A young mum thought her skin condition was caused by something else at first – but later found out it was much worse than she had initially feared
A 34-year-old mum had her life turned upside down after developing a skin condition that left her unrecognisable to her kids.
Emily Beatty, a midwife from Manchester was looking forward to tying the knot with her husband, as well her due date for the birth of her second child fast approaching, but her eczema took a drastic turn for the worse.
The mum-of-two has suffered from eczema for some time, but her condition spiralled when she began to experience topical steroid withdrawal (TSW), that can occur when somebody ends their dosage of topical steroids that are used to treat eczema.
Describing the condition, Emily said: “The pain and discomfort was unbearable. I just couldn’t cope anymore, as the skin around my eyes was sore, wrinkly and panda-like. The eczema, and later TSW, had consumed my face, neck, chest and arms – and my entire body at one stage.”
And, so harsh were the physical affects of the illness that Emily soon started to feel debilitated mentally as a result of her worsening skin condition – to the point were she even contemplated calling off her wedding, adding: “I didn’t want to marry my husband in this condition and while he reassured me that it didn’t matter what I looked like, to me, it meant everything. I wouldn’t have been able to wear my wedding dress through the discomfort it would cause (either).”
But, to Emily’s delight she manage to get her hands on an immunosuppressant that was able to rescue the inflammation and get her wedding plans back on course.
She said: “I couldn’t believe it, my skin was completely clear.
“With just 13 days until we were due to fly to Cyprus for our wedding, we were finally able to tell all our guests that it was absolutely going to happen.
“I understand that it’s not a long-term fix and may be seen as simply putting a plaster over the issues – but when you have a family, a mortgage, a job and you’re feeling at your lowest, you sometimes have no choice.
“I have zero regrets and I can honestly say our wedding day was the best day of my life.”
Now, four years since Emily first used the potentially dangerous steroid creams, she knew giving them up sometimes causes withdrawal symptoms, but was unaware of just how badly her body would react, saying: “I knew that my body would have to get worse before it could get better – but nothing could have prepared me for the months of suffering I was about to endure.
“One month into withdrawal I was unrecognisable. I could not regulate my temperature at all and was cold all the time.
“I would often put the hair dryer on under the duvet until it would overheat to seek warmth. Two months in, I had to get pain relief from my GP because I was suffering so terribly with nerve pain.”
Emily has now turned her attentions to raising awareness for the condition, saying: “This condition is not recognised enough in the medical world, and as a health professional myself, I find this a bitter pill to swallow.
“I don’t deny the use of steroids is needed in some instances, but I do believe more research needs to be done into the use and long-term effects of topical steroids.
“I know that more people are becoming aware of its dangers, but there is still a long way to go in terms of raising awareness.”