22 April 2023 , 09:19
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A woman who suffered from eczema was left bedridden after an extreme reaction to cream caused her skill to peel off.
Natalie Merchant Wright said she was treated like a leper after topical steroid withdrawal left her 'clawing herself raw' for 20 years - and in so much pain she has to be spoon-fed by her hubby.
The dancer started suffering from mild eczema at just two months old and was given steroid cream by the doctor, but unknowingly became 'addicted' to it.
The 20-year-old newlywed said the lotion triggered a series of flare-ups that were mistaken for eczema, which she tried everything to cure - including 'hardcore' bone broth fasts and eating nothing but meat for six months.
But in August 2017, the retail team leader discovered that she was suffering from topical steroid withdrawal (TSW), so hasn't touched the lotion since.
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Natalie Merchant Wright unknowingly became addicted to topical cream (Kennedy News and Media)
She ended up scratching at her skin like and 'clawed herself raw' (Kennedy News and Media)TSW is a potentially debilitating condition that can arise from the use of topical steroids to treat a skin problem, such as eczema.
The singer claims she's endured 'literal hell' from the condition that triggers a 'bone-deep, insatiable itch' that when scratched, leaves the skin across her body red, raw, and oozing.
The ballroom dancer said she struggles to do simple tasks like opening doors and showering as the sensation of any water touching her body is akin to getting lemon juice into a cut.
In December Natalie was forced to take medical leave from her job due to the severity of her condition, even wetting the bed on a few occasions due to lacking the strength to go to the loo.
Natalie claims she was bombarded with HUNDREDS of questions a day asking 'what happened?' and mistaking her for a burns victim.
After feeling 'helpless' for years, discovering cold atmospheric plasma therapy (CAP), a treatment which is only available in the UK, Singapore, and Thailand, has provided Natalie with a light at the end of the tunnel.
Natalie and hubby Matthew Wright, 25, tied the knot on April 3 before jetting off to Thailand days later for the treatment and after two sessions, she's already noticing a big difference.
She's now set up a GoFundMe to raise $30,000 to help cover the cost of the treatment as well as their flights, visas, and living expenses while out there.
Natalie, of Cartersville, Georgia, US, said: "I've been clawing myself raw for 20 years.
Natalie said she was treated like a 'leper' (Kennedy News and Media)
Natalie said she was left in excruciating pain (Kennedy News and Media)"It wasn't an uncommon occurrence to wake up with bloody bed sheets and my own dead skin flakes - it felt like waking up to crumbs in the bed.
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"On a daily basis, it affects everything and things that you don't think about like washing your hands. My wrists have been so bad that I can't turn a door knob.
"There's been times these last four months where it's been so bad I've had to be spoon-fed, which is really embarrassing - you feel so helpless.
"A lot of things that were normal for me would be torture for someone else.
"I don't understand that people can just shower and it doesn't affect them for hours. It sounds wonderful, but doesn't make sense to me.
"I work with the public in retail. They mean well but would ask things like 'oh my gosh, what's with your skin? Why do you look like that? What happened, were you burned or in an accident?'
"These super-insensitive questions, with good intentions for most of the time, are really hurtful, and sometimes after 800 of those comments a day, 801 is enough to crack [you] and I'd just break down crying.
"You feel horrible, diseased, like a reject and a leper half the time and people kind of treat you like that, whether or not they mean to."
Natalie said her symptoms weren't as severe during her younger years but she had problematic areas, particularly her ears and elbow creases.
Due to her skin issues, Natalie said she had a hard time growing up as she wanted to feel as 'pretty' as her peers and in school often struggled to type and hold pencils.
Natalie started using the cream as a child (Kennedy News and Media)Natalie said: "At its worst, my skin is very, very itchy, but red, raw and it oozes. It's super thin. You scratch an itch until it's raw, it doesn't go away and then you're scratching raw open skin and that's super painful.
"You're covered in ooze and feel gross. I was going through rolls of paper towels drying these wounds and trying to keep all the ooze and blood to a minimum.
"There's two kinds of itching. One is surface level, like something's bothering you in the atmosphere or touching you and it's a skin-level scratch.
"Then there's the other one that's more common and regular, it's a bone-deep insatiable nerve itch.
"The kind where you cannot scratch enough and after you stop, it burns, so you want to scratch more. It's such a Catch-22.
"Getting water on those open wounds from showering, washing my hands, or getting a little sweaty is super painful.
"The best way I can describe it is the sensation of lemon juice getting into a cut.
"I remember before school I'd get in there and couldn't help but yell and cry because it was so painful.
"You can't sleep. There's times that I would lie in bed for hours just praying and would get up and give up and go and lie on my bathroom floor and cry."
Natalie said that TSW affects your nerves meaning she's hypersensitive to temperatures and textures, so is always too cold or too hot.
Natalie has to be fed by her husband, Matthew Wright (Kennedy News and Media)
Natalie sometimes has no flare ups (Kennedy News and Media)Over the years there were times she didn't want to leave the house but was forced to 'grin and bear it' as she needed to go to school and to work.
Natalie's most recent flare-up that started in December was her longest and most severe to date, which forced her to stop work.
Natalie said: "I've been through literal hell. There were days when mentally and emotionally it was so much that I'd just go to bed.
"It's very deflating, I think over the last 20 years that's probably the best word I can use to summarise it.
"I've been bedridden since December. I would leave the house about once every fortnight to get my nails done, I get super thick acrylics as it prevents me from doing so much damage when I scratch.
"Other than that I'd be at home most days sitting in one spot barely having enough energy to get up to pee.
"There'll be times that I literally did wet the bed because I didn't have the strength to get up and go to the bathroom. I had no motivation, it was such a dark place."
The swing dancer claims she tried 'anything and everything' to treat her skin given it's triggered by numerous things.
This included visiting a range of health experts, trying various creams, medications, and supplements.
She also changed her diet by going dairy and gluten-free for five years, in a bid to cut out any food allergies.
Natalie and her hubby landed in Thailand on April 7 and headed straight to the clinic for her treatment.
She said the results of the treatment will be permanent and she may still have mild skin issues, which will be more like eczema, but far more manageable.
She's currently having it once a week and its duration will depend on how her skin responds.
Natalie said: "The treatment has been a light at the end of the tunnel. I've noticed quite a difference already, it's very exciting.
"In between every treatment I'm seeing improvements - the redness is going down and flaking is increasing, which means your body is healing and reproducing skin cells.
"I've been sleeping a lot better, in the last four months I almost haven't [slept] but I've been sleeping almost six hours each night.
"I think I'm going to start to look like a new woman, I cannot wait.
"I've been blown away by the love and support. My friends, telling their friends, who tell their friends, is bringing in support from even strangers. It's incredible, I feel beyond blessed.
"Having the funds on my GoFundMe would mean more than I can express.
"It's an overwhelming gratitude and I'm baffled by the love and support I've gotten so far, I can never say a thank you big enough."
You can donate to Natalie's GoFundMe page here.
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