Dry, cracked heels

[Guest guest]

A couple of weeks back, on a Friday night, my computer went on the

blink very suddenly. This was fairly convenient timing because it

allowed my oldest son and I to walk the roughly 3 1/2 miles to Best

Buy where we bought it, with a warranty. (For those who don't know,

I no longer have a car.) They informed me it would need to be sent

somewhere to be serviced and it would take about two weeks. So we

left it and walked home. We went yesterday to pick it up, again on

foot.

It took us 7 1/2 hours the first time, in part because I wrenched my

knee just as we left the Best Buy. So I limped badly the whole way

home. It also rained on us the entire time. Actually, when I got

home, got showered and began watching TV, I learned that it was a

really serious storm with flood watches, tornado warnings...etc.

Trees fell and there were power outages. My heels were more cracked

around the edges and there was pink, strange-looking skin above

that. Although I have had dry, cracked heels since childhood, for

the first time in my life it looked to me like some kind of skin

infection. But we have since been treating it like an infection:

topical treatments of diet tonic water and peroxide, hot and cold

treatments, soaking my feet in apple juice and salt water. My feet

are getting better.

After my walk Saturday (2 days ago) to pick up the computer -- which

took a mere 6 hours and ten minutes this time -- the bottom of my

feet hurt horribly. I crawled on hands and knees for the first few

hours I was home. Standing was too painful. Yet, there were no

visible marks to explain all the pain I was in. I had one small

blister. This didn't begin to explain why my feet hurt so badly

that I could hardly stand. My son had predicted beforehand that the

long walk would likely cause another die-off reaction by oxygenating

my feet. He also suggested that they were dry and cracked because

this infection feeds on the oils in my skin. He stated that when I

asked if I should try coconut oil topically. He said " No, that

would make it worse. It obviously feeds on the oils in your skin.

That's why they are dry and cracked. "

When we treat my feet, my feet smell like they died or something.

It's awful -- but more proof that this is due to some skin

infection. I am gradually walking faster than I have in years.

Treating my feet is part of why.

Sunday:

I pulled some of my " skin " off near the worst, deepest crack. This

is something I have done periodically since childhood and it doesn't

hurt. I had my son take the piece and flush it down the toilet. He

was grossed out, announced " That was NOT skin " and treated his hand

with peroxide, which did nothing. He coated his hand in dish soap

and that helped. I remarked that he had suffocated it using the

same method my sister had him use to kill some kind of burrowing

large insect in her yard many years ago. So we tried coating my

feet in dishsoap. Big reaction. We may be on to something. We are

also speculating that this seems to grow " on " the skin more like the

way coral or barnacles grow rather than like a typical infection.

Monday:

I slept well last night. I have slept poorly for at least a week.

I am beginning to wonder the long walk did NOT cause a die off of

the crud growing on my feet but, instead, caused it to bloom. Maybe

something else died but maybe this stuff got a lot worse. After

treating my feet with dish soap and then showering, I slept better

than I have in at least a week and possibly in over two weeks. I am

shocked at how much the crud on my feet seems to be affecting my

sleep. It also affects my lungs. Anytime we treat it successfully,

it causes me to cough. When we put the dish soap on it, I had a few

moments where I felt like I was suffocating. I have no idea how it

is causing that but this seems very significant given my lung

problems.

I just thought the above info might mean something to some folks

here. And, hey, if you actually have some clue how to more

effectively treat it, speak up!

Michele

http://www.healthgazelle.org

http://www.kidslikemine.org