« Popular Baby Names from the Social Security Administration | Main | My New New Year’s Resolutions »
December 29, 2008
Proof that Practice Doesn’t Always Make Perfect
When I was in high school and college, I worked in the food service industry—specifically, I made chicken wings in a pizzeria and then worked for several years at McDonald’s, which remains the second-longest job I’ve ever held.
Food service isn’t a particularly good career choice for someone with a mind that has a tendency to wander. My skin isn’t prone to scarring, and so most of the evidence of this has faded through time, but I sustained so many burns in my food service years—and, truly, the years since—that I know almost as much about burns as I do about preparing food. For instance, I can tell you that burns come in three types:
First Degree
Hurt like heck for a day, but then you forget you have them.
Second Degree
You feel that fast HOT that makes you get your skin off whatever’s burning it, and then it stops hurting right away. Your skin just feels kind of wet. A few minutes later, though, you’ll notice your skin changing color, and just when you start to worry about it, the REAL pain hits you and WOO BOY that is going to get worse for the next few hours, so good luck.
Third Degree
You definitely notice these when they’re happening, as they generally involve open flame, open flame that is quite often attached to your person, which is, I imagine, pretty hard to ignore. I’ve only had one third degree burn. It was small and the result of direct contact with an oven that was, I think, about 600 degrees. The burn got infected, which made my doctor prescribe penicillin, which is when my body decided that penicillin would be an excellent new allergy to acquire. As an experience, I wouldn’t recommend it. That burn took about three months to heal.
So last night I was making soup and took the lid off the pot and I don’t know how it happened but the next thing I knew that lid was HOT on my arm. I looked at my arm, though, and thought, “Eh, doesn’t hurt. It’s fine.” Then a few minutes later my skin started to change color, and I thought, “Crap.”
Then it hurt.
The burn is certainly the largest I’ve ever had, from just below my wrist to a couple inches shy of my elbow, on that soft, lily-white skin on the inside of my forearm. I tried to move my arm as little as possible until this morning, when I called the doctor’s office to beg for drugs. The conversation went like this:
Me: Hi, I have a second-degree burn. Can I get a prescription for that good burn cream stuff?
Doctor’s Office: Does it hurt?
Me: Yeah.
Doctor’s Office: Well, you’re going to have to come in so the doctor can look at it.
Me: Really? How about the PA?
Doctor’s Office: No, the doctor. Come in at 11:00.
Me: Okay.
Fast-forward to 11:00 at the doctor’s office:
Nurse: Is Aid-reen Furn-ass here?
Me: That’s me! I have a second-degree burn. Can I get a prescription for that good burn cream stuff?
Nurse: Can I see?
Me: Sure.
Nurse: Wow, that looks like it hurts.
Me: Yeah, it does.
Nurse: The doctor’s going to have to look at it.
Me: Sigh.
Fast-forward to 11:50, still at the doctor’s office:
Doctor: So what brings you in today, Mrs. Furness?
Me: I have a second-degree burn. Can I please get a prescription for some burn cream?
Doctor: Oh, yeah, that is a second-degree burn. Bet it hurts.
Me: Yes, it does.
Doctor: Let me write you a prescription.
That burn cream is awesome, let me tell you, and completely worth the trouble I went through to get it. And the experience is a good reminder of all kinds of important things—like that I suck at multitasking and I’m glad I don’t work in food service anymore and, really, it’s a good thing that I don’t know how to use a power saw—but, like so many character-builders, I could have done without it.
Posted by adrienne at December 29, 2008 07:51 PM
Comments
Ouch!! Sorry to hear of your painful experience, but you still put a humorous spin on it in the telling.
Posted by: Carl at December 29, 2008 08:34 PM
I'm really sorry you got a burn.A nasty burn.And I hope it heals right away.I love you.
Posted by: momster at December 30, 2008 12:13 AM
Oh dear, sorry to hear you are injured...hopefully you can get out of work. Paid, of course. :)
Get better soon!! Burns suck!! Seriously.
Posted by: Kristen at December 30, 2008 12:28 AM
Yes, Adrienne, please do not attempt to learn to use a power saw. We need you around. :)
Posted by: Olivia at December 30, 2008 06:42 AM
I still have the scar I got from my ineptitude with the McDonalds french fry machine. That was a looonng time ago.
Posted by: Alice at December 30, 2008 08:49 AM
Oh, Adrienne dear! I'm so sorry. Ouch, indeed. Take care of your very important arm.
Posted by: jules at December 30, 2008 09:03 AM
Ouch, I'm sure that hurt! I've had way too many of those burns over the years, although not to that degree thank goodness. But somehow during the holiday's I always burn my arm making cookies,my senses are defintely waning...........Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR Adrienne!!!
Posted by: Bri's Mom at December 30, 2008 02:52 PM
I actually laughed loud enough for Lucas to say "What are you reading?" Resiliance is wonderful trait add humor and it's perfect.
I'd say avoid cooking but you feed me too often for that to be said.
Posted by: tonderdo at December 30, 2008 03:18 PM
Ow ow ow! I'm so sorry! HEAL!
Posted by: Little Willow at December 30, 2008 10:11 PM
I hope your burn is gone Miss A.And Tammy,I know you've tasted A's mac&cheese-so I knew you wouldn't tell her to stop cooking.I hope you,Ron,Lucas&Max all have a wonderful new year.You deserve it!And as for you Miss A--watch out!And Happy New Year!I love you:)
Posted by: momster at December 31, 2008 03:29 PM
Happy New Year Adrienne.....I hope it's a good one!!! ((((HUGS)))) :)
Posted by: Kristen at January 1, 2009 12:52 AM
I've been able to stave off a lot of the worst with running cold water over those 2nd degree burns right away. I've begged others to do the same, and they say, "No, it's fine," only to get that real pain a few minutes later. Now, if I encounter resistance, I jump up and down and yell at them until they run cold water on the burn just to get me to shut up. Then, they say, "See, it wasn't that bad after all," and I give up and throw a towel on my head.
I'm glad you got the prescription burn cream.
Posted by: Saints and Spinners at January 1, 2009 05:05 PM
The cold water thing is recommended.It helps stop the burn the way H2O helps stop a fire.Ice isn't recommended...as it wasn't by Saints and Spinners.
Posted by: momster at January 2, 2009 03:06 PM