I bet that title got your attention, didn’t it? 😊 Well, get your mind out of the gutter, this is a family-friendly blog, depending on how weird your family is.
I have been using a CPAP machine for almost a month now, and as I shared with you before, I was surprised at how easily I was able to adjust to it. Going in, I was absolutely convinced that I could never sleep with that darn thing, but it turns out it has not been all that bad. And the benefit is I’m not waking up gasping for breath or keeping Terry awake all night with my snoring.
However, I was experiencing one drawback. The skin at the opening of my nostrils was getting very sore. I’m not sure if that was because of the mask rubbing against it when I sleep on my side or the air flowing through. People in different online Facebook CPAP user groups had different opinions about what was causing the problem, but it does not seem to be all that uncommon.
Several suggestions were made for remedies, including Lansinoh Lanolin Nipple Cream. As the name implies, it is a product for breastfeeding mothers. Lanolin is a waxy substance naturally produced as a protective barrier for sheep’s wool and is used in everything from eye cream to lip balm, dry skin lotion, medicated shampoos, and mustache wax, and it’s very effective. Have you ever seen a sheep with chapped lips?
I had a friend that used to work servicing forklifts, and one of the factories he called on refined lanolin. He said after every shift, the mechanics would roll up their sleeves and stick their arms down into a barrel of lanolin, and their skin always was as soft and supple as a child’s.
Terry ordered me a tube of the cream from Amazon, and I started rubbing it on my nose a couple of times a day. By the second day, all the irritation was gone and I was a happy camper, thanks to my nipple cream! This is really good stuff.
And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.
Be sure to enter our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Big Lake Blizzard, the fourth book in my Big Lake mystery series. To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with U.S. addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed.
Thought For The Day – How did we get here? Booze and bad decisions, that is how we got here, my friend.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
I might have to try the nipple cream for my nostrils. I have been on supplemental oxygen for nearly three years and there are times that the nasal cannula, combined with the flow of oxygen, just dries out and tears up my nostrils. I tried saline gel, recommended by my O2 company, but obviously, putting salt on open sores was not helpful. Petroleum products (like Vaseline) are not recommended, due to both it and the O2 being flammable. I have used a natural K-Y jelly, but that has a weird “feel” in the nose (I’m sure it works well for what most people would use it 😉). Thank you for the lanolin idea.
Nick, I have used a CPAP for many years and have upgraded to and new one that is cellular equiped to give result that I have been using it. Medi Care will not pay if your don’t use it. I did have trouble when I started and changed to a nosepiece that has pillows that give air and if you have the head piece too tight you will have a sore nose. After adjustments on the two small width head bands all was good. Good luck on getting comfy with the CPAP!