h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

An ice cube!! Ooooh c-c-c-c-c-cold!

I now have a mental picture of you trying to hold an ice cube on Lua's belly!

Oh, I did it awhile ago and - gasp! - the nipple started bleeding! Needless to say Lua was not all that pleased with the ice treatment, but I was more upset about the bleeding. I don't know what it means.

Anyhow, won't do the ice treatment again until tomorrow morning and if there is more bleeding I'll go and see Maria (have to pick up prescription food for the boys anyhow) and ask her about this.

az

A cold-pack would be better than an actual ice cube. If you don't have a cold-pack, a package of frozen peas, or some barley or wheat kernels in a cloth bag kept in the freezer would be ideal.

Problem with actual ice is that is burns, and on tender skin can cause more probs than it helps. Wrapping it in cloth doesn't always help, since the cloth absorbs the cold rather than radiating it.

However, they actually recommend frozen peas for icepacks (not sure why, but they do and they work). The bag of grain is really good. Fitst, it is reusable, it is a moist cold rather than a dry cold so doesn't burn, and it is just gentler, all round. A little pack the size of a scrub-pad is all that's needed and can easily made with an old washcloth.

That totally makes sense, Mudhooks. I thought the icecube wrapped in cloth was a bit harsh and perhaps it caused the bleeding to happen. Oh, poor Lua!

Bag of frozen peas (or corn) was what I was advised to use for an ice-pack when I had sciatica.

I don't have any grains here - do you think rice would work? Otherwise I could go out and buy some wheat grain tomorrow.

az

Poor Lua, I do hope she is more comfortable soon.

Rice might work, but since it is starchy, when it absorbs moisture, it might get sticky or something. I don't know.

I do know that using grain means that you can also put it in the micro or oven to use as a heat-pack. I have one (store-bought) that I have had for about 6 years. You do, of course, have to keep it somewhere contained if you have mice.... but otherwise, it is really great.

Mine is actually about 1.5' long and about 6" wide and you drape it around your neck. You pop it in the micro for 6 minutes and it is WONDERFUL! It smells nice, too. Because it abosorbs moisture from the air, when you heat it, it radiates heat and moisture which is terrific.

However, I recently saw a little stall in a local mall selling all sorts of packs and relaxation items filled with grains and herbs. They have packs for your eyes and for sore muscles, and ones with lavender and sage for under your pillow to help you sleep.

Rice and lavender is the most widely used commercially
Buckwheat husks
Linseed (=flax seed) for cold packs only, because oil gets rancid when heated
Popping corn (not for hotpacks, of course)
Other grains
Peas or beans
Cherry pits

If you use rice, I would reccomend brown rice rather than white rice, as it has less starch and often comes with husks on.

You could always knit one, too, which is an idea for home-made Christmas presents (use cotton yarn).

A few examples:
http://www.shopping-headquarters.com/products/HerbalPackAllPurposev6.asp
Cute! http://www.badback.com.au/product/57

If you can't sew or knit, or don't have a machine:

Regular grain white rice (not minute rice)
Old cotton tube-sock
cotton string

Place enough rice to fill up your sock and tie it tight with cotton string. Put it in a microwave oven for a few minutes until it is as hot as you like.

These are also, I might add, excellent for those other "aches" women might be familiar with....

It's supposed to be COLD Mudhooks! So I won't be sticking anything into the microwave. Nor knitting anything! So maybe frozen rice is just as good as any other frozen grain?

az

Yes, if you are just going to freeze it, rice would be fine.

Hi az been offline couple of weeks.
never mind .
Cigerette ash is best "styptic" used to soak up seal wound.
being steralized when smoked
(not that is a excuse for continue to smoke)
Re blood infection Garlic good allso sulpher block in water also good
for it cooling properties , nateral as well.

hi logicus!

Long time no see! I was wondering what had happened to you - how are you?

Well, Maria the vet called this morning to ask how Lua was and I explained that the ice had been too harsh and she said I should just use damp cloths that have been left in the fridge (not freezer) or even just run under cold water.


az

See entry on get writeing "legal chicanery"
for whats been and going to happen.
Still kept me off the streets smiley.
look out for
http://uk.geocities.com/bllszbobakahannahshomeakaharrysh/Henrysbit.html
in process of adding to
my yahoo identitie ,though can send personal email there.
must catch up and such

Been for lurk around dejavou back to march last year,apart from name changes,Henrys such a strange cat,phone being best way to atract him.
Pick up phone ,whooosh tail up nose,round left ear ,rebound of phone cord ,left turn .off we go again ,,...........another unfinished sentence

Cannot find 'legal chicanery', though very weirdly, this morning when I was looking at the latest 'Oetzi' stuff that page suddenly appeared (!!!) and I'm not sure how. But I thought it was a glitch and didn't notice it pertained to you. Couldn't find it again after I read your posting here. Can you give me a link?

az

A2528930 funny i had to write that last message to you to from going to your home page ,do feel free to use "whatsthelongnamefor" email yahoo.lua thread had disapeared from my page,mind you BT is haveing trouble,
not that that should be of any interest or contributeing factor.
but the dreaded b for british combination.

Late last night while Benjamin was doing his nightly "crawl around on Mommy", I found a lump under Benjamin's skin. I think there might be a scratch in the same vicinity, so it may well be that he had a run-in with another cat. There wasn't enough light and I was half asleep when I noticed it. I will have to give him a thorough going-over tonight when I get home from work....

It is less than a month ago that I had him in having his teeth done, and there was certainly hothing then. I think I would have noticed before now, as it is in a spot that gets regularily rubbed. It is probably nothing. I hope.

I found a lump under ::
If on head might be whiska follicle.
On lower body could easily be old hernia from birth(umbilacal cord ending)
Also beauty spot type thing, tabbys seem to be prone to faceial lumps and bumps i have found.

More likely to be grass or other seed trapped in lower fur layer.

No, it is definitely under the skin. If I stroke him, I can feel it. If I take the loose skin and roll it gently between my fingers, it feels like a small, soft lump in or just under the layers of skin. It isn't attackhed to his muscle or bone. I still have to wait until he comes to see me at some point this evening to have a better look.

You could be fondleing a gangelong ,fatty deposit just under the skin,or more precise between the skin layers skin understocking .Bend your wrist (hand)back and look at shape of fat quite a few cats have these dotted around ,face belly underarms so to speak.

Yes, I was thinking it might be. I have had both the kind in the cartiledge of my wrists and one on the muscle tissue on mmy neck. I had that one removed, but it has grown back. The ones in the cartiledge are fluid rather than fat, and used to be called "Bible bumps" because in order to get rid of them you used hit them with a heavy book. In most homes, the only book people has was the Bible. Hence, Bible bumps! These days they drain them.

I will call the vet in the morning.

I finally managed to get a real feel of it. It is firm rather than soft, but it isn't hard. It is hard to tell if he finds it uncomfortable, since he fusses when I poke him about at the best of times.

He sure isn't going to like me if I have to bring him to the vet... However,if the delicious Dr. Sharma is on duty, I won't feel so bad. At least there will be something in it for me.