Hi, I'm Veronica, Scrachee's founder.
For a long time, I thought the hardest part of eczema was the itching. But looking back, I think the hardest part was feeling completely helpless.
When my son was going through Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW), there were moments when he scratched so intensely that I could actually hear his skin. I can still remember that sound. And if you've lived through something similar, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about.
It broke my heart.
I wanted to hold his hands.
To tell him to stop.
To beg him not to scratch anymore.
From the outside, it seemed so simple.
"Just stop scratching."
But I've since learned that it doesn't work that way.
The itch that comes with eczema isn't about a lack of willpower. When the skin is inflamed, itch signals keep firing over and over again. Scratching may bring temporary relief, but it can also trigger even more itch, creating a cycle that can feel impossible to break.
My son wasn't scratching because he wanted to.
He was scratching because his body was telling him to.
Understanding that changed everything for me.
Instead of fighting against him, I started asking a different question.
"How can I support him through this?"
Sometimes that meant preparing a colloidal oatmeal bath.
Sometimes it meant cool compresses.
Sometimes it meant distracting him.
And sometimes it simply meant sitting beside him on the hard days.
But if I'm completely honest, there was something else I struggled with.
The guilt.
That constant feeling that I wasn't doing enough. That if the flare-up was still there, I must be doing something wrong. That if he kept scratching, somehow I had failed him.
Over time, I realized something I wish someone had told me much sooner.
The itching doesn't mean you're failing.
A flare-up doesn't mean you're failing.
A hard day doesn't mean you're failing.
Eczema affects so much more than the skin. It affects sleep, emotions, patience, family dynamics, and even the way we see ourselves as parents.
And I think we need to talk about that more.
Because so often, the caregiver is hurting too.
Just quietly.
So if you need to hear this today...
It isn't your fault.
You don't have to do everything perfectly.
And even if it doesn't feel like enough right now, your presence, your love, and your effort matter so much more than you realize.
With love,
Veronica