[pct-l] Nose Bleeds and Cracked Thumbs

[River Malcolm]

Hello David,

I am also a section hiker in an “advanced state of youth” as we like to say ..

Luckier than you, I’ve retired (in 2013) and been able to hike in 1 and 2 month chunks and I share
Scott’s wisdom that the first week is the toughest.

I found aloe vera helped both nose bleed and hemorrhoids this time ( I also carry an extra blistex lip protection in my “poop pack" that I use on that sensitive membrane around the anus when it gets irritated — helps with hemorrhoid discomfort but I use aloe when I can, just less convenient). Basically soothed. Mostly it took time.

Cracked thumbs have been a regular problem for me, though they usually don’t kick in til week 3 or 4.
This time I did several things: in addition to sunscreen, I used blistex lip protection frequently on my thumbs,
used Burt Bees hand repair cream, but most importantly I think used antibiotic cream and athlete’s foot cream.
I think that fungus leap into these thumb cracks the way we hikers leap into a clear lake on a hot summer day, and bacteria too, and then the cracks can’t heal.
Anyway, the combo of antibiotic and athlete’s foot actually kept my thumbs intact.

Hope it helps. Keep on hiking. Happy Trails.

Riv


On Thu, Sep 10, at Sep 10  10:00, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> On Wed, Sep 9, 2015 at 6:06 PM, David Hough on pct-l <
> pcnst2001 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> 
>> In 1976 I was planning/fantasizing about a northbound through hike in
>> 1977.     I went to work to pay off
>> my school debts instead, and missed my chance to join the class of 1977
>> immortals.
>> 
>> Since then, six days is about as long as I have attempted, while getting
>> older and remaining employed full
>> time, and each time I have been in such bad shape afterward that I
>> wondered if I could have finished
>> 
>> a through hike even in my salad days.
>> 
>> I managed to find a combination of pills and procedures to avoid the
>> digestive problems of my last long trips,
>> but this time the worst after-effect is the pain in my fingers and hands
>> and feet from cracked calluses
>> and disgusting bloody news from my nose.     I don't dare take any aspirin
>> for fear of encouraging the nose
>> or even worse the hemorrhoids.       Yet people, even old people like me,
>> do through hikes every year.
>> 
>> So any suggestions about the nose problem?    The Rough Fire smoke
>> probably didn't help, but the problem
>> persisted after I was out of the smoke.
>> 
>> 
>> For dry skin and calluses, there's lots of potions one can apply, and
>> super glue for cracked callus
>> emergencies, but in a dry dusty environment I hate to
>> do anything which helps the dirt stick better to my skin and gear.   I
>> need to do something though.
>> My thumbs are so cracked that it's painful to type this.
>> ______________