A cautionary tale-

WARNING- There are really gross and graphic photos at the end of this. DO NOT GO ALL THE WAY DOWN IF YOU ARE EASILY GROSSED OUT. I PUT THEM FROM BETTER TO WORSE SO YOU CAN AVOID THE REALLY BAD ONES. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED :-/

I had plans a few Saturdays ago. Just a dinner to celebrate a friend's big birthday. I took my time getting ready. Earlier that morning we had done a Memorial Run/Walk for an old friend. With my finish I had completed a personal goal of 4 races in 4 weeks. I paid to play in advance for that night and was excited for a little girls night out. Finally ready, I was downstairs making dinner for my husband and kids. Doing something I had done a hundred times before (at least!) I went to strain my stockpot full of boiling spaghetti water. Maybe it was Maddie begging me, incessantly to help, or maybe it was my 3 inch wedge sandals? Either way it slipped. Not able to hold on to it...I spilled it...Right down my front...Soaking my legs, from my thighs all the way down to my knees.

The pain was immediate and intense. I have never been in pain like that before. My knees buckled and I hit the floor. Yelling a word probably 50 times in a row, not a nice word, but the first thing that came out, I struggled to get to my feet. All my kids were in the kitchen as well as my sister Kels. When I finally got to a standing position I immediately yanked down my jeans exposing my bright red thighs, my skin already sloughing down in one spot. Trying not to scare my kids, I hobbled upstairs and did the worst thing I could do. I squirted Neosporin onto my legs. In the past I have always put Neosporin with Pain Relief on little burns and felt like it really helped. I found out later that was a big No-No! Everyone asked me why I didn't jump in the bath, into cold water. Honestly I was in so much pain I couldn't think straight.

For a moment I thought..."ok, I'm fine it will stop hurting any minute." a minute later I was shaking uncontrollably, nauseous, staggering to the toilet my ears started ringing and my hearing got muffled. It was then the realization set in... I was going to the hospital. Kels yelled to Joe to come in from outside. Thank God she was there. I was able to change, get in the truck and we were on our way.

As we drove down the driveway I burst into tears. I had tried to stay as calm as possible, as to not scare my kids, but in reality I was in such pain and so scared. I kept replaying it in my mind, and something I hadn't addressed right as it happened was the fact Maddie was RIGHT THERE!!! If I had dumped the pot away from me instead of back towards me, Maddie would have been going to the ER and not in our truck but an ambulance. It would have hit her right in the face, drenched her and I would probably be typing this blog post from the hospital tonight.

Just thinking about this made me even more sick to my stomach. I sat there shaking, crying, and doing what can only be compared to Lamaze breathing to try and get through it. We arrived at the ER, it was AMAZING. We walked in, I told them what happened and within 5 minutes I was in a private room with 4 people working on me, hooked up to an IV and on morphine. All before Joe even got back to me. I was still shaking and the pain was even more intense then it had been. The nurses asked if I wanted more morphine and I told them I didn't like being on it. A sweet nurse leaned over and said "Sweetie, there is no need to be scared, we are here watching you and won't let anything bad happen. You need to let us help get this pain to go away." They upped the dose.

After a while the pain was subsiding, but I was still shaking. I was having a panic attack. I couldn't get Maddie out of my mind. Feeling what I was feeling, the thought of this being her was horrifying. My poor baby, what would I have done?!? This train of thought was leading me down a dark path and my heart rate and blood pressure on an upward one. The nurses not liking this decided an anti-anxiety along with a lot of reassurance that it was ok and that Maddie was ok, and I needed to remember that, all helped and soon I was sleeping. Joe just kept holding my hand and kissing my head. Telling me it was ok. At one point when I woke up I guess I was crying and I vaguely remember saying "I just really wanted to go to dinner...I really wanted a blue cheese salad...." fade back to sleep :) a funny blip on a not funny night.

