The Burn.

On a recent Saturday night, there was an unfortunate incident in my kitchen involving overcooked Stouffer’s stuffed peppers and poor hand-eye coordination. Long story. The result was a pretty nasty burn on my left foot that has rendered me slightly handicapped for over a week now. At the direction of my friend Kelsey, a 3rd grade teacher and therefore an expert in First Aid, I’ve been covering it in Neosporin and gauze. The only footwear option has been flip-flops which openly display the huge bandage, causing questions from friends, coworkers, and occasionally even random strangers. One guy asked me if it was a recent tattoo. That would have been so much cooler, and much nicer to look at than the nasty scar that this could leave.

With unusual injuries like this, I find that people always want to tell you how to take care of it. One woman told me to put slices of raw potato on it. She apparently learned this trick growing up in Russia, where they had an abundance of potatoes but no Neosporin. Another woman told me not to use Neosporin because it makes you resistant to other antibiotics. Preferring to be antibiotic resistant than to have an infected foot, I ignored that advice.

The whole experience has also made me really nervous around hot surfaces, liquids, solids-anything that could potentially produce another 2nd degree burn. My daily coffee has been replaced by iced coffee or sugar free Red Bull, and I haven't cooked anything all week.

It's looking a lot better now. I have switched from gauze to band-aid patches, ditched the Neosporin for aloe, and I've even been able to attempt closed-toe shoes. The real test will be tomorrow's morning trek to work, my first day of the new job. If I'm feeling brave, maybe I'll pick up a latte on the way. Or not.