Virtual Open Mic: Jody Hale

A simple cup of hot water in which to put my teabag. That’s all it took.

There’s a reason they call it “searing pain”. Favoring my other leg, I hobbled to the restroom to take a look.

The mirror revealed blisters.

Not the kind of blisters I would get gardening but large vesicles the size of a plum. I realized my chest was tight and I was only breathing with a small percentage of my lungs as if this would help manage the pain.

I’m in the health care profession and even I was not prepared for the agony of debriding with bleach water baths and skin grafting. You wouldn’t think the simple act of changing a bandage, which must be done often, could produce so many hot tears running down your face as you try desperately to be brave and stoic.

Because of the way our central nervous system works, the physical pain of burns goes beyond the spot of the burn itself. From the point of the burn, the nerves that travel all the way to the brain are on high alert, putting stress on many parts of the body. 

The National Institutes of Health have published many studies on PTSD suffered after a severe burn. The memory of each agonizing step of recovery is “re-lived” during even the most harmless of circumstances. Walking near a hot grill triggers a worrisome reaction in my brain. Comments such as, “Well you look fine” are met with guilt for not being able to control my brain’s pain reaction.

It’s been 1 ½ years and I continue to have procedures to reduce my scars. 

In your home, keep a burn first aid. If you or a loved one suffers a burn, go immediately to the emergency room; this quick act could save unneeded pain and suffering. And if you have experienced a burn: you are not alone, and your physical and emotional responses are normal and warranted.