2nd degree burn....ugh!

Last Monday at 6 am, my alarm clock radio came on, and I lept from my bed in my deep sleep, ran over to the alarm clock to stop it from waking the girls, and L E A N E D onto the space heater in my room and burned myself. I almost dropped to the floor, it hurt that badly.
I sat down and held my poor leg, thinking that this was temporary pain and it would go away in a few minutes. Unfortunately, it wasn't the case. I spent the next two hours in absolute misery. I didn't have any blisters at that point, but I had these funny looking white streaks on my leg.

After talking to my friends, my sister who is a nurse, and the chiropractor, I decided I had to go to the hospital. The doctors office wouldn't see me because they felt it was a 2nd degree burn (now actually called partial thickness burn). At the hospital they did first aid, which I could have done. But they also told me I would have to return the next day, after giving it 24 hours for the blisters to raise, so they could scrub or debride the burn. I was given a prescription for LorTab. The emergency room doctor told me that they would first cut the blisters off, then scrub (weren't sure if they would use a gauze or brush, due to waiting to see what type of burn it really was).

I got very nervous about this proceedure because first of all, it would hurt, but also because I was worried about getting staph-e or something. After more research, the determination was that I was going to have a severe infection on my leg if I didn't go and have this done.

I went on Tuesday evening. I can not describe accurately enough how painful this proceedure was. I couldn't even cry. It was more like I was unable to breath. I couldn't speak afterwards, and I don't remember ANYTHING about the proceedure! My friend Sara, who went with me, said that I let out a few explicits, but other than that, it was pure pain, and I couldn't even respond to her or the doctor. The only thing I remember is the absolute feeling of wanting to vomit. I didn't want to vomit in front of all those people, and I wanted to be brave, and apparently the combination of the two "wants" rendered me speechless!

I walked out, and it took me about 10 minutes to walk out. I don't think anyone thought it hurt me that much, since I couldn't speak or cry. A nurse saw me walking out and asked if I needed a wheelchair, but stupidly I declined, and regretted later. I think it would have been nice if someone would have helped me into Sara's van, since the van was up high.

At home I was so glad to get into my bed, and having taken extra pain meds once I got in the van, I just drifted off to sleep for a couple of hours. The kids kept coming in and hugging me and asking me if I was okay. I was just in absolute pain for a solid 48 hours. I am still in a great deal of pain, the type that just knocks you off your feet.

The doctor told me that the wound would be healed in about 3 days. That was Thursday. Sadly I scheduled a massage client on Friday, and had to cancel it. It will be about 3 weeks before I am fully healed. I have lost so much money due to this and it is pretty upsetting!

At this point today (Monday) the wound is starting to develop a small scab. Each time I take off the dressings to scrub and reapply the antibacterial salve, some of the scabing comes off with the dressing. The doc said that is supposed to happen. The drainage has slowed down, but I still have a great amount of that. I can be laying still and feel intense burning, itching, severe pain, drainage ect. Walking is nearly impossible still. I know this is TMI, but I am hoping that one of my readers has had experience with this, and can tell me what they have done to improve the burn naturally. The burn is about the size of my palm, if not slightly larger.

Well, send your best wishes. I need them right now!

Jyotsna