February 22, 2026 • 15 mins
Last year we heard Becky Bouterey's story of her years long battle with withdrawal after using topical steroids to treat her eczema, leading to her seeking treatment in Thailand. Now after months of treatment, Becky's returned home better than she's been in a long time.
Toni caught up with Becky to chat about what the treatment actually involved, how she's holding up now that she's back in NZ, and why she believes the treatment should be brought to our shores.
Click here to listen to Toni and Becky's first chat from last year.
Want more We Need To Talk? Find us here.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome, So we need to talk Tony Street's Lifestyle and
Wellness podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Hello, welcome to We need to Talk. It's great to
have you with us. Now we're revisiting an episode we
did last year about topical steroid withdrawal. Now, you might
remember Becky Butchery who was at a WIT's end after
four years of reacting badly to steroids, including symptoms like redness, burning, sensation, itchiness, peeling.
It got so bad that she had to explore treatment
(00:29):
options overseas.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
My skin was just weeping and oozing.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
I was breaking up duck and my pillow because my
face and yeah, and that's kind of then I made
the cause, like I need to stop these steroids so
they're not even holpen and you know, I can need
to go through the withdrawal from them.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
And here I am four and a half years later
to hoe through it.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
But there is a bit of a glimmer of hope. Right,
So you found somewhere you can go, Yes, Sony, the.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Treatments Center overseason Thailand. Unfortunately they don't do this treatment here.
It's called cat therapy. It's a really effective treatment for
top called story withdrawal. And I've spoken to a number
of people, and I've all said it's changed their lives
and they've got their lives back from it.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Becky is now back and we are eager to know
whether it has all worked.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Now.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I'm looking at you on zoom and you are looking
so good. Not just your skin, but you look like
you've got your spark back.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I do. Life is so good.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Tell us how the treatment went and where you're at
now compared to where we left you.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Oh, so the treatment went really well.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
So after I spoke with you last year, I went
off to Thailand, the Bangkok, and I received cap treatment
for the withdrawal, the Steerreid withdrawal, and it's the big
thing I've ever done.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
It was so worth it.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
I was there for just over four months, and yeah,
it's give me my life back.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
It's a big chunk out of your life to just
leave the country for four months to go and get treatment.
How did you cope with that time away?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Too?
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Honest, it didn't really bother me.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
I had been stuck in a prison really for years,
and for me, I just knew I was.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Going to get relief getting there.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
So I was so excited just to get there and
to start the treatment and every day, every week I
was getting better and I was seeing the results, so,
which was great.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Can you just remind me, remind us all, remind us
of the state you were in before you left.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Oh, so maskin was a wreck from the steroids.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
It was weeping, it was cracked, it was dry, it
was blaking.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
It was just so sore and I just had rashes everywhere.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
I wasn't sleeping and it just sucked, like life sucked.
And I was at the point where I was desperate,
which is why I went over ceased to get the treatment.
And within the first couple of treatments, I started noticing
a difference. I started sleeping better, that it decreased and
it was just healing by the week.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Well what sort of treatment did they do? Because you
kind of feel like, why do we not have this here?
Why do you have to go to Thailand to get
this done?
Speaker 4 (03:09):
We don't have it in New Zealand at the moment,
which is a bummer.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
So the treatment is cold atmosphere of plasma.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
So it's a non invasive treatment and it uses like
a machine that they plug in and into the wall
and it uses oxygen and somehow derives the plasma and
it's like.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
A wand and they put it over your skin.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
It's what it does is it increases your cell turnover
rate and it helps with infection, so it kills like
fungal infections and different infections on the skin, which is
really common with diroid withdrawal, and helps the information. It
just feeds up the healing massively.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
And so what did that look like for you on
the daily? How many sessions of this did you have
to have?
