GUEST BLOG by an Itchy Advocate, I hope that you find some solace in this family’s story.

Holidays are something to look forward to, a time to relax and enjoy family time. When your child has eczema though, holidays can cause a lot of anxiety. My last holiday lasted only 24 hours before I was heading straight to A&E after my son’s eczema got infected. I gave myself a little slack for feeling apprehensive before my family break this year.

The week before I am due to leave my familiar surroundings, I start to feel very tense. The unknowns start to play in my mind, different food, different environment and of course – the S word – Swimming. I feel like one of the preppers on the National Geographic channel as I start to fill up my car. Our own bedding, an air filter, a rucksack full of creams, Allergy medicines and enough food and safe snacks for the week. My son, although only 5 had the biggest bag – plenty pyjamas, as anyone knows when you go to bed in cream, they are a one wear item.

On holiday my wife and I split up (just for the night), one of us sleeps in the same room as my son. We have lots of activities planned and as many parents of children with eczema will know, the itch tends to be worse at night. We really don’t want a tired boy for holiday; staying in my son’s room means we can soothe him back to sleep as soon as he gets disturbed.

I wish I could book the activities and just look forward to seeing my son enjoy them, reality is though I am thinking about which activities will need what skin maintenance. Tennis and football will be hot, but a change of top should be fine. The tree top adventure means a harness – not sure how this one will go down. I find myself feeling quite jealous of the other dads, smiling as they watch their children go down the zipline, not worrying what their skin might be like by the time they have two feet back on the ground. I know it is not good to feel that way, but it is hard not to feel jealous sometimes.

Then swim time, this is the activity that makes me most nervous. I had to stop my son’s swimming lessons last year due to effect it had on his skin, but I know his skin is stronger now. I greased him up in emollient before we enter the pool. I try and make it fun and say it will make us extra fast down the flumes, but how I wish I didn’t need to do this. We spend 2 hours in the pool. I checked before that the showers were unchlorinated, and I wash him with special shower gel. I grease him up again and breathe a sigh of relief. Bar some red cheeks from the heat, I think he is okay.

We go swimming every day, sadly his skin does start to deteriorate, the change from hot water to cold, to being wet then dry, the friction of the slides takes its toll on his sensitive skin. I have a dilemma. Last day of our holiday he is begging me to go swimming one last time. Part of me just wants to get him home, back to our familiar routine. However, that would mean letting his eczema stop him from having fun. Clearly, he hasn’t thought about his eczema once whilst swimming, I reluctantly relent and decide to risk it.

We spend two hours in the pool on our last day. He is greased up and flying down the slides laughing and smiling more than I have seen in a long time. I watch him climb to the top of the big flume and whizz down. I feel just like the other dads near me, smiling, content, happy, full of love, watching my son enjoy his holiday– No worries.

REMINDER: “The greatest moments in life aren’t the ones without worries, but rather the ones where we push beyond them and find joy.”

Thank you to this family for sharing their story, if you too are struggling and would like to connect with this family please send me a DM here or email.

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