I've never had a burn of any consequence, but I suspected it would get worse.
Here it is the next day.
I put triple antibiotic on it to prevent infection, and I looked up burns on the Web.
The Mayo Clinic site helped me identify it as a second degree burn since it went
beyond several layers of skin (3rd degree is when it goes beyond all skin and
into muscle or even bone).
Second degree burns can be treated as minor if they
are less than 3 inches in
diameter and
not in a crucial spot such as
a joint. Minor burns should be treated
with cold
(I put ice on it when it happened), a
clean bandage (I put triple antibiotic
ointment
instead), and aspirin (I didn't). For future reference: the Mayo Clinic
said to use cold water, not ice. The ice could cause frostbite and thereby
further complicate things.
It seemed to be healing and I went about my business as usual including some work
on
mom's space.
I found nice, non-stick bandages which allowed me to hobble to happy hour.
After three or four days my foot became swollen and sore. I had trouble walking
on it, especially in the mornings. No sign of infection, though. And the burn does
seem to be healing. Work is out of the question (that's not a bad thing), but
I can still limp to happy hour. I wonder what is causing the swelling?
I wondered if I should get crutches. When Gail mentioned crutches at work, it
turns out
that almost everyone in her office had a pair laying around. A very
nice
co-worker
got a pair from home at lunchtime and sent them to me. I used
them in
the morning
when it was especially hard to put weight on the foot.
Thanks to Bill G. for
the crutches.
Five days after the burn -- I may have turned the corner (knock on wood!). I can walk
much better, and when I lay in bed, I can't even tell which foot has the burn.
Nine days after the burn -- the swelling and soreness are gone. I've been working
on mom's room for the last two days, hanging drywall. And
I am walking almost
normally. I will soon be ready for a sock and shoe.
I cut the front out of this old sandal so I could go into stores and happy hour. You
can see that the swelling is all gone.
I guess I can start wearing my regular sandal. It feels OK.
Two weeks after the burn, and I am normal. I can wear shoes and socks and walk
just fine. My first goal for the month (to heal) is met.
Second Degree Burn
I was making coffee at the campgrounds and I splashed a small amount of boiling water onto my foot. It didn't hurt much. A layer or two of skin peeled off, but it didn't look too bad.