Broadly, writers are people who write. Good writers portray an image or an idea. But have you ever wondered, “What is the inspiration,” for something you read? When you read over the work someone has penned onto paper do you envision how long a word was painstakingly pondered before finally placed in the sentence structure? Was it the correct word or would another one been a better fit?
I don’t know the answer to these questions, and I most certainly don’t profess to be a writer, but I had the great privilege of speaking with a gal who is writing her first fictional work on Tuesday. And, that short chat had me sharing with her a piece of my journal from the Continental Divide Trail. Those few moments of conversation are the inspiration for this blog on blister care.
Journal Entry – Tuesday, May 16, 2006
The pain in my heal pads had generally subsided but the stretching of my toe skin continued to be problematic though not necessarily painful. What I did find disconcerting was the thumb sized white mass on the bottom of my left foot beneath my big and second toe. On the other foot I also had a blister between the big and second toe but those had been problems time and time again in my hiking career. It was the white mass that concerned me.
This was the moment of dread and impending pain. First, I removed the needle from my first aid kit and stuck it through the blister on my right foot. The pain of a popped blister cannot be over exaggerated. It hurts with a burning and stinging sensation that can drop a grown man to his knees. Luckily, the pain is brief.
Now, for the left foot. I noticed a small affair growing near the blister but on the inside of the other toe. Popped that one with the same painful result. It had come time to contend with the big blister (again, these were blisters between the toes, the webbing part and moving down to the ball of my foot). Further investigation found that the outer layer blister had popped. With little thought (or I would have never done it) I plunged the needle rather deep into the blister beneath the blister. I kid you not; I heard a pop and then a squirt and explosion much akin to a cut artery only this wasn’t blood but a pusy goo matter. I all but screamed. Laurel had this stricken look on her face and walked away hunched over as if she was going to throw up her auspicious cous cous and tuna lunch. I begin laughing because it is ohhhhh so disgusting but I swear my foot began to immediately deflate and felt better.
To begin, the above may not necessarily be the correct way for managing blisters.
Blisters are caused by friction against the skin forcing layers of the skin to pull apart. The body reacts by secreting water into the trauma area. What begins as a “hot spot” will grow into a water filled blister or bleb (a fluid filled blister) if unattended to. This is the suggested procedure for any hot spot. Ignore the hot spot? Well, what follows is treatment of a blister. As a note, you may never need these directions if you take precautions to prevent blisters from forming!
Hot Spot (a sore, red spot)
• Remove the sock and boot and apply tape over the hot spot
• Redress the foot – check for sock and boot fit
Blister
• Clean the blister area with soap and water
• Drain the blister by making small holes around the base with a sterile needle
• Gently compress the blister to force out the fluid
• Surround the blister with padding, moleskin, second skin, etc.
• Fill the well created by the blister dressing with antibiotic ointment to protect the fragile skin and minimize friction
• Cover the blister area and padding with tape
• Redress the foot – check for sock and boot fit
• Clean daily and monitor for signs of infection