I can serve as an example to others

[phuphuphnik]

Proper lab hygiene is important. This does not mean keeping it clean, rather keeping safe.
I forgot one important rule this weekend, and now must suffer the results. I was making rocket engines at a party in the sticks, and had an accident with one of the fuel mixtures. NEVER pass your hand over the work.
caution nasty images under spoiler!!!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

This is after 3 days, and much debraidment of the flesh. Both hands were affected, the left has 2nd degree burns over 100% down past the wrist joint.
I am left handed, by the way. I cannot drive, am out of work for 2 weeks, and need months of physical therapy. I have 5 bad discs in my back, have needed to go to hospital for it when it goes out. This was more pain then I have ever felt, and each time I go back to have it re wrapped I get to relive some of the pain, even with stacked codeine and morphine.
Please be careful, and follow all safety precautions. Do not let this happen to you.
let my mistake and injuries remind you.
yours, most sincerely,
Phuphuphnik AKA Chris Olsen.

[MPsy]

*winces*

Ouch!   

[absinthetic]

YEE-OUCH! A friend of mine had something similar happen to her a few weeks ago...I can't imagine the pain

[Ben Franklin's Electric Kite]

Wow. That's a pretty impressive injury.

What's the cream you're using on it?

[Shaun]

Ouch. We wish you a speedy recovery!

[phuphuphnik]

The white cream is called Thermazine, it is an antibiotic, silver based paste.
Thanks for the well wishes. I really do hope that y'all will look at this and remember it only takes an eye-blink for this kind of thing to happen.
Other than this it was a fun weekend.

[WoodenCorpse]

Oh dear lord!! That looks horrible! My sincerest sympathies. I hope you recover quickly.

[heavyporker]

 Wow. That is staggering in its apparent severity. My condolences, but may I encourage you to at least attempt to create an adjacent hand to take the place of the left hand? I refer you to the artist "Stelarc" who showcased the third hand concept. Basically, it was a robotic hand strapped to one arm, and mimicked or was tele-controlled the hand movements.

[Gnome]

Jeez that looks painful... And while I do empathize with your plight and take your lesson to heart, I wish you had used something in a bold typeface for that "condition nasty"... Yeeouch...

[Rowan of Rin]

Did the mixture catch fire? That indeed looks the embodiment of pain, and I really do give you my most sincere condolences, burns can be one of the toughest injuries to deal with.

The scary thing is I was thinking about making a rocket engine soon (for the first time), and even more scary is the fact that this hasn't put me of that idea one bit

[phuphuphnik]

Jeez that looks painful... And while I do empathize with your plight and take your lesson to heart, I wish you had used something in a bold typeface for that "condition nasty"... Yeeouch...

Fixed

[Atterton]

Now that is why we use minions.

[Gnome]

Jeez that looks painful... And while I do empathize with your plight and take your lesson to heart, I wish you had used something in a bold typeface for that "condition nasty"... Yeeouch...

Fixed

Thank you

[Bunnie]

Thus is why I do not play with things that may explode. ..... most of the time. why are you typing? go lay down or something... I am wincing just thinking of you typing with your hands hurt like that. ouchie.

[Jake of All Trades]

The white cream is called Thermazine, it is an antibiotic, silver based paste.

I, for one, know this product all too well.  I had a rather large petri dish full of Estes rocket engine propellant go off on me a few years back, burning parts of my right hand/forearm and face.  The grand diameter of the glassware in question was actually a blessing, however, as it meant that the blast was relatively spread out.  While the six inches of wrist that were directly over the dish received burns of the second degree (approaching what your hand experienced), the "more important bits" (face, fingers) were given only what would amount to a really bad sunburn.  Though, judging by the condition my eyeglass lens was in, my right eye may well have been lost were I not so speccy. 

Anyhow, I am happy and thankful to report that there has been absolutely no scarring or other permanent damage (aside from a persistent nausea upon smelling gunpowder, that is).  I'm lucky to live in close proximity to one of the country's best burn centers, but it sounds like the care you are getting is at least as good. 

You'll pull out fine, in my professional opinion   In a few day's time, the annoyance of having to tell the @%#$ing story again will far outweigh any physical pain

[A.G.Morgan]

My first thought on viewing the photos was of course "HOLY HELL!, but am I the only one who's second thought was "How did he type this post?"

May you have a speedy and compete recovery, or at least develop cool looking scars you can claim you got while fightin' off flaming zombies or some such.

[lilibat]

My first thought on viewing the photos was of course "HOLY HELL!, but am I the only one who's second thought was "How did he type this post?"

May you have a speedy and compete recovery, or at least develop cool looking scars you can claim you got while fightin' off flaming zombies or some such.

I was about to ask if he was typing with his feet or his tongue.

In other news... OWIE!!! My condolences, that looks painful.

... and here I felt stupid for the 2nd degree spot on my arm from one of my tools I got last week.  I am to stay far FAR away from rockets!

[RowanAmeth]

I got some powder burns a few months back from foolishly placing my hand in front of a revolver's cylinder (not the barrel, that would be silly) and firing, left some nice black speckled marks and a good deal of redness, as well as little spots of blood out of the deeper marks caused by unburned powder embedding into my flesh. I thought THAT hurt, I can't imagine how yours must've felt.

Then again, I did manage to get 2nd degree burns over my back and shoulders from lounging in the sun. Curse my porcelain pallor!

[Siliconous Skumins]

aside from a persistent nausea upon smelling gunpowder, that is)

Yeah......I know what you mean, I still get that nearly 15 years after my little accident.... 


I escaped with very little in the way of burns (mostly minor powder burns to my eyes), but unfortunately in my case, there was an explosion due to the nature of the device I happend to be holding (actually filling...) at the time.....

Metal fragments embedded in the face and eye socket - just as painfull, I can assure you.  Actually, not strictly true - I didn't feel anything for the first 25 minutes. Then the shock wore off........it was like somebody just 'switched on' the pain (to 11 on the dial...). From zero to agony in one second. 

Thank god for Diamorphine (medical grade Heroin) - that stuff really does work for pain (still hurts like hell, but you just don't care anymore).

SS

[Shaun]

And I'm going to stick to letting other people do the engineering.

[Zastrozzi]

Yeesh.  Ow ow ow.

On the bright side, there's something more than a little steamy about the fact that they're using silver to put you back together...

[elShoggotho]

I can barely imagine the pain of completely burning my left hand like that. I still have some scars from my kitchen accident last year. Smoking oil and frozen water - NEVER AGAIN, I say! Thankfully, it only took me out for a week and healed quickly.

[JingleJoe]

My first thought on viewing the photos was of course "HOLY HELL!, but am I the only one who's second thought was "How did he type this post?"

May you have a speedy and compete recovery, or at least develop cool looking scars you can claim you got while fightin' off flaming zombies or some such.

I wish to express a similar sentiment to this chap scars from laboratory accidents are cool! I know, horribly painful, but so damn cool!
Speedy recovery wishes from here too.
As one about to do some work with fire today I will take much care, wear goggles, big gauntlets and maybe keep a bucket of water close by.

By the by I'm reckoning it just took him a very long time to type or he dictated it to someone who typed it for him, yeees, thats what Igor is for

[Sir Nikolas Vendigroth]

Lawdy.

I waved my hand through a blowtorch flare recently, but it seems i got off relatively lightly...


Get well soon.

[phuphuphnik]

I can type with the 3 fingers of the right hand that are undamaged. I'm gettting a netflix account today
My wife/lab assistant has locked of all my tools. Can't do much. I'm going mad I tell you mad!!! Muuuahhaahaahaaaa!!!!