Tuesday, March 24, 2009

DIAPER RASH and me


When you get a tat, the guy tells you how to care for the thing, and since you're not paying any attention to him because he is jabbing your arm with inky needles, which as I say, doesn't hurt, really, and he tells you what to do when you get home. Luckily there is a cheat sheet to hang on the fridge, and no exam.
Take off the bandage and use A and D ointment on it until it peels after day 4 or 5, when you switch to regular lotion for a couple of weeks.
Didja read that, A and D ointment? That's for baby diaper rash.
Remember Proust and his famous madelines? Smelling those cookies brought back a wave of memories? Smelling that A and D ointment brought back a wave of memories alright.
I have no kids but did some babysitting when I was teen, but don't recall ever using the stuff. But my nose remembers it for some reason, and I was walking around smelling like a baby with a rash. My cats, oddly, love the stuff and follow me around and cuddle into my lap and check out my arm and purr hugely.
Thursday I am side by side with Tom at the Cornell studio, smelling like baby diaper rash, then last Friday we get the call and go next door at 5 and Heidi and Jim pour the wine and we are enjoying the chitchat. Their cat Tiger is suddenly my best friend, in my lap, all over my arm like its catnip. Heidi sits near me on the couch, and I'm like:
'she's right next to my arm and I smell like a baby with a diaper rash!'.
I had some more wine and it no longer seemed to matter.

BTW, for my cracked and red winter potter hands???? A and D is damn helpful. At bedtime when only my wife could wrinkle her nose and try to place the smell...

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

you should do an ad for them. hmm, i wonder how much that pays?

Jerry said...

That's definitely the stuff to use. I went through quite a bit when I had to smear my whole thigh with it.

Anonymous said...

Can you sneak over to the house and take some pics? I want to see the garage barn!

Gary's third pottery blog said...

ever notice how people with a new tat keep mentioning it???

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

I had no idea cats loved A&D. Weird!!
I was a Bag Balm mom. It works wonderfully on diaper rash but doesn't smell as baby-ish as A&D... although it does make me wonder, would calves love you if you used it instead?

Tricia said...

Congratulations on the tattoo. Did I miss pictures?

Nancy L.K. Boyce said...

I love the smell of that stuff!

Farmer*swife a/k/a Glass_Half_Full said...

Oooh, A&D didn't work on my Lil'Gal. Farmer, Jr. never needed it. At five years old, Lil'Gal still needs "Dr. Smiths" for rashes down...there. She's very sensitive that way -- poor baby.

Dr. Smiths comes recommended by the E.R. physicians; though, I was already using it!

A & D is good for cracked hands though. And, vaseline too! :-)

Dez said...

Love A&D, always worked for my kids!
It's a really good thing that you LOVE cats, since they are plastered to you when you use A&D! :)
Hope your tat doesn't hurt.

Hilary said...

I've never heard of A&D but by its description, I'd be willing to bet that it's zinc oxide. It's very healing and cats love it!

Unknown said...

Nope! Definitely NOT zinc oxide, which I adored as a chile, A&D is loaded with fish oils of some kind, thus the kitty appeal.

Anonymous said...

There's definitely fish oil in A&D. I was curious about the ingredients and therefore, had to search, discover, copy and paste them below:

Active Ingredients: Contains: Petrolatum (53.4% - Skin Protectant), Lanolin (15.5% - Skin Protectant)

Inactive Ingredients: Cod Liver Oil (contains Vitamin A & Vitamin D), Fragrance, Light Mineral Oil, Microcrystalline Wax, Paraffin

I'm going to have to try some of this stuff.

Janet said...

It's funny how each tattooist have different ideas of what to use on your skin. Wait til it gets to the itchy point...omg!