My feet

I've stopped throwing up long enough to sit and type for a while. In fact, I even ate a meal today. YAY.

While I was sitting in front of the TV vegging out, I noticed that my blanket was sticking to my foot. I hate that. I am not sure if I've mentioned it before, but I have an extreme form of keratosis piloris which is known as keratosis vulgaris. Yes, you read that right, my keratosis is so bad, it's vulgar.

Keratosis presents as a bumpy, dry and often red spottyness on the dryer parts of your body (arms, legs, places that don't really sweat). It's supposed to go away as you get older. Mine has actually become worse as I've grown older. When I was a kid, the other kids would tease me about my chicken skin. As it was not something I could control, I tended to not worry about it. But I can't think of a time in my life when I haven't been itchy because of my dry skin. And my keratosis isn't just on my arms and legs. I have it on my tummy, my chest, my back, my bum (she said bum, heeee), my face and my scalp. In the winter, I get it in my underarms. There is nothing worse than accidentally shaving open a patch of bumpy skin.

Anyhow, back to my feet. My feet, weirdly enough, are one of the few places on my body free of keratosis. They are excessively dry, but not bumpy. I try to remember to file the crap out of them every time I'm in the shower, but being alone with a two-year-old often limits shower times to 'dirty bits only'.

So tonight, I decided to take care of some foot bidness. I got my file from the bathroom, and sanded my feet for about 45 minutes. Dusted them off, slathered them up with bag balm* and put on a pair of socks. Other than being freezing cold, I've got some happy feets.

Now I just need to stay on top of the sanding so they don't crack and bleed. Ick.





*bag balm was originally marketed to farmer's for their cows. It says right on the tin 'for cracked teats'. I don't have cracked teats, but I have cracked feets. My father, who I inherited this mess from, swears by bag balm on the feet. I'm testing it out - it does have an antiseptic in it, so that will help with the crack that is already there - it's clean out any bacteria hanging out it in. I think it might have some lanolin in it too, but I can't be sure. Anyhow, I usually use body butter from body shop, or mary kay extra-emolient night cream on them, so we're breaking away from routine here.