There are a few things in life that you kinda expect to happen to you; and when you are a parent- to your children.
You expect them to fall down once a while.
You expect them to get hurt once a while.
You expect them to get a bump on the head, a cut there, a bruise here.
But you don’t expect them to be scalded.
At dinner tonite, Grandma was serving up dinner. Caitlin was seated already next to me, at the far side of the table against the doorway into the dining area. Grandma was coming in with bowls of hot soup. She makes them really hot. She reached forward to put a bowl down infront of Caitlin for her, and it slipped out of her hand, away from her, towards Caitlin.
Without really thinking I made the mistake of trying to sweep away the soup from her lap; thinking to remove the hot element from skin.
Grandma comes in to carry her off the wet seat.
I went to get some cloth- anything, to wet with cold water to put over the area.
Grandma says NO.
By which time Mummee was rushing down after hearing the scream. She was shouting DO NOT GET ICE.
My wet cloth was ignored. I could see some peeled skin. It looks like what it’d be like a few days after being sunburnt.
Mummee came with toothpaste, and we all started to spread it over the area.
Caitlin starts to settle.
The old school Chinese old wives way was NOT to encourage quick contraction after a hot expansion. My basic first aid was ignored. We then remembered some ointment bought from China by either grandparents, which had quickly healed the assistant’s hands during the sideshow (more like freakshow) demo, where he applied the ointment immediately after grasping red hot iron bar- don’t ask.
4-5 hours later we are back at our apartment, our regular routine, ready for bed. Mummee’s gentle dabs removed the toothpaste ready for another application of Chinese ointment. Cleared, we could see the damage. Blisters. Multiple of them. Bigger and smaller than peanuts. And the roll of broken skin.
I called Dr Pixie to ask what else we could do other than to air it. She said to go get sulphur silver diazine. It would help with the burn, and it is also antiseptic.
In the conversation I related the whole ordeal, whether it was likely to scar- YES. Provided the blisters aren’t popped during this whole time. but definitely there will be different pigmentation during / after healing.
But I made the worst mistake. I effectively already removed some skin when I swept her lap. It would be those area that is guaranteed to scar; don’t even talk about popping the blisters, I had already effectively done that.
I went to the only 24 hours pharmacy I could think of- Pantai Hospital, not too far from here. Got 60g of the cream, at RM12.40. They call is Flamazine
She is sleeping now with Mummee.
In the coming days these are what I am anticipating:
- her in her school uniform- how do we ensure the area is kept medicated?
- her in her school uniform- how do we ensure she doesn’t get the area accidentally bumped / scraped / pop the blisters?
- her in regular clothes- to remove them to go pee? Who’s gonna help her removal?
- her in bed- same precautions as above?
I feel like shit. I feel much worse actually.
I also use aloe vera (I seem to get scalded often) that helps a lot also. if you bandaged her up and inform the teachers, they may be able to help right?
it’s an accident hun, try not to feel guilty abt it, you do what u do under stress, hugs hugs at least she herself is fine HUGS
[ lia\´s last blog post..First days at school ]
Hi Lia,
Thanks for the input.
For burns and scalds, I am pretty sure you are supposed to leave it open and aired, not bandaged or closed up. That’s why burn injuries are the hardest to treat.
I will check on your suggestion, but either way it will be tough on the poor child.
Last night we woke and there was a chance to apply the SSD mentioned above. Light touches during the application was enough to send her squirming almost screaming. My heart aches….
This morning (the morning after) it had darkened somewhat, not red anymore. But the “bubbles” are very prominent, not surprisingly. Caitlin, luckily, is taking all this in stride. This morning she woke, looked at it and exclaimed “the bubbles are a leeeeeetle bit smaller….” holding up her thumb and index finger infront of her eyes. They weren’t, but I will humor her in her good spirits nonetheless.
My heart still aches.
John, I really feel for you but try your hardest not to beat yourself up about it.
As a small toddler, I had pulled a fresh cup of coffee down off the counter and it spilled all over my pajamas. From what I have been told, I was crying and nobody knew what happened until someone picked me up and felt the hot, wet sleeve of my pajamas.
My arm was burned very badly and was burnt from the top of my shoulder down to my wrist. As I grew, most of the scaring disappeared except for a large scar at the top of my shoulder and one right on my bicep.
Hang in there and just do whatever you can to make her comfortable.
[ Derek\´s last blog post..Q&A Round 8 :: The Answers ]
Hi Derek,
Thanks for your input.
I am wondering if your “remainder” scar was due to the cup falling on your shoulder, or from the scalding itself…
You obviously need CPR and/or First Aid training. Lesson #1: Never touch burned or infected area. Hands are dirty, bacteria, etc.
What we do NOW for her will determine the condition of her scared tissue. Being that I had volunteered at a hospital, bandaging burned area IS recommended to protect the skin as well as from the environment. However, it is HIGHLY recommended that the burned area should be cleaned and reapply medicine every 2-3 hours daily until the bubbles swell down. Did your sister prescribe a medicine to treat the area? When the bubbles swell down and skin is starting to repair… apply MEDERMA. Hospitals here use it to treat scars. As she grows, the skin will stretch and scars will be minimal.
No worries daddee… she will be fine. Just try your best to treat the area now.
Lesson for all… never sit the child near an accident-prone Grandma. <> Please don’t tell grandma I said this. She must be tormenting herself already for the accident.
Yee Yee,
Yours isn’t the only one suggesting these apply-when-healing things- cream and bandages alike. I will certainly have to research these for Caitlin’s use.
Thanks.
Poor Caitlin and poor Daddee too.
Please don’t beat yourself up too hard over a thankfully minor accident, us parents are only human and although it might seem horrible now your little girls’ wounds will heal.
Take care xx
[ hissychick\´s last blog post..Can’t blog, too busy on Facebook ]
Hi Hissychick,
I know the wound will heal, just that I don’t want any long lasting and obvious scarring to occur.
I know the poor girl is in numb pain, with the 2 occassions tonite (night after) where the area was accidentally bumped, setting her off, understandably.
The remaining scarring on my arm is due to the fact that the scarring was much worse at the top of my shoulder, where the coffee landed on my arm. The burns were not as severe lower down on my arm.
I don’t remember any of this myself, as I was a very small child at the time.
[ Derek\´s last blog post..Q&A Round 8 :: The Answers ]
Sigh, it’s ok daddee. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Accidents happen and most of them we are not prepared for.
Hope Caitlin is feeling better.
With the proper treatment it should heal soon and it would be alright.
Maybe even something interesting that she can share in the future. Caitlin (and the rest of us) will now also benefit from this experience. Caitlin in that she will not do it to her own kids!
Don’t feel too badly. It was not your intention.
[ Ann\´s last blog post..Sensitive soul ]
Oh, poor darling. Hope she is better by now.
Don’t blame yourself, Daddee. We always want to save our kids from danger, yet we are but human.
A cousin of mine also spilled hot soup on herself when she was 4 and now, she 19, we don’t see any scars anymore.
Time heal all wounds.
[ Moomykin\´s last blog post..Back To School ]