I poured a pot of boiling water on my right hand

[mangaroo]

This entry was supposed to be entitled "pedoigies" and be filled with nostalgia and whimsy as I pondered why my family bastardized the word "pierogi" for this dish and how long it has been since I made them and how productive making them made me feel (GIRAFFE!), but I poured a pot of boiling water on my right hand in the process and I'm kind of

Comments

[sara_tanaquil]

And you haven't gone to the emergency room because???

Hope you heal quickly!

[mangaroo]

Thanks! I for one am looking forward to what exciting weirdness the skin will display next, but I will be very grateful when it is ready to go back in warm water so my life can resume.

Part of the problem of living alone is that the greater the emergency, the less likely you are to be able to transport yourself to the emergency room. By the time I got past the pain-management phase, I pretty much figured the hand was going to be okay. I would have called for medical care if the hand had immediately blistered or -- ewww -- skin had peeled off.

[sara_tanaquil]

Haha, I know what you mean! A few years ago, when the knife my parents gave me for Xmas was still super-sharp, I slashed my thumb while cooking, and even when I put a bandage on it, it kept dripping blood all over everywhere. So I ended up holding my hand above my head to stop the bleeding while continuing to stir-fry my dinner, because I was too stubborn to even consider going to the emergency room. I guess I would have gone for help if it hadn't stopped bleeding by the time I was done eating, IDK. In the end it healed without even a scar.

When the same thing happened to a friend of mine, she ended up spending three hours in the emergency room because her husband dragged her there. I really don't know which of us is better off.

Feel better soon!

[megory]

I am so sorry.

This sounds terrible! I hope there is no residual pain.

You probably already know that aloe vera is supposed to be good for burns and for skin, as well as vitamin E which comes in an oil form. You don't have to rub it in or anything.

I'm so glad that your first aid instincts worked so well.

[mangaroo]

Thank you! I think I knew that about aloe vera, but unfortunately I had no ointments or creams (or plants!) in my home at the time of the burn. I need to stock my medicine cabinet with more than ibuprofen. I was very lucky this incident wasn't more serious.

[mvrdrk]

You do know the signs that indicate type of burn? Red for 1st degree, blisters for 2nd degree, skin appears dry and can look waxy white, leathery, brown, or charred for 3rd degree. I'm assuming your good news comes from the doctor and not a self assessment, if not go see one.

Think of how skilled your left hand will be by the time this is over!

[mangaroo]

I'm glad I didn't know about the waxy white thing earlier this week. There's one triangular patch on my ring finger that wasn't exposed to the boiling water and it looks spooky white compared to the skin around it. (And you know what a hypochondriac I am. If I had know whiteness could be a sign of a severe burn, I would have been in panic mode. I love all my fingers.)

I don't think I'll be going to a doctor (but I do very much appreciate both the advice and your concern). The pain has passed except when I expose the injured area to heat. I think the burnt skin on the middle finger will eventually slough off (ewww) like a sunburn, but the joints are all bendy and I haven't lost any mobility or strength in the hand.

[mvrdrk]

Okay. As long as you're all right!

[wednesday_10_00]

Oh, I'm so sorry, that sounds awful. :(

But:

Which may explain why my left hand decided to dump a pot of boiling water on it.

This made me laugh really hard. (I can't do anything left-handed either. Hope my left hand doesn't try anything sneaky...)

[collarnojutsu]

It's your tags that amuse me the most, I must say.

Since it's too late to chastise you for not going to the Dr* (though I do worry about your use of "necrotic") I'll just echo everyone else in my wishes that you continue to heal and quickly!

BUT! If things get weird, promise us you'll see someone. You must take care of your hand, missy. Also, you must start giving some attention to your leftie, so it doesn't feel the need for such drastic measures in the future.

*To be fair, I probably wouldn't have either - just like I didn't when I burned MY hand a couple months ago. I think working in a hospital has made me less [over?]reactive than I used to be; I tend to let EVERYTHING wait at least a day because I figure if it's that bad, someone at work will say something. That doesn't excuse YOUR nonchalance though. *stern face*