Sand Flies and Mossies ---take your own supplies

[Paul Tallet]

Hi Wendy

That's another advantage of boxing gloves ... they are much softer than your bare fists !!

Regards

[David Watkins]

But a little bit awkward for the boxer pants hey Paul??

[Wendy V K]

Hi Wendy

That's another advantage of boxing gloves ... they are much softer than your bare fists !!

Regards

But bigger...so more chance of actually hitting something IE flies/mossies/partner

[Steve Wooler]

David, can we please avoid use of the words "pants" and "Paul" in the same post.

[Bill B]

My God, has something gotten into the water over on the other side of the pond? I've been away for a week and I thought things had started getting a little batty before I left, what with with machine guns and wheel chairs. Now it seems to have gone completely loony with boxing gloves in bed and posts about iguanas and eating armadillos and rodents and national birds

I'm going on vacation middle of next week and I shudder to see what will transpire while I'm away.

Please guys try to keep it under control

Bill

[Steve Wooler]

Who are you calling a rodent, Bill? I sincerely hope you are not referring to those lovely little agoutis? Equal rights for agoutis, I say. They can't help having been called the Royal Rat by the British press after it was served to Queen Elizabeth on a royal visit to Belize.

Anyway, just call it low-season fever. We'll get over it in due course.

[Paul Tallet]

Bill (and for those that need to know)

I guess that it would be beneficial, for the purpose of clarity, to point out that the use of Boxing Gloves does not necessarily have to be restricted to being in bed.

As Steve quite correctly points out, they can be highly effective in reducing the risks of self-harm whilst sleeping with sandfly bites.

As you will have seen from the previous posts ... Steve and myself have been evaluating this ground-breaking idea and, in the true spirit of myTobago's impartial approach to any ideas and recommendations posted on this site, we have been assessing the possible pitfalls of using Boxing Gloves.

Provided that certain things like the ability to enter and leave rooms, controlling and managing lighting systems or lighting candles, operating a wheelchair, raising a bottle of Carib to your lips, driving a car or reading a book can be carried out (the list is infinite) ... then I cannot see any reason why Boxing Gloves cannot add that extra dimension to our Tobago experiences.

Think it all through ... I am sure you will understand what I mean .

Regards

[Gisela Grell]

Hi Steve, Paul and all the other,

I want to thank Steve for:

"David, can we please avoid use of the words "p****" and "Paul" in the same post."

Good luck with all the different trys to find a way not scarching the bites. I will keep on reading.

Cheers

Jeanne (19 days to go)

[Brian Taylor]

if your bed is big enough, you would not hit anyone with rthe gloves... make sure the switches of the lamps are not "klapp, klapp, the klappers"
and no fight on the beach in the daytime boys, or better no fight without telling me before, so I can set up the camera and the chairs and drinks for me and david, what do you sya watkins?

but really:
what about some aloe gel (from pennysavers) in the fridge and just rub it on your legs before retiring. does not stain like fresh aloe and cools down, a last rum punch "exed"down and you will sleep before the itching starts.

looking forward to see the result of all your research here in castara sooner or later

STEPHANIE

[David Watkins]

Not a bad idea Steph,I'll be in charge of the refreshments.Steve I am sorry,I promise not use pants in any sentence which includes Mr Tallet's given name ever again!
David

[Brian Taylor]

you just did david, shame on you....

[Paul Makin]

its the reaction as paul says. everyone gets bitten, just not everyone reacts. im one of the lucky ones hehe.

use antihistamines which alter the bodys allergic reaction and also a topical analgesia - this is available over the counter on island (or certainly was) - to "numb" the site. look for something with lidocaine or similar in it.

paul

[Gisela Grell]

Thanks Paul for that advice. Will talk to my pharmacia here and try to find out if they have something like this. I took anithistamine but they seem not to work properly. On the other side I don't know if it was worse without.

Go on puting your information here. Maybe one day I find something that really helps

Cheers

Gisela (18 days to go)

[Dr Stefan Rustscheff]

Dear Gisela, You will if You look I have stated before that a very good option against mossie bites is the combination of Desloratadin (NOT common loratadin-a different drug) 5 mg and Montelukast 10 mg once daily. This dulls the "flare-and wheal" response rather well, and if You dab them with assorted aloe veras and a group III topical steroid BEFORE any scratching or infections mornings and evenings You will be happier and less blistered. Consult Your Local physician. This is what I use myself.This advice should be taken in its context, that is, if You have reacted agaist these drugs do not use them again and if You already have inflamed bites-do not use a simple steroid because that will feed the infection. A small tube of a combination of group III steroids and an antibacterial agent can work wonders. And Yes, Gisela, You may have a Carib or five even if You take these pills and the caribs, but not the pills will make You sleepy...

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Stefan

myTobago has a weather guru, a fishing guru and an alcoholic beverage guru. Perhaps we should 'appoint' you as our resident medical guru.

In fact, maybe I ought to allocate special User Ranks to each of these individuals. Dare I ask for opinion on that?

[Dr Stefan Rustscheff]

I am sure there are other fully qualified physicians here, but if they fail to grab their chance of immortal glory I will continue to offer advice concerning things that bite, crawl,swim or fly as well as comment on reasonable amounts of questions concerning real or imagined ailments that might accompany returning guests from the Emerald Isle.

Concerning my esteemed caribbean colleague Dr Duvalier: It is a lesser-known fact that he dedicated his early career to research against yaws, a blinding, mutilating, non-venereal form of syphilis which was rampant in Haiti in his days. During 1934-46 he spent countless hours in (failed) research until it was discovered that a single shot of penicillin in the butt of a patient cured him or her. Luckily he became minister of health 1946-50 and coul actually eradicate the disease with the help of US money and penicillin-rather well done. As many of You know he then became president-elect of the Republic of Haiti and liked the job so much that, at the end of his term he elected himself life president. At the age of 65 he gently retired to a new existence as a demigod in the voodo pantheon, practically ousting the god he actually tried to emulate on earth, Baron Samedi! Quite a career for a soft-spoken country caribbean doctor...

If any reader takes offense and imagines that I in any way support the reign of terror mr Duvalier instituted in the long tradition of all of his predecessors and fairly all of his successors he should calm down and have another Carib. Still-a fascinating life story. I will one day publish my bestseller: Doctors as despots. And, no, I will NOT run it in the forum as a weekly novella. And I haven´t even finished a single chapter. But think: Dr Kamuzu Banda, Samora Machel, Najibullah, "Hitler" Hunzvi, and Gro Harlem Brundtland! It gets juicier and juicier...
Sorry. I think I hear a patient in need of attention....
Chrs

[Steve Wooler]

I don't think that patient is the only one in need of attention!

[Dr Stefan Rustscheff]

Do not worry Steve, I will send You a dedicated copy of the book if and whenever it is finished. You do not have to lay on that thickly...

[Gisela Grell]

Dear Stefan,

thanks a lot for this information. I will see my doctor with all this and wonder what he will give me

Found something sold in drugstores here which looks like a lipstick. You put it on a bite and it stops itching directly. No idea why but for me it helps (in Germany) will see how it works in the Caribbean.

Nevertheless I will try Dr. Rustscheff's medication (and sure will have my Caribs on that)

Cheers (15 days to go)

[Paul Tallet]

Dr Stefan

Do you have a medical opinion on the use of Boxing Gloves to reduce the risk of self harm following the violation we are subjected to by the sandflies?

Many thanks in advance.

Regards