Mel Lynch
Age: 37
Career: Teacher
When did you cease using topical steroids: October 2013
What type did you use: I used pretty much every sort for over 30 years. Including eumovate, betnovate, fucibet, dermavate, betnovate scalp treatment and lots of courses of oral steroids too.
What was your favorite product for comfort? When my skin was at its worst, I would spend most of my life in the bath. I used Dead Sea salts in my bath and always moisturized. I also used zinc cream to ease redness and swelling. I also found comfort using bandages especially if my skin was oozing.
What was the hardest thing to deal with during this condition? At times the pain was unbearable and I hated being unable to move and being stuck in my bed or the bath all day. But the very worst thing was not being able to hold or cuddle my daughters. My youngest was a month old when I started tsw so I spent the first 2 years of her life being ill on and off. Very depressing but she doesn’t remember! My eldest was very good when I was ill. She is 8 now and doesn’t like to talk about it or see pics of me when I was poorly. It definitely had an impact on her.
What is the first thing you will do when healed? I consider myself close to being healed, the thing we did first was go on a family holiday. I do enjoy being able to take my girls swimming … that was something I couldn’t even do before tsw as my skin would never be clear. Now it’s great to be able to show off my legs!
Heather Lee
Age: 26
Career: Currently in my last year of nursing school
When did you cease using topical steroids: October 2015
What type did you use: Desonide, hydrocortisone, triamcinolone, as well as dexamethasone injections and tons of oral prednisone .
What is your favorite product for comfort? Aquaphor and Zinc Paste
What is the hardest thing to deal with during this condition? I started nursing school at the same time I started TSW, it’s hard trying to take care of patients and having them ask what’s wrong with you. At times I was in the hospital taking care of others when I felt I should be in there myself.
What is the first thing you will do when healed? Travel! I already travel a lot but it’s hard to fully enjoy it with TSW. My dream is to go to Iceland and not be worried about my skin cracking open
Preventable: Protecting Our Largest Organ 