Charlotte's Brain Tumour Journey Diagnosis to Death: 951 days Age 19 18.2.97 - 24.2016 Steroids The steroids changed my body in ways I found incredibly difficult to cope with. I gained around two stones. My face became swollen and bloated, and my body changed so quickly that I hardly recognised myself. My clothes stopped fitting properly. I couldn't button some of the clothes I had once loved wearing, and I became very conscious of how I looked. I was already dealing with hair loss and all the other visible signs of having cancer. Now I was gaining weight as well. I hated looking in the mirror. I was only 16, and like any other teenage girl, I cared about how I looked. I wanted to wear nice clothes. I wanted to feel attractive. I wanted to look like the other girls around me. Instead, I felt as though the steroids were changing me into someone I didn't recognise. People could see that I was ill. I couldn't hide it anymore. The steroids were helping to control the swelling in my brain, but they came with a price that was very difficult for me to deal with. I knew they were part of my treatment. I knew I needed them. But knowing that didn't make it any easier to look at myself in the mirror. I just wanted my old body back. I wanted to look like me again. I wanted to feel like a normal teenage girl. Instead, I was learning that cancer could change far more than just your health. It could change the way you see yourself.  charlottesbag.org/ We are a  self-funding brain tumour charity. 100% of every donation goes directly to brain tumour research in Charlotte’s Lab at King’s College Hospital, London. No salaries. No overheads. No advertising. No merchandise.