Speaker 3 (03:55):
So I do one.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Session a week, and I'd have to isolate for borty
eight hours after each session because it makes your skin
more sensitive, so you have to kind of stay indoors
to avoid any anything landing on the skin really because
then that could create flares and infection.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
So that's kind of how that looked.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
And then really for the first ten weeks, my skin
because it was so sensitive, like part of the protocol
is to stay indoors as much as you can really
to avoid arrothants getting on the skin. We get out
and about and bangpock is quite polluted, so you don't
really want to.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Be out there and your skin is so vulnerable.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
So my weeks so we're looking, Yeah, just treatment really resting,
looking after the skin and treating infections and that.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
How did you cope with being idle for that amount
of time and largely staying indoors? What did you do
to keep yourself occupied?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
It wasn't too bad so after the treatment because it
wakes up the treatment wakes up all of your skin cells,
so you're really tired because you know it's using lot
the energy. So the first kind of day you quite sleep,
your sleep a bit. Then the rest of the time
I just worked on my business really, so I worked
a bit remotely, which was quite helpful. It gave me
something to do, and I just kind of cruised, cruise
(05:12):
around the apartment cleaned.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
That's actually quite nice. It's quite mindful, right, just taking
a bit of time out.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I did lots of reading as well, read.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
A few books, and yeah, watched a little bit of Netflix.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
But it was quite cool.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Another person receiving treatment was staying in the same building
as me, so we became quite good buddies and we
would hang out and have our meals together.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
And just chat away, which was quite nice to have.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
The friendship was that buddy in the same position that
it had been steroid use that had led to this
withdrawal symptom.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
So she was from Canada, so she had been in
the same boat as me, and she went to get
treatment too.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Has it worked for her?
Speaker 4 (05:54):
It has, Yeah, but she's still struggling a little bit
because she lives in the area in Canada which is
very cold and dry, so it's not the best climate
for yeah, for the condition.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
So you're there for four months and they do this therapy.
At what point in that four months did you start
to see things get better?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Honestly, about week three four, things were so much better.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
I started sleeping.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Through the night, which I hadn't done for years. And
then by week I'll say week five six, my skin
was looking like so much better. I was almost presenting
quite normally. And then by around week the end twelve,
I was looking really good.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
And then you came back to New Zealand And how
has it stayed like that?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I ended up purchasing a machine from the clinic.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
I needed more treatment and I wasn't in a position
to stay overseas, and I was a bit nervous.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
To come home because I didn't want to regress.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
So I purchased a machine and I'm still treating myself weekly.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Now I just treat myself from home. That's great.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
And if you compare where you were at before you
left to where you are now, you had any dips
in that time, I did.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
I headed it when I got back. So the first
kind of four or five weeks were okay, and then
I regret and I hate to kind of work out
what was causing the issue, so I hate to hear
a bit of investigating around home. And then I worked
out that I work in my garage when I would
(07:24):
peck quorders for my business, and the dust mites and
irritance in there, so I had kind of I went
down south to see my sister and my skin came
right and I was like, oh, so it's definitely something
at home.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
And then I was like, I wonder if it's a garage.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
So then I went in the garage and then I
came out and I noticed I was irritated and it
was affecting me. So then I got this, I cover
up when I'll go on the garage now, so I
put this like Bellcama.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Thing over my face and we're long.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
So when I'll go in there, my skin was fine,
and that was the Yeah, that was the dip that
I had, but I worked out the treasure.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Yeah, the trigger and it's sweet.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Now.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Isn't that crazy though, that your skin is so sensitive
to things like just going into your garage. Was your
skin always like that or was that just after the
steeroid use, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
After steid use.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Like, I've always been sensitive to environmental things like grass
and animals and stuff, but not to this degree. Yeah,
this was post treatment. Sorry posts the steroid usage, because
it's in my skin so much so I just makes
you more sensitive to.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Things you're listening to.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
We need to talk with Tony Street.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
How has your life changed from getting this treatment?
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Oh, it's been the best thing ever. I've got my
life back. I'm back living a normal life. I've lived
a normal summer for the first time in years, like
having camping with my family. I've been able to attend
friends weddings. I've been able to tend weddings and the
hens dows and birthdays and like previously, I missed out
on so many of those things because I couldn't attend them.
(08:56):
I was so sore and I was always going eyesore
as well, and I just yeah, they missed out on
a lot. But now I'm living a normal life again.
I'm doing simple things like going.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
To the gym. I'm seeking through.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
The night and just going out for walks and enjoying
like simple pleasures and it's filed so good.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
So honestly, it's such a pleasure to see you because
I saw how desperate you were before you left, and
looking at you now, it's I feel like it's a
relief for me. And you know, we've only known each
other for a little while, but I think I thank
Goodness for that because I've had a few bouts of
bad exper in my life, and I know you do.
