On December 21, 2006 I tripped while carrying a Dutch oven of simmering water, splashing the entire contents on my face, arms, hand, knees, and right foot. Most of the burns were deep second degree, with my right knee being a third degree burn. Dr. Hassan, co-director of the burn unit at the Joseph Still Burn Center in Augusta, surgically removed the damaged skin and covered it with porcine (pig skin) grafts. Pictured to the right, my hand is stained by the silver nitrate used to promote healing and keep the wound sterile. The circular areas are the wounds, which have been debrided and covered in porcine. Dr. Mullins and Dr. Brandigi provided follow-up care in Atlanta. What a blessing all of my doctors and nurses were to me.
Hard as it may be for some to view my post-surgery hand (I'll spare you views of the face arms, knee, and foot), looking at it every now and then helps me keep craziness in my life in total perspective. On the day of the accident I had been rushing through my life, trying to accomplish all that I thought was necessary - and all that I thought no one but I could do. I hurried myself into a six hour ambulance ride across the state, three days of hospitalization, three weeks of quarantine, and a year of recovery.
We returned home from the hospital on Christmas Eve eve. Fife parked in front of the house next to the large living room window. From my horizontal vantage point in the car, I could see Anna tip-toeing past the Christmas tree to get a preview of what I looked like. Fear flashed over her face. I knew that my frozen expression, swollen face, stained and bandaged skin, wild hair, and zombie walk were shocking, but I didn't expect to scare my children. Ever the actress, however, Anna had composed herself by the time I lumbered inside. We couldn't hug but I could see my daughter mature in an instant. Will hung behind her, visibly wary.
They had taken care of everything: cleaned the house (with help and instructions from my parents), boarded the cat at the Vet's, emailed updates to my friends, recorded phone calls and help from friends, and done the laundry. Anna had completed my last-minute Christmas shopping. All I had to do was figure how to climb in and out of my bed.
Those weeks are largely a blur to me now. While I do remember the pain, the itch, the fear, and the guilt that I felt, mainly I remember the care and concern that enveloped me by my family and friends. All of my needs were met cheerfully and completely. Although I had always counted Fife, Anna, Will, my parents, my sister, and my friends as my biggest blessings, their care for me during this lowest point in my life was transformative. But that is the subject for another blog.
During my recovery I could have no visitors, plants, or pets. I could not wear glasses because of the porcine covering my eyelids. Because my burns involved so many joints, my family had to help me eat, drink, walk, sit, and lie down. The porcine could not get wet, so I did not have a shower or wash my hair for three weeks!!!! In addition, an inch-wide band of my hair framing my face was shaved from ear to ear. Don't look for a picture of that to be posted here. Whatever you imagine, ratchet the yuk factor up several notches. Not pretty.
I did recover, though.
Pictured below: my right hand only 3 weeks post-accident. Today, a year and a half later, even the redness is gone. All that remains are the mesh-shaped scars from the porcine, which I don't notice with my middle-aged eyes. Funny, though, I do feel very slight pain at the scar sites every now and then.
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