JULY 19,2010 SUNBURNS

"Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs" - Step 5 AA

We all have heard 'honesty is the best policy'. It is so true. I do not know who actually said that but it rings so true being sober in double digits. I find it difficult to deal with people who are not honest. We all encounter that every day. However when someone is obviously lying, and he/she does it anyway to your face, it actually disgusts me. I cannot blame them. They are not at fault. They have a disease. A disease called Addiction. We will be discussing addiction, the third lifestyle change in our pyramid in the following months. It is so important to admit our wrong to others, to ourselves and to God. It is a way to set ourselves free. It is a way to release our pain.

I encounter so many alcoholics as a volunteer physician in Fire Island. The ones I know personally, I pray for each and every day. I might get angry at them, but in reality I am praying for them each and every day. Speaking of anger, it is important that you realize anger comes in layers. It is like an onion. I was told that early in recovery. Everything is in layers. My layers have been peeled away a little at a time, even a day at a time. We all must face our anger. Find the root of the anger. For me I feel hurt and disappointed when someone angers me. I get angry at myself for taking the hurt inside and not letting it out. That anger can ruin my entire day if I let it. This is why I meditate, pray and even start the day over at any time I like to. I ask God every day to help the repressed anger come to the surface. Meditation (my 4th Lifestyle Change) and having a Hobby (tied in with the Self-esteem, my 5th lifestyle Change) both help me. I hope these ideas help you.


July is a month of recollection. It is a month of celebration. It starts with my dad July 8th or 12th. Then it is a continuous flow. My brother, Paul and his wife, Maryanne celebrate their wedding anniversary on the 17th, my late Uncle Sonny is the 19th, my mom is the 21st, and so is Nancy, Maryanne is the 26th and my late Poppy was the 30th. It is a mixture of Cancer and Leo astrological signs. I celebrate those loved ones with a prayer or their birthday and the lighting of a candle if they have left us physically. It doesn't matter where I am to light a candle. The beach is no exception. It is actually serene lighting a candle on the beach. Today for Uncle Sonny (by the way, his real name was Gasper) I get to laugh, tear up and recall all the fun times when I light that candle. I get to recall every Sunday dinner at our house when my Poppy cooked all the great food, the vacations and the times at his house in the pool. I only have memories of those who are gone--but these memories complete my life. Miss you all who are listening to Poppy play the mandolin.


For the last 4 days, blogging has concentrated on the mouth. I want to discuss the largest organ of the body - THE SKIN. I want to discuss it in regard to burns. I am choosing burns, as I see many burns while volunteering on Fire Island. The burns I see are sunburns, an example of a first degree burn. Another example of a first degree burn is from hot water. These type of burns get red, may develop a scab and then flake off.

The second degree burns affect a deeper layer of the skin. They redden deeply, probably blister within hours, and eventually heal. Third degree burns affect all the skin layers. The skin is burned through. It may look charred or maybe even white. It does not hurt at the onset. This is a medical emergency and will require immediate assistance from a physician . It will most likely need to be treated in a hospital setting. In emergency medicine we are taught to measure the extent of the burn by percentages.

For us today I am concentrating on the first and second degree burns that can be treated at home. With the exception of a severe sunburn, most of you should have the common knowledge to treat a burn.

Lets start with the basics.

1. The simplest first aid solution for a burn is cool water. As soon as you get a burn, immerse the area in cool water. NOT ICE COLD WATER. If there was clothing and it is sticking to the burn--DO NOT REMOVE THE CLOTHING. In this case you will need to go to the emergency room. Never peel off the clothing

2. NEVER EVER put those old fashioned remedies on burns. You may recall that your grandmother put butter or grease on a burn. This will hold the heat in, prolong the pain and increase the damage.

3. You may have one of the OTC (over-the-counter) burn gels in the medicine cabinet. Apply one of those.

4. Healing remedies I recommend:

a. Apple Cider vinegar - either splash it on or get a cloth and soak in the apple cider . Apply the cloth loosely for one hour.

b. Tea tree oil can be applied topically. Most think that tea tree oil is only useful for fungal infections. It is used as a topical for first and second degree burns.

c. Aloe vera is my favorite remedy. It can be used directly from the plant (refer to previous blog on the Aloe Plant). It is soothing and does relieve pain.

d. Vitamin E - you may not have either aloe or tea tree oil at home, but check your vitamins for Vitamin E gel capsules. Stick the gel cap with a pin, and squeeze onto the burn. It will soothe.

e. Silvadene - Silver sulfadiazine, a sulfa medicine, is used to prevent and treat bacterial or fungus infections. It works by killing the fungus or bacteria. Silver sulfadiazine cream is applied to the skin and/or burned area(s) to prevent and treat bacterial or fungal infections that may occur in burns. It is usually a 1% white ointment. It is ONLY available by a doctors prescription.

Until tomorrow...