Country Chatter

To read… Actinic Keratosis – Part 1  (Days 1-15 of treatment)

Day 16:  And just when I thought he couldn’t look any worse….over night he does! He tries to stay out of the store as much as possible but it can not be totally avoided.  He is not embarrassed by how he looks but feels like he is a white elephant in the room. His approach has been to just tell people what is going on and that will usually opens a good, sympathetic, “I feel your pain” conversation.   Some people will ask what is going on, some will look and not ask, and some will ask me!  He is so ready to feel like he is over the hump and on the downhill side of the mountain he has climbed.  It is amazing to discover how many people have had this treatment or know someone who has.

We are amazed at how these pictures make his face look better than it really is. I can’t capture the deep, purple-red, puffiness!  And all these years I thought camera made me look worse than I thought I looked!!!  How ironic!

His face really hurts today and it is making him feel bad.  He can not stand any ointment or lotion that has alcohol in it.  The pharmacy does not have any sunscreen lotion here in March and he can not stand to be outside even if the sun is not directly shining on his face.  He is suppose to protect his face from sun with sunscreen even in a vehicle and wear a wide brim hat.

Day 17:  Today was a rough day and Gene did not feel well at all.  His face was puffy and hurts; there just was not much relief.  It was good that today was Sunday and there was no work pressure. He was able to lay on the sofa and take it easy.

Day 18: He feels like he is finally over the hump!  He had a good night’s rest and woke up without a headache. Some of the angry redness seems to be lessening.  One of his big challenges has been what to put on his face for relief.  The skin feels tight and brittle.  It is basically like a terrible sunburn. A & D Ointment has worked the best. Neosporin has helped but it makes him look like a greased pig.  Everything else seems to set his face on fire. Most lotions and ointments have alcohol in them. Because of the “heat” in his face the ointments tend to melt off his face and he has to continually dap up the grease!

Today a display of “The Naked Bee” supplies that he ordered at a recent Purina expo came into our store.  It is an assortment of hand and body moisturizing lotions,  chap stick, soap, and salve made from Orange Blossom honey. He decided to try the lotion on his face. It was almost instant relief to his face with non of the greasiness, residue or burning of other lotions.  By the end of the day his face was even looking a tiny bit better.  He is now starting to peel, but this is good. It means the damage skin is starting to slough away and  I am seeing glimpses of ‘pink” skin underneath!!!

Now for a commercial on The Naked Bee.  And the good part…we sell it in the store!!!

On the product it says…”All the good stuff” (70% Certified Organic).  It has a mild but pleasant, citrus smell. In reading the below list it is easy to see why this is working!

• Organic Aloe and Sunflower Oil helps restore, heal, promote healthy skin.
• Green & White Tea extracts protect skin from oxidative stress.
• Honey is antibacterial, moisturizing and nutritive for all skin types.
• Hyaluronic acid, a powerful hydrator that smoothes and softens skin.
• Spirulina, concentrated nutrients for skin conditioning and detoxification.
• Ph balanced, Hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic.

“None of the bad stuff”

• Paraben-free.
• No propylene glycol.
• Gluten-free.
• No drying alcohol.
• No dyes or pigments.
• No mineral oil.
• No EDTA.
• Phthalate-free fragrance.

Part III: Days 21-24