You become so desperate. So when you look back at
(09:37):
those pictures now, is it hard to comprehend the state
you got in?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Yeah? I look back at them and I'm like, when
do they get through that? Like, I just don't even
know how I did it.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
I'm my gosh, and I find it quite triggering seeing
some of the photos and I'm just like, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
How I got through those days and those nights. Okay,
Yeah that was pretty half.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
I just pushed on and yeah, I tried to say positive,
and I'm soad I did because look at me now,
I'm like back to living a normal life and I'm
happy again, and yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
It's good.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
And to think there is a machine that is the
solution to this, do you think? Do you think there's
lots of people in New Zealand sitting there right now
with terrible symptoms, in the same position as you, just
not knowing what to do.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
I've had people reach out to me on social media
since doing the first podcast with you, and they've asked questions,
and just since sharing my story, so many people have said, oh,
my goodness, I'm experiencing the exact same thing that you've
been experiencing.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
And I've been using those creams and it's awful and
it sucks because it's not an easy fix.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
What did they say to you in terms of your
long term prognosis and ability to stay the way you are?
Speaker 4 (10:52):
So when I had my consultation with them, they said,
without path and treatment, based off the steroid usage I you,
they see that I was stalking out around twenty years
without the treatment and with cat fel like it will
speed it up by five really, so they see, You've
just got to keep keep capping and follow the protocol
(11:16):
as feces.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
As you can.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
You know, you know, limit your erison's exposure, make sure
your home is a safe environment, like there's no chemicals
in the home, and you know, vacuum regularly and just
keep it clean. And I mean I've done that and
I'm living a yeah, a good life.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
One of the things that I remember learning when I
got my autoimmune disease before I was diagnosed, and I
was in a lot of pain because I now know
I was an organ failure, and it just feels like
there's no end in sight and that no one can
help you. And for me, that was quite a big
realization because I don't think I quite realized that there
(11:54):
are people out there that live like that, in chronic
pain for days and weeks and months and years on it.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Did you feel like that, Yeah, it was awful.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
I tried so many things, and I constantly, you know,
I'd try one thing and then that didn't work, and
then I'd try another, and I was constantly researching and
looking at what I could do because the doctors weren't helpful.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
That was just like, it's extreme excellent, But I'm like,
it's not X MEU, this is different. I've paid X
men before.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
This is completely different, and you know, I had to
be my own advocate, like no one.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Was going to save me, Like I had to save myself.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Really as corny as it sounds, but yeah, I was
rapped when I came across exling it because they specialize
in topical story withdrawal and they've had been to your
years of experience in that field, so that really the
most knowledgeable people in the world about it. So I
was in the best place I could really be and
it was so good. They did lots of picturial so
(12:50):
they brought us a lot about p SW and how
to take care of our skin, and yeah, it was incredible,
just like that knowledge alone was really helpful.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
I bet would you like to see that treatment or
a clinic open here in New Zealand?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Oh, one hundred percent. You know it would be life saving.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
It would help so many people because it's it's not
easy to pack up your life and go overseas to
receive the treatment.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
A lot of people weren't in that position.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
And I was just so lucky that I had the
support and that I was able to make it work.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
And what does life look like for you now? I
mean you've told us a little bit about being able
to go to all of these milestones that you were
missing out on. Do you feel like your attitude towards
your life has changed now totally?
Speaker 4 (13:33):
It changed so much. I'm so grateful. I wake up
in the morning and.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
I have a good sleep. I just wake up happy,
and I'm like, this is so good.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
I just sleep through the night and I'm off at
the gym and I'm able to see friends and hang
out with people. And I've just recently this summer taken
up surfing.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
Oh thank you, myself had to surf. It's been really fun.
I've been fun learning a new hobby.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
And I went the other day on Monday, and I
was just in the water, on my own in the water,
and I was like just taking it in, and I
was like, this time last year, I would have probably
not believed it if soon told me you'd be out
here in the ocean doing this.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
And I was just gritting because I was so happy.
I'm like, this is awesome.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Well, Becky, this is just the best news. And I hoped,
like hopes that when we spoke to you last that
this would work, and just to see you obviously has worked,
and to see how desperate you were and I'm just
so thankful for you, and I'm actually thankful for any
keywis that are listening to this that could be in
the same position and now it's given them a bit
(14:33):
of hope as to what they could do moving forward.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Yeah, saying here and just sharing the awareness of it
and just the side effect that these creams can have
on people, just spreading their awareness so people don't use them.
