giving into the pain and crying helped. It was a release for me, and it gave me an indicator of when I needed to stop for a minute and self-comfort. Connecting with others through Instagram was a big relief for those moments of anxiety and also using Instagram as a photo diary was a great way to track my healing as well as sharing experiences with fellow TSW warriors.

During TSW.

4) Sum up TSW in five words.
Exhausting. Raw. Shocking. Brave. Immense.

Imogen now!

5) What positives, if any, have you found from going through TSW?
No matter how hard this TSW has been, there are certainly some positives that have come from it. I have a renewed sense of self worth and will never take my health, mental or physical, for granted again. I feel a sense of connection with my body and have learnt to listen to it if something doesn’t feel right. All the knowledge I obtained about my skin and the way my body heals, I can now use to help others going through something similar which is very rewarding. This journey has inspired me to help others and I’m now studying at university to become a dietitian to helps others understand the importance of healing their bodies through other means, not just medications. Above all, it made me realise my own strength and determination. I feel as though I’ve been through hell and come out with a fire inside that wasn’t there before. I now also don't have eczema at all since going through 18 -24 months of TSW and all of my allergies have cleared! 

To follow Imogen's very inspiring Instagram account, click (here).

Thank you so much Imogen  <3

Links to my previous 5 QUESTIONS WITH:
Henni @rawsomesoul (here)
Alice @healthy_healer (here)
Maleeha @TSWHealed (here)
Nina Sloan (here)
Nick @Eczemacism (here)
Stephanie & Isaiah Quinn (here)
Stephanie @TheItchyConundrum (here)
Josh @Redskinrecoverydiary (here)
Briana @PREVENTABLE (here)
Melanie Lynch (here)
Stephanie Miller (here)
Holly Dillon @GetYourSkinOut (here)
Me (here)
Keisha Gregson (here)
Douglas Maddy & Charlie (here)
Gillian Breslin (here)
Jasmine and Jennifer (here)
Robyn (here)
Brittany Hallberg (here)
Emma (here)
Zip (here)