Update on the nail biting

Okay, I know some of you think this is disgusting. You are free to go on your way.   But I wanted to let the rest of you know how it's going.

You may remember that I posted right before my surgery Dec. 31 in a panic about biting my nails. I have bitten my nails since i was 15 months old and i have had only a few times in my life when i was able to quit for any length of time.  Well, I decided that biting my nails just cannot happen. I usually bite the nails and swallow them (I know, TMI) but I'm afraid to do that with my new baby stomach. So I tried biting the nails and spitting them out, but that was unsatisfying. Finally, I just decided it's now or never. I can't let myself ingest sharp pieces of fingernails.  Keeping my hands busy has been the key and the dirtier the work, the better. Anything to keep my hands out of my mouth. And it's working! I'm growing little bitty nails! I know it's early (12 days), but I'm really hoping that if I can just get past the first 30 days that i can start keeping my nails manicured. 

There's something about making the decision to have WLS that makes me want to improve EVERYTHING.  I'm wearing more makeup, I'm fixing up my hair, I'm more interested in how my clothes fit. Next thing you know, I'll be coloring my hair, LOL!

Cool! This is a different post! Congratulations!

There are products your pharmacist can recommend that are intended to deter children from biting their nails. One is a liquid flavored with bitter apple. 

Considering that the majority of germs and viruses are transmitted hand to hand and that most people do a poor job of washing their hands, the next time you tempted to put hand to mouth, picture yourself licking a used kleenex or  toilet seat. Sorry to be gross, but in terms of hygiene, that is the net effect of what you are doing to yourself.

Wishing you all the best with your new resolutions to be healthier and prettier! Go for the hair color--it's fun and very uplifting.  It sounds like you are making some great changes and we look forward to pictures and reports of your progress!

Yeah, I know. I have never found ANY flavor that was sufficient to stop the nail biting. And i know all about the germs yada, yada, yada. Thankfully, I go years between minor illnesses so i must not be doing it all wrong.

Today I see little bitty nails growing on every finger and both thumbs. Yay!  So i went to the drug store and bought a bottle of clear polish and two big emery boards, one for my purse and one for the house. I am really surprised at myself. This is such an entrenched compulsion (it's actually considered an impulse control disorder, under the umbrella of OCD.)  I'm 57 and just NOW I feel like I might actually get some control over it.  I'm doing great on my liquid diet (2 weeks down and 1 week to go until purees...woot!)  I think going on liquids for 3 weeks has really been a tremendous help.  I'm pretty concerned about causing damage to my little baby stomach and I don't want to do ANYTHING that could bite me in the butt.

I've bitten my nails since childhood, too, to the point where there wasn't any nail at all.  About 6 years ago I got an infection on my little finger that hurt like hell.  Now I have had pain before from bitting them so low, and infections, but this was much, much worse.  And it was around the time there was a lot in the news about a bacteria that was causing a lot of problems, maybe a flesh eating bacteria or something like that that scared the beejeezus out of me.  That and the fact that if I even brushed that finger against anything I was in excruciating pain.  For the first time in my life I lost my desire to bite my nails and haven't since then.  I do hate having nails now though and as soon as I notice they are growing too much I cut them down but not like they were before.  So if I can break a 50 year habit so can you.  I never thought I would be able to stop and now I don't even think about it.