Re: Skin Flaking & chap stick (Techno Deb)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/5/2004 10:51:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time, q.t@... writes:

3rd order of business....I will get together some operation stuff very soon...but I had applied to be on an Adventure Television Show about 10 months ago...and I am in a tizzy that they contacted me.So, be patient....I have to work hard and heal REALLY FAST!!!!!!!Joy

Joy,

Are you going to be on "fear factor" or "survivor" or some other reality show?

Jan

[Guest guest]

O.K. I couldn't take the ill-sounding name any longer (though I do

like the pink print) Since you are so technical about everything...I

am calling you Techno Deb!

Now get this, " Chap Stick " is a word like " Kleenex. " We just

meant get somthing soothing and moisturizing for the lips...Deb. You

are so technical! But while you are mentioning it, yes, the menthol

types are nice and I like a slight tint too! (hehe)

Next order of business.... the flaking of skin...I have come to

wonder if it isn't because they SWELL you up so much too, and not

only dry you out. Like I said, the day after surgery I weighed 10#

more and was SO PUFFY all over, face, hands swollen belly

everything. Well, the skin stretches and maybe kind of like a snake,

the top layer just sort of " gives loose " and flakes and peeles away.

I have peely skin everywhere...almost like I really was in Mexico

getting a sunburn on the beach (under my heated blanket)!

3rd order of business....I will get together some operation stuff

very soon...but I had applied to be on an Adventure Television Show

about 10 months ago...and I am in a tizzy that they contacted me.

So, be patient....I have to work hard and heal REALLY FAST!!!!!!!

Joy

> Actually, I think it's caused by the stuff they give you to " dry

you up " -- before any surgery they give you a drug that dries up your

saliva (to prevent aspiration while under anesthesia). Since they

even do this for NORMAL people (as in, people who actually have

peristaltic function!), I imagine they probably give weirdos like us

a quadruple dose of the stuff, simply b/c our risk of aspiration is

so much greater than the average person's risk.

>

> FWIW, I find that " lip balm " works better for me than " chap stick " -

- chap stick is waxy, and it's designed to create a barrier so that

moisture doesn't evaporate off the surface of your lips (think " suzy

chapstick " on the ski slopes). Since our post-surgical problem stems

from the fact that there's no moisture to START with on our lips (or

skin!), we need something that will add moisture back in, rather than

something that just keeps moisture (which isn't there to begin with)

from evaporating.

>

> I've been using " Softlips " by the Mentholatum company for years --

it's got menthol in it for a little " tingly " feeling (you can 'feel'

it working where it's needed) and it comes in great flavors (I'm

partial to the cherry). And of course there are others that

are " moisture treatments " rather than the waxy chap stick variety. I

like Softlips b/c it doesn't feel greasy, like petroleum-jelly

products, and it glides on smoothly even when it's cool (ever try to

put on cold chap stick?)

>

> Along those same lines, using a " 24 hour formula " moisturizing body

lotion the morning that you go to the hospital might help counteract

the drying effect on the skin, and maybe take a mild, oatmeal-based

lotion (aveeno, etc) to use afterwards.

>

> Joy, are you still working up a " list of suggestions/things to know

before you go for surgery " ??

>

> Debbi in Michigan aka Pepto-Deb

[Guest guest]

O.K. I couldn't take the ill-sounding name any longer (though I do like the pink print) Since you are so technical about everything...I am calling you Techno Deb!

LOL -- as long as you don't think I'm into "techno" music! :oP

Now get this, "Chap Stick" is a word like "Kleenex." We just meant get somthing soothing and moisturizing for the lips...Deb. You are so technical! But while you are mentioning it, yes, the menthol types are nice and I like a slight tint too! (hehe)

*I* know that and *you* know that, but I was just clarifying for those that aren't familiar w/ the gazillion different products on the market (some people don't go through barrels and barrels of lip goop like we do in this frozen tundra called Michigan!) And you're right, I *am* a very technical/literal person in groups such as this, mainly b/c I've found that it's so easy to misunderstand the written word in email or message board settings. I try to clarify, clarify, clarify, just so that I feel more confident that what I meant to say was what was interpreted. There have been times when people have gotten their feelings hurt (here and in other groups) b/c they "heard" something different than how it was "said", so as the years have gone on I've gotten wordier and wordier (Lord help us all ten years from now if I get any worse! LOL)<snipped swelling info b/c I haven't had a myotomy and didn't experience this w/ any of my past surgeries - but could very well be the case!>

3rd order of business....I will get together some operation stuff very soon...but I had applied to be on an Adventure Television Show about 10 months ago...and I am in a tizzy that they contacted me.So, be patient....I have to work hard and heal REALLY FAST!!!!!!!

That is so awesome, Joy! Keep us posted!

Techno Deb, who doesn't usually watch much reality tv, but will make an exception if Joy is on a show!!!!

[Guest guest]

Jan wrote... Joy,

> Are you going to be on " fear factor " or " survivor " or some other

reality show?

I think " Fear Factor " is dangerous but I have applied for every

season of " Survivor " since it started...and I can honestly say I am

a " Survivor Reject. " I actually sat there in my application video

and said that I prefer eating " non-hairy bugs...and ones without TOO

crunchy of shells. " Of course I didn't know for sure I had

Achalasia...but heck, I wasn't going to let that stop me.

To answer your question...it is neither and probably won't come to

fruition, but I live on pipe-dreams so it is exciting for the

moment......but I can't say anything....just in case....I don't want

to jinx my chances.

Joy