But there is up there is there is a solution
if you have got the condition, there is an incredible
solution and it's now in Balley as I've opened up
(14:56):
a clinic in Bali.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
The treatments here, it's in Singapore. The UK has it
in Thailand.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
I did want to say thanks to everyone who got
behind me and supported me as well on with the
fun thing to get there.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
That was incredible and yeah, everyone was.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So kind amazing. Well, thank you so much and all
the best with that surfing.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
You're welcome, Thank you, thanks for listening to We need
to talk. Get in contact with us on Instagram at
we need to talk with Tony Street or email we
need to talk at Costonline dot co dot nz
Welcome, So we need to talk Tony Street's Lifestyle and
Wellness podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Hello, welcome to We need to Talk. It's great to
have you with us. Now we're revisiting an episode we
did last year about topical steroid withdrawal. Now, you might
remember Becky Butchery who was at a WIT's end after
four years of reacting badly to steroids, including symptoms like redness, burning, sensation, itchiness, peeling.
It got so bad that she had to explore treatment
(00:29):
options overseas.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
My skin was just weeping and oozing.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
I was breaking up duck and my pillow because my
face and yeah, and that's kind of then I made
the cause, like I need to stop these steroids so
they're not even holpen and you know, I can need
to go through the withdrawal from them.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
And here I am four and a half years later
to hoe through it.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
But there is a bit of a glimmer of hope. Right,
So you found somewhere you can go, Yes, Sony, the.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Treatments Center overseason Thailand. Unfortunately they don't do this treatment here.
It's called cat therapy. It's a really effective treatment for
top called story withdrawal. And I've spoken to a number
of people, and I've all said it's changed their lives
and they've got their lives back from it.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Becky is now back and we are eager to know
whether it has all worked.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Now.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I'm looking at you on zoom and you are looking
so good. Not just your skin, but you look like
you've got your spark back.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
I do. Life is so good.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Tell us how the treatment went and where you're at
now compared to where we left you.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Oh, so the treatment went really well.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
So after I spoke with you last year, I went
off to Thailand, the Bangkok, and I received cap treatment
for the withdrawal, the Steerreid withdrawal, and it's the big
thing I've ever done.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
It was so worth it.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
I was there for just over four months, and yeah,
it's give me my life back.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
It's a big chunk out of your life to just
leave the country for four months to go and get treatment.
How did you cope with that time away?
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Too?
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Honest, it didn't really bother me.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
I had been stuck in a prison really for years,
and for me, I just knew I was.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
Going to get relief getting there.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
So I was so excited just to get there and
to start the treatment and every day, every week I
was getting better and I was seeing the results, so,
which was great.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Can you just remind me, remind us all, remind us
of the state you were in before you left.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Oh, so maskin was a wreck from the steroids.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
It was weeping, it was cracked, it was dry, it
was blaking.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
It was just so sore and I just had rashes everywhere.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
I wasn't sleeping and it just sucked, like life sucked.
And I was at the point where I was desperate,
which is why I went over ceased to get the treatment.
And within the first couple of treatments, I started noticing
a difference. I started sleeping better, that it decreased and
it was just healing by the week.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Well what sort of treatment did they do? Because you
kind of feel like, why do we not have this here?
Why do you have to go to Thailand to get
this done?
Speaker 4 (03:09):
We don't have it in New Zealand at the moment,
which is a bummer.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
So the treatment is cold atmosphere of plasma.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
So it's a non invasive treatment and it uses like
a machine that they plug in and into the wall
and it uses oxygen and somehow derives the plasma and
it's like.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
A wand and they put it over your skin.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
It's what it does is it increases your cell turnover
rate and it helps with infection, so it kills like
fungal infections and different infections on the skin, which is
really common with diroid withdrawal, and helps the information. It
just feeds up the healing massively.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
And so what did that look like for you on
the daily? How many sessions of this did you have
to have?
Speaker 3 (03:55):
So I do one.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
Session a week, and I'd have to isolate for borty
eight hours after each session because it makes your skin
more sensitive, so you have to kind of stay indoors
to avoid any anything landing on the skin really because
then that could create flares and infection.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
So that's kind of how that looked.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
And then really for the first ten weeks, my skin
because it was so sensitive, like part of the protocol
is to stay indoors as much as you can really
to avoid arrothants getting on the skin. We get out
and about and bangpock is quite polluted, so you don't
really want to.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Be out there and your skin is so vulnerable.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
So my weeks so we're looking, Yeah, just treatment really resting,
looking after the skin and treating infections and that.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
How did you cope with being idle for that amount
of time and largely staying indoors? What did you do
to keep yourself occupied?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
It wasn't too bad so after the treatment because it
wakes up the treatment wakes up all of your skin cells,
so you're really tired because you know it's using lot
the energy. So the first kind of day you quite sleep,
your sleep a bit. Then the rest of the time
I just worked on my business really, so I worked
a bit remotely, which was quite helpful. It gave me
something to do, and I just kind of cruised, cruise
(05:12):
around the apartment cleaned.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
That's actually quite nice. It's quite mindful, right, just taking
a bit of time out.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I did lots of reading as well, read.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
A few books, and yeah, watched a little bit of Netflix.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
But it was quite cool.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Another person receiving treatment was staying in the same building
as me, so we became quite good buddies and we
would hang out and have our meals together.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
And just chat away, which was quite nice to have.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
The friendship was that buddy in the same position that
it had been steroid use that had led to this
withdrawal symptom.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
So she was from Canada, so she had been in
the same boat as me, and she went to get
treatment too.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Has it worked for her?
