Alligator Skin

Recently we have been trying to solve the problem of REALLY dry skin. Skin that looks like alligator skin. He had tried to ignore it ---- until a nurse told him that the skin is a barrier for infection, and by ignoring it he was inviting infection. That got his attention when I had not been able to!

A few weeks ago I bought a hand-held motorized brush called Prox, made by Olay. I got it at Costco for about $37. It came with two brush heads and a tube of exfoliating cream. My real purpose was to use it on my face so see if it would make my skin look better and perhaps make some of my wrinkles less apparent. Well, I've fallen in love with it. I remembered that I had a jar of Clinique exfoliant cream, so I got that out and used it on my legs and arms (and often on my face too, in place of the Olayl cream).

Last week I was able to persuade my husband to try it on his legs. His legs are so dry that I find large pieces of skin on the bedroom carpet. After you use the brush and cream, your skin is able to absorb moisturizing cream better for the pores are more open. Yesterday he sat on the edge of our big bathtub and I scrubbed his legs for him and then rubbed in a LOT of Cetaphil cream. And while we were at it he soaked his feet and I gave him a pedicure.

Even he admits that it has made his skin feel much better. I'm not embarrassed to have the nurses and doctor see his legs any more. And he feels better.

Later in the week we're going to use it on his head too.

So one problem that seemed insurmountable has been solved. The secret seems to have been to remove the dead skin. Just applying cream to the dead skin was hopeless.

What are Your Biggest Problems?

As I start this blog, I want to respond to the problems you are having also. So while I'm getting started, I hope you will jump in and ask questions. I can't promise to answer every day, but I'll do my best.

Sharing Secrets

After helping my husband live with peritoneal dialysis for a year and a half, I realize that there are many challenges that aren't well covered in the forums on the commercial sites related to dialysis. Dry skin. How to avoid wild weight swings. Eating out. Recipes that don't cause problems. Traveling. Keeping records. Preparing for an unexpected hospitalization.

I love to cook. And we both like to eat. But the salt restraints have become a big issue. I can either cook at home, using no processed foods, or I can cook using some processed foods, or we can eat at a restaurant and take our chances. Since I don't always have the time and energy to cook everything without any processed foods, I hope to give you here the brand names of some of the foods that have become favorites as I adapt or develop recipes.