Absolutely in Shock
#172820 - 04/22/05 06:58 PM
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I'm just in shock. I feel absolutely numb. I can hardly think.
This afternoon, I was making Heather's Orange Cranberry Bread (excellent btw) when my dad came home and asked if I could help him for a minute. He had gotten my microwave fixed, and was bringing it back, but it fits into a deep microwave cabinet above the oven, so it's hard to pug back in. He asked if I could plug it in while he slid it into place. (We've done this several times.)
Well, I plugged it in, and there was a huge explosion. A terrible boom, and then sparks shooting out across the floor. I was standing there pondering how to stamp out the fire on the floor, when I felt a searing pain in my chest. I was wearing a halter top, and my whole chest in the deep V-neck is absolutely black. My skin got burned in the flash explosion.
My metal necklace had fallen against the contact when I plugged it in, and that's what caused the explosion. It was thrown back and then hit my neck, so you can see the outline of the necklace in my chest, like a deep ridge.
It hurts. Tremendously. But mostly, I just feel in shock. I keep hearing the explosion, and seeing the sparks dancing across the floor. I can't keep anything in my mind.
I mean, I'm used to pain. Really. I've had heart surguries without any anesthesia or pain meds or sedation or anything. The pain isn't that pick of a deal (relatively). I've just never felt so *shocked*.
Has anyone else every gotten seriously hurt in an "accident" type thing? Did you feel numb after?
Help....
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~~~Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.~~~
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OMG!!!
#172822 - 04/22/05 07:06 PM
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melitami
Reged: 02/23/04
Posts: 1213
Loc: Ewing, NJ, USA (IBS-D, Vegetarian)
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I've never had anything like that happen to me, I just wanted to say I hope you're okay and send lots of gentle hugs!!!!
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Melissa
Friendship is thicker than blood. ~Rent
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The Shock will ware off after awhile! I am glad your ok!! Jeeze I would be in shock to!!!!
HUGS!!!!
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Heather7476
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Ditto!
#172838 - 04/22/05 07:37 PM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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I think *shock* is pretty understandable right now! Holy cow! I'm sure that'll wear off... wow, I just hope you're ok and I'm sending some hugs too!
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Have you seen a doctor? I'm glad you're okay. Also sending gentle hugs. Hope it heals soon!
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Amy
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Holy cow! Yep, shock seems pretty natural after that...remember that it is a medical condition! Something sweet can help...sweet tea was always the standard remedy over here. 
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How frightening. I really think you must see a doctor. Don't forget, our bodies run on our own electrical impulses. You can seriously damage your heart.
Another interesting point -- your necklace did not necessarily have to touch the contact. There is something called the corona effect, in which electricity can arc up to about 7 feet. My very close friend and his father were killed in 1997 when they were painting their house and their aluminum extension ladder got too close to power lines. They were both holding the ladder and were both killed instantly. We all wondered how they could be careless enough to let the ladder touch, until we found out that the electricity could jump so far. It makes me so angry. If they had known that, they could be here. Anyway, that's off topic from your accident. Just please go to the doctor and make sure everything is okay. Thanks for sharing your story -- I think we'll all be a lot more careful. Who would think that the necklace around your neck is a perfect conductor? In our minds, it's just jewelry.
Glad you are okay.
Best,
Panda
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Amanda
I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin
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Wow...that makes sense. It's not a long necklace, maybe about collar bone length (a drop, not a choaker, but still short) so I wondered how it did that. It's not the sort that is always dragging into things by any means, so yeah...I really didn't think about it.
I got lucky, the doc said, that I didn't have a higher neck shirt on, or else the fabric would caught fire or melted into the skin and have to be pulled out. That made me feel (a bit) better, because I was already thinking "how could I be so stupid to do something like that without more clothing on?" But I guess that part was alright. And I know I was lucky. Things could have been so much worse. I mean, we were putting the microwave into a wooden cabinet, so if that caught fire... Wow. I'd probably be allot more burnt, and maybe the house.... wow.
And no one else got hurt. And, unbelievably, the microwave still works.
The one problem (other than the skin burn) is that it is on top of where I had a metal box implanted in my chest. It's not a pacemaker, but it is a heart monitor, so that's the general idea. If that melted or anything, it will be a bigger problem. I'm skinney enough that you can see the outline of the box, and it is still the proper shape, so it's probably not destroyed or anything, but I need to find out if it is still working. And if there was an electrical shock, that's probably trouble. I have enough heart problems as it is.
(Of course, that was friday night, so everyone says "Oh, just come in on Monday") I did talk with my GP (conviniently my neighbor) and he said just to keep ice on it for at least 8 hours, and not to try to remove the metal or anything.
I know the blackened part is just a thermal flash burn, but it worries me that the necklace ridge might be electrical. My GP said that you can't know the severity of burns for several days. I just know that it *really* hurts.
And I still feel shocked. Totally numb. Which is bad, because I have an unbelievable amount of work that has to happen this weekend. And its taken me more than an hour to post this, because I keep staring off into space. Hard to do calculus in this state.
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~~~Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.~~~
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Something sweet...that's interesting. Well, I did have some of the orange-cranberry bread last. And some jelly beans. That's interesting, do you know why?
Is there anything else to do, regarding that? I tried to look it up last night, but I fell asleep. I had hoped I would wake up a bit more clear-minded, but I still feel so numb. It's weird. I've been sick and in pain for various reasons almost my whole life. But never after an "accident". I feel so much more empathetic for people in car crashes and stuff...even if they aren't hurt so badly. It's just scary.
I was going to watch a movie last night to try to chill, but my eyes don't seem to really be focusing. Is that part of the shock? Or maybe damage for the flash?
I always "deal with" thing by reading and researching as much as I possibly can, but I can't seem to pull it together enough to do that...
I just feel lost...
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~~~Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.~~~
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This will just take a bit of time...not alot you can do about it! I've been in accidents and the shock always surprises me. But I would get checked out by your doc in case it did hurt your eyes or something.
Carbohydrates (esp. simple one's like sugar) are a natural tranquiliser and kinda pick-me-up so they help with the physical effects of shock.
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