Steam Burns, Beer and Breakfast
Last night my fortune was such that a large pot of boiling pasta water and a one handled lid contributed to an unfortunate accident for my left hand. I ended up with the knuckle side of my second and third finger white and with pain along the palm side of my fingers as well as the little finger. Agonising pain which cold water seemed to suppress for a while… but it came back in spades.
Burns are strange beasts and I hammered it by sitting in the loungeroom with my hand in a bowl of iced water for about two hours. The second part of the cure was a diet of beer – two leftover Moo Brew Dark (it’s black like Coca Cola and a bit stouter than a stout) and about eight or so Boags Premium Lager stubbies from my office. I know that sounds bad, and I do like a drop, but we are talking medicinal purposes only. Honest.
So when you have a really bad burn and do the right thing with water and follow that with a fast pummelling of mind and nervous system with a lot of beer – it happens. Suddenly on about the 7th stubbie of beer the pain was gone. So I kept drinking… and wound up on all fours having a little goodnight puke in the backyard.
I don’t believe Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings or The Clash contributed to the cure.
This morning, far from being lame from burns, my hand still doesn’t hurt and I jumped out of bed at 7am (Good Friday) to make Linden a teapot and fried eggs and ham for breakfast. Of course I feel like shit, but that’s the price one pays, right? It’s incredible, never even got a blister. Saved by the beer, again… now back to these uni assignments for Marketing Management, Financial Analysis and Decision Making, and Economics for Managers… hangovers are for pussies.
April 13th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
Ouch, burns really hurt and the fingers are so sensitive. I am good at steam burns when I’m ironing. Running them under water and wrapping them tight seems to work. I think you can buy some anesthetic spray from the chemist that deadens them too. Glad its not hurting you now, a good reason not to cook
April 14th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Mmm the backs of my middle finger and the one closer to the little finger are still very tender and I have to prevent infection. All the skin on top is dead and so it feels like open flesh, and every time I bump them the skin peels back and it’s an open wound again.
Me thinks this one will take a little while to heal. Was a pretty bad burn, it turned white at the time. Steam is nasty stuff, only a second exposure at most.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Sounds bad. Ouch!!!
April 14th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Ha ha, will be a few weeks to heal at least but no pics – looks eek!
Took your advice and got some cream with a mild anaspetic, too. The beer ran out first night, but I’d hate to think how I would have gotten on without any…