What seemed like a very long time, was really only a matter of 3 or 4 hours. I was stable and medicated enough to head home. Joe lovingly helped me to the truck. I have never felt so impaired in my whole life. I just wanted to get home. After making a couple stops to gather meds, a special cream and crackers and soup. We finally got there. Thankfully Kels had taken the kids to my parents. I knew they were ok and safe and happy. No need for them to see my like this. I ate all I could- not much- and went to sleep.

As we unwrapped my legs the next morning, to survey the damage, it was shocking. Blisters and darkened skin showed the path of destruction the water had taken. I decided I didn't want to take the narcotic meds they sent home for me. That thought lasted about an hour. The burning, stinging, intense pain was back and I knew I was in for a long recovery.

I have had actually quite a few surgeries. My nose reconstructed after a bad break, a lump removed from my breast, varicose veins removed from both my legs and 4 c-sections. I am no stranger to recovery. But usually I am up and going long before the estimated recovery time. This was totally different. I had to lay in shorts slathered in this cream meant to protect from infection. And just sit there. On powerful pain meds I was unable to focus long enough to read a book, or watch a full show or have a normal conversation. I couldn't walk around or clean up after my brood or cook or...holy s#%@ go shopping for all the stuff left on those to do lists!!!

Here enters the happy ending. Now if we are lucky when bad things happen in our lives, we get to realize how blessed we are. This has been my experience. I was lucky I only burned my legs. Lucky I didn't burn Maddie. Lucky that I live near a great ER and had wonderful doctors and nurses. But then when I got home I was lucky to be surrounded by the best friends and family. My phone was full of messages. Emails checking if I was alright. Meals delivered. Enough magazines to keep a girl busy for weeks. My mother was on food duty. Anything that sounded good (which wasn't much, but no matter- if it was mashed potatoes and gravy- she made the trip to KFC to pick it up, or soup-she and Gayle (her right hand gal at work) made me soup. Then there was my mother in law. She arrived every day for 2 weeks with a iced grande Americano just how I like it and a protein plate, my favorite Starbucks treat. Then she would make my beds knowing it bugged me if they weren't and started laundry or take it home. She took my kids so I could sleep and then in an amazing act of heroism, she and her sweet sister took all 4 kids school clothes shopping. ALL 4 of them! That overwhelms even me:)

I have never felt so taken care of, so loved and so thought about. It was really overwhelming and humbling. To think that this many people cared. I hate asking for help, it is probably my biggest downfall in fact, but I so appreciated every single thing that was done for me. I don't think I could ever put into to words how much it meant to me and just how much it aided in my recovery. Thank you to all of you! You know who you are:) And to my husband for following through on the whole "in sickness" part. I am so lucky to have you in my life. I knew it before, but this was a beautiful reminder.

It has been just over 3 weeks since this happened and I am almost all better. With just one scabbed area, about the size of a quarter and some nerve healing issues, I am pretty much physically healed. Mentally I am working on it. I got right back on the horse and boiled noodles. I had to!! Don't think I wasn't terrified as I strained them. But I did it.

I hope this acts as a cautionary tale. Every day we do things. Things we don't think twice about and they are dangerous, mundane perhaps, but dangerous nonetheless. It is those everyday tasks that we forget can be dangerous and if this helps everyone think about being a little more careful and maybe a little more cautious or just makes you remember how lucky we are to be healthy and well, the it was worth it.

Accidents happen every minute of everyday all over the world. When we are lucky enough to get through them then we should keep the lessons we learn from them with us always.

Here is a few I learned:
Do not dump boiling water on yourself. Duh!
No Neosporin on your burn, cold water is better
The Swedish Medical Center ER in Mill Creek, WA is awesome!
Good friends- whether they be friends or family are an invaluable commodity
Asking for help can't hurt and not asking can
Feeling loved may be the best medicine
But seriously DO NOT DUMP BOILING WATER ON YOURSELF!

I am going to show these pictures because I think it helps send the message. But be warned they are graphic and gross :( So just be careful everyone! I'm thinking about you. I hope you are well and I am looking forward to getting back to business! The business of living this Crazy Wonderful life :)

Scroll down if you want to see the pictures...

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