Speaker 4 (05:54):
It has, Yeah, but she's still struggling a little bit
because she lives in the area in Canada which is
very cold and dry, so it's not the best climate
for yeah, for the condition.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
So you're there for four months and they do this therapy.
At what point in that four months did you start
to see things get better?
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (06:13):
Honestly, about week three four, things were so much better.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
I started sleeping.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
Through the night, which I hadn't done for years. And
then by week I'll say week five six, my skin
was looking like so much better. I was almost presenting
quite normally. And then by around week the end twelve,
I was looking really good.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
And then you came back to New Zealand And how
has it stayed like that?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I ended up purchasing a machine from the clinic.
Speaker 4 (06:41):
I needed more treatment and I wasn't in a position
to stay overseas, and I was a bit nervous.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
To come home because I didn't want to regress.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
So I purchased a machine and I'm still treating myself weekly.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Now I just treat myself from home. That's great.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
And if you compare where you were at before you
left to where you are now, you had any dips
in that time, I did.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
I headed it when I got back. So the first
kind of four or five weeks were okay, and then
I regret and I hate to kind of work out
what was causing the issue, so I hate to hear
a bit of investigating around home. And then I worked
out that I work in my garage when I would
(07:24):
peck quorders for my business, and the dust mites and
irritance in there, so I had kind of I went
down south to see my sister and my skin came
right and I was like, oh, so it's definitely something
at home.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
And then I was like, I wonder if it's a garage.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
So then I went in the garage and then I
came out and I noticed I was irritated and it
was affecting me. So then I got this, I cover
up when I'll go on the garage now, so I
put this like Bellcama.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Thing over my face and we're long.
Speaker 4 (07:51):
So when I'll go in there, my skin was fine,
and that was the Yeah, that was the dip that
I had, but I worked out the treasure.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Yeah, the trigger and it's sweet.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
Now.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Isn't that crazy though, that your skin is so sensitive
to things like just going into your garage. Was your
skin always like that or was that just after the
steeroid use, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
After steid use.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Like, I've always been sensitive to environmental things like grass
and animals and stuff, but not to this degree. Yeah,
this was post treatment. Sorry posts the steroid usage, because
it's in my skin so much so I just makes
you more sensitive to.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Things you're listening to.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
We need to talk with Tony Street.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
How has your life changed from getting this treatment?
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Oh, it's been the best thing ever. I've got my
life back. I'm back living a normal life. I've lived
a normal summer for the first time in years, like
having camping with my family. I've been able to attend
friends weddings. I've been able to tend weddings and the
hens dows and birthdays and like previously, I missed out
on so many of those things because I couldn't attend them.
(08:56):
I was so sore and I was always going eyesore
as well, and I just yeah, they missed out on
a lot. But now I'm living a normal life again.
I'm doing simple things like going.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
To the gym. I'm seeking through.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
The night and just going out for walks and enjoying
like simple pleasures and it's filed so good.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
So honestly, it's such a pleasure to see you because
I saw how desperate you were before you left, and
looking at you now, it's I feel like it's a
relief for me. And you know, we've only known each
other for a little while, but I think I thank
Goodness for that because I've had a few bouts of
bad exper in my life, and I know you do.
You become so desperate. So when you look back at
(09:37):
those pictures now, is it hard to comprehend the state
you got in?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Yeah? I look back at them and I'm like, when
do they get through that? Like, I just don't even
know how I did it.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
I'm my gosh, and I find it quite triggering seeing
some of the photos and I'm just like, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
How I got through those days and those nights. Okay,
Yeah that was pretty half.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
I just pushed on and yeah, I tried to say positive,
and I'm soad I did because look at me now,
I'm like back to living a normal life and I'm
happy again, and yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
It's good.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
And to think there is a machine that is the
solution to this, do you think? Do you think there's
lots of people in New Zealand sitting there right now
with terrible symptoms, in the same position as you, just
not knowing what to do.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
I've had people reach out to me on social media
since doing the first podcast with you, and they've asked questions,
and just since sharing my story, so many people have said, oh,
my goodness, I'm experiencing the exact same thing that you've
been experiencing.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
And I've been using those creams and it's awful and
it sucks because it's not an easy fix.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
What did they say to you in terms of your
long term prognosis and ability to stay the way you are?
