Stephen Schroeder

At first, it was just an itch. Annoying. Persistent. Unrelenting. It was the kind of itch that keeps you awake at night, demanding to be scratched. I chalked it up to jock itch, grabbed an over-the-counter cream, and expected relief. Instead, it got worse. Weeks turned into months. The itch became a slow burn, then a raw, searing irritation spreading across my groin. The more I scratched, the…