Stop the Itch - Method 2

Continuing from the prior post: Stop the Itch

I tried another method on the list. Now Baking soda did work pretty well to stop the itch, but it wasn't reducing the inflammation. So I wanted to try aspirin which should reduce inflammation.

1: using non coated aspirin (the ones that look like white disks) add drops of water to dissolve it into a paste.
2: cover the bite
3: I used athletic tape to hold it in place, you can use gauze or band aids or something.

This worked well to stop the itch. I went to bed with this one and it hasn't fallen off. Its been about 12 hours with this on, and no itch. :) I actually think I get itchy from the tape rather than the bites themselves.
I'm sure band aids would probably be better, but I don't have those big band-aids in my house and athletic tape was much cheaper :)

UPDATE:
After wearing the aspirin for almost a day, I removed the bandage and aspirin after a workout and didn't have time to reapply. After running some errands, 3+ hours later the area still has NO itch.
it could be the poison has finished the worse of its course, but I think the aspirin really helped.

Stop the Itch - Method 1

Lately, my friends and I have been tackling ~10 mile hikes each weekend.
However, as we get into the belly of summer weather.. the bugs have come out to feast.

Next time I'll be prepared with Deet, but on my last hike I unfortunately got 5 bites. Thankfully I was wearing longer capris, so only my calves and ankles got bite.

I havent gotten bit this many times in a looong time.. I forgot how itchy these suckers are.
I tried several different anti itch creams, that did nothing.. They'd work for a VERY short while, and the itch would come back. So I Googled..

I came across this site and "How to Stop Mosquito Bites from Itching":
 http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Mosquito-Bites-from-Itching

I Love home remedies and this site offers alot of them.

So I tried the "Baking Soda Method" (I have lots of baking soda around the house)

1: add a little bit of water & baking soda to make a paste.
2: Cover the area with the paste.

Instantly, the itch and burning stopped. And the relief lasted a long time, (as long as the baking soda stays on your skin) As the baking soda dries, it will slowly start to fall off or rub off.

After having all the baking soda fall off, I used Athletic tape to hold it in place, That way you can wear clothes or go to sleep without it rubbing off.

Ruptured Achilles Tendon - Day 95 Post Op Day 83

Now the Days are coming close to the double digits which makes it a little hard to calculate.. So weeks are a little easier to grasp.

Weeks since :
Injury - 14
Operation - 12

So since the operation, Kevin was in a cast for 6 week and a walking boot for 6 weeks.
and Now finally he has a Physical Therapy Prescription!
Normally it shouldn't take so long to get a PT prescription, but Dr Smith wanted to be more conservative and let the tendon heal longer to avoid re-rupture, or over stretching. 

Kevin only wore the walking boot religiously for the first 2 days. Then he wore it on and off, and gradually more off than on. Pretty much by the 2nd week, he was hardly ever wearing the walking boot. He felt to no pain, and it seemed better for him to actually get some movement in his leg sooner rather than later.

Since Kevin got his boot, we were researching nearby PT facilities. Luckily we have the option of picking with a PPO.

We interviewed 2 offices, where all the therapists had a DPT from USC. Since Kevin has been walking pretty well without his boot for the last 4 weeks, when we walked into the PT office, the PT actually didn't even know what was wrong with him. I feel that's a good sign, that his PT will go faster and smoother than anticipated.

Office #1 only had 1 therapist. It was closer, about a 5 min drive, but a smaller facility. When we walked in around 2pm, the sign in sheet was already 3/4 full, which shows he must be good, and very busy. Also he is open Monday - Saturday. The Saturday option is appealing in case we get busy during the work week.

Office #2 had a group of therapists, about 5 or more. It was a bit farther, about a 15 min drive, but still pretty close by to us. The facility was much larger, with lots of fancy new equipment. The downside of this facility is that since there are so many therapists, and so many different clients, it will get busy or crowded during peak hours. Also, even though the office is open Mon - Fri, the main therapists are only there M, W, F, which puts a damper if you have a busy schedule.

We ended up picking office #2. Kevin has a tendency to dislike certain qualities of trainers, having the option to change, was appealing to him.  Since there are different therapists there, Kevin would have the option of changing therapist.  Whereas office #1, he would be stuck with the same guy through the whole process.

His first evaluation will be on Monday. Excited to see his first session.