Speaker 4 (10:52):
So when I had my consultation with them, they said,
without path and treatment, based off the steroid usage I you,
they see that I was stalking out around twenty years
without the treatment and with cat fel like it will
speed it up by five really, so they see, You've
just got to keep keep capping and follow the protocol
(11:16):
as feces.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
As you can.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
You know, you know, limit your erison's exposure, make sure
your home is a safe environment, like there's no chemicals
in the home, and you know, vacuum regularly and just
keep it clean. And I mean I've done that and
I'm living a yeah, a good life.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
One of the things that I remember learning when I
got my autoimmune disease before I was diagnosed, and I
was in a lot of pain because I now know
I was an organ failure, and it just feels like
there's no end in sight and that no one can
help you. And for me, that was quite a big
realization because I don't think I quite realized that there
(11:54):
are people out there that live like that, in chronic
pain for days and weeks and months and years on it.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Did you feel like that, Yeah, it was awful.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
I tried so many things, and I constantly, you know,
I'd try one thing and then that didn't work, and
then I'd try another, and I was constantly researching and
looking at what I could do because the doctors weren't helpful.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
That was just like, it's extreme excellent, But I'm like,
it's not X MEU, this is different. I've paid X
men before.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
This is completely different, and you know, I had to
be my own advocate, like no one.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Was going to save me, Like I had to save myself.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Really as corny as it sounds, but yeah, I was
rapped when I came across exling it because they specialize
in topical story withdrawal and they've had been to your
years of experience in that field, so that really the
most knowledgeable people in the world about it. So I
was in the best place I could really be and
it was so good. They did lots of picturial so
(12:50):
they brought us a lot about p SW and how
to take care of our skin, and yeah, it was incredible,
just like that knowledge alone was really helpful.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
I bet would you like to see that treatment or
a clinic open here in New Zealand?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Oh, one hundred percent. You know it would be life saving.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
It would help so many people because it's it's not
easy to pack up your life and go overseas to
receive the treatment.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
A lot of people weren't in that position.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
And I was just so lucky that I had the
support and that I was able to make it work.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
And what does life look like for you now? I
mean you've told us a little bit about being able
to go to all of these milestones that you were
missing out on. Do you feel like your attitude towards
your life has changed now totally?
Speaker 4 (13:33):
It changed so much. I'm so grateful. I wake up
in the morning and.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
I have a good sleep. I just wake up happy,
and I'm like, this is so good.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
I just sleep through the night and I'm off at
the gym and I'm able to see friends and hang
out with people. And I've just recently this summer taken
up surfing.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
Oh thank you, myself had to surf. It's been really fun.
I've been fun learning a new hobby.
Speaker 4 (13:54):
And I went the other day on Monday, and I
was just in the water, on my own in the water,
and I was like just taking it in, and I
was like, this time last year, I would have probably
not believed it if soon told me you'd be out
here in the ocean doing this.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
And I was just gritting because I was so happy.
I'm like, this is awesome.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Well, Becky, this is just the best news. And I hoped,
like hopes that when we spoke to you last that
this would work, and just to see you obviously has worked,
and to see how desperate you were and I'm just
so thankful for you, and I'm actually thankful for any
keywis that are listening to this that could be in
the same position and now it's given them a bit
(14:33):
of hope as to what they could do moving forward.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Yeah, saying here and just sharing the awareness of it
and just the side effect that these creams can have
on people, just spreading their awareness so people don't use them.
But there is up there is there is a solution
if you have got the condition, there is an incredible
solution and it's now in Balley as I've opened up
(14:56):
a clinic in Bali.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
The treatments here, it's in Singapore. The UK has it
in Thailand.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
I did want to say thanks to everyone who got
behind me and supported me as well on with the
fun thing to get there.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
That was incredible and yeah, everyone was.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
So kind amazing. Well, thank you so much and all
the best with that surfing.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
You're welcome, Thank you, thanks for listening to We need
to talk. Get in contact with us on Instagram at
we need to talk with Tony Street or email we
need to talk at Costonline dot co dot nz
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