After a full day of thrills at Efteling, our only goal was getting home to our cozy beds. "Family dinner sound good?" I asked. "Keep it simple," my husband said, eyes heavy with fatigue. "Chasing kids all day beats any workday, right?" He nodded. "No doubt."
We drove past the supermarket and butcher. "I'm whipping up a healthy meal to end the day right," I declared. He agreed. "Can I handle emails for 30 minutes?" I chuckled. "Sure, feed that workaholic urge."
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I rinsed the broccoli, broke it into florets, and lit the stove. The oven potatoes were golden brown. Using a tea towel, I pulled out the dish—then searing pain ripped through my arm.
"Ouch!" "Mom, you okay?" my 18-year-old daughter called from the couch. I slammed the oven shut and ran cold water over the burn. Once the sting eased, it looked manageable. Dinner prep continued.
In bed that evening, I finally inspected the burn properly. Yikes—not a minor spot, but a full-blown blister. It worried me; I showed my husband. "Get some ointment on that." Snug under covers, I switched off the light. Tomorrow's task.
At 3 a.m., I jolted awake as my arm grazed the mattress. Agonizing pain. Why couldn't I keep it still?
Light on, I eased out of bed. In hindsight, ointment and gauze earlier would have helped. Slippers on, I headed to the bathroom cabinet. Unpacking gauze, dizziness hit hard—I gripped the counter. Mild panic surged; bed, now.
"What happened?" My concerned husband asked as I ended up on the floor. "Didn't quite make it," I mumbled. He gently lifted me into bed and took the gauze.
Relief washed over me in those sheets.
The next day, I rested. Fainting from pain shook me, so I researched it thoroughly.
Intense pain triggers blood vessel dilation across the body. Blood pools downward, starving the brain of supply and oxygen—leading to fainting. This vasovagal response isn't limited to physical pain; emotional distress, like bad news, can trigger it too. It's the body's protective mechanism: a painless shutdown, though inconvenient.
Day two, my arm was bandaged—a great attention-grabber, but the pain lingered. Burns are no joke. Online, I learned antioxidants speed healing. With peppers on hand, I sliced one—and drove the knife through my thumb.
Time to lie down?
-x-
Ievy
