Fiber Jewels: Post Hike Blisters and doTERRA

Last week I got to take a wonderful, yet very long, hike. It was great, yet horrible. I am not in the shape I used to be and hiking 10.6 miles round trip on one of the hottest days in Alaska (it was 91 at my house when I got home -- it is NEVER that hot) was, at times, unbearable!

I am a very careful hiker. I carry a backpack that is packed with food, water, first aid, bear spray, anything that I would need if a hike were to go wrong. It can easily weigh over 10 pounds. Hiking in Alaska is not easy, and if you sustain an injury and can't get out, you might need to spend the night.

Despite the best laid plans, I hiked with someone who was so focused on the destination, she refused to hear that I was reaching my limit and really should turn back.

The hike out was awful--I was exhausted and my feet hurt! At about 3 miles from our car, I sat down, took off my shoes thinking I had blisters between my toes, none were to be found between the toes, but I discovered that the pain on my heels were blisters. I applied first aid ointment between toes and on the blisters to provide lubrication, replaced socks and shoes, and continued my painful, slow walk to my car.

Both feet immediately after we got to the car

As soon as we got to the car, the shoes and socks came off and I almost cried to see how big those two blisters had gotten from when I last saw them.

That night I soaked my tired, sore body in the tub with Epsom Salts, and crawled into bed dead tired.

In the morning the blisters were full of serum and very painful. My husband (who at the time was my fiancé -- we got married June 22) drained the blisters for me. I toyed with treating one blister with doTERRA Essential Oils and the other not. In the end I decided to treat them both the same.

I researched the best way to treat the blisters using Essential Oils and found that if the blisters were painful and prevented wearing shoes to drain them with a sterilized pin, soak in Epsom Salts and then apply Lavender and/or Melaleuca. I had Lavender, but no Melaleuca.

Deciding to treat them both the same was a good idea because the blister on my right foot was far deeper. I have probably drained the blister on my right foot 3 times as often as the one on the left foot.

Friday (4 days post-hike), I received my first order from doTERRA and started using Melaleuca in addition to the Lavender.

Right foot, deeper blister, June 22. Five days post-hike
Blister was drained Friday, hadn't filled up yet.

Left foot, blister, June 22. Five days post-hike
Hard to see where blister was.

The above pictures speak for themselves (taken the morning of my wedding). Over the weekend, the right blister filled back up and was drained, followed by a soak in Epsom Salts followed by Lavender and Melaleuca .