There has been much written about the curse of the Mummy. I cannot comment on the historical ones, but can assure you that at least one was doing a fair bit of cursing Friday in a small Buckinghamshire village. After a lovely day with friends, the cafetière full of boiling coffee took it upon itself to explode. The curses followed the scream.
It was an hour and a half later that my younger son arrived, while I was still soaking what bits I could in cold water and wrapped in cold, wet towels, dripping all over and incoherent. Alex took charge and called the ambulance. I currently look like a mummy, bandaged at the burns unit in places I did not know could be bandaged. While hefty doses of morphine have left me feeling like a zombie with a hangover.
In this unaccustomed heat where I have to stay out of the sun now too, this heavily padded look is, I have to say, not ideal, particularly when it feels centrally heated from within.
However, I have been very lucky, so far, and the cold water did its job. The hospital is hopeful that I won’t need skin grafts and that even the third degree burns will heal well.
It has been an object lesson in consciousness and how we focus. For a couple of hours there was only a body in pain, or so it seemed. Rational thought went out the window… I know, from my own first -aid training, that any burn bigger than the palm of the hand needs to be at least looked at by a doctor. And the burns are pretty extensive. Yet all my all-too-present body could think of was cold water. The longer the pain went on, the worse it became, the more I observed, as if from a distance, as I fell into a kind of panicked endurance, getting colder and colder. Looking back I suppose I was in shock.
My emotional thoughts were all over the place. I felt ashamed of myself for not coping better and tried to muster more resistance. It is, after all, what we are ‘expected’ to do. I was afraid.. all the people I would let down, all the things that need to be done…if I were out of action for a while. Even vanity came into it… just how bad were the burns on my face and neck? All the rest could be covered…
I was very conscious that all my focus was on the physical body, yet real consciousness itself was not within it… it stood to one side and observed quite dispassionately. There was even an inner stream of words.. not a dialogue, but an awareness that kept up a running commentary, both encouragement and critique. It seemed quite pleased when I remembered my training enough to visualise the heat dissipating and try to reach a place of calm within, even though it did not show on the surface, I’m afraid. It laughed at my worries of scarring and reminded me I’ve dealt with worse scars in the past. They really don’t matter. It approved of my realisation that there were lessons to be learned here.
It took my son to bring an oasis of calm to the situation, as with no panic he did what he could while calling for help, packing my things for the hospital and organising care for a worried small dog as well as dealing with the other balls I had in the air at the time. I was so glad of his arrival and so very proud of him for the way he calmly stepped into an awful situation that must have been distressing for him to say the least.
Of course, it highlighted yet another of my failings. I had not asked for help for myself. Just with the stuff that needed doing. Alex would have been there sooner had he known how bad it was. I am still ashamed when I have to ask for help for myself, though I’ll bulldoze anything to get it for someone else.
It is not an easy lesson to learn, or to admit, that we are neither self-sufficient nor invulnerable. I learned, long ago, that anything that can happen, can happen to you. It doesn’t mean it will, but anything is possible. And we are, no matter what we may think, equipped to deal with it, one way or another. Life has a way of giving us the lessons in small increments if we take notice, and what we then learn is stored against future need.
It is impossible to know what every individual needs to learn for their soul’s growth into Light. All we can ever do, I feel, is to take notice of the opportunities we are given and try to find the essence of the experience and learn what it gives us. And if we don’t like what we see, then we can work towards changing it. Better that than to wander blindly through life simply reacting to events.
I have done a lot of thinking as I have drifted in and out of a morphine fuelled sleep the past 36 hours. I hope I have thought to some purpose and do not waste this opportunity for change.
Meanwhile, I want to thank all those who have known, thanks to Steve’s posting on the Silent Eye Facebook page, and who have sent such beautiful messages of love, support and healing. It means more than I could ever say.
Thank you.
Sue Vincent's Daily Echo 
Take care of yourself.
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*chuckles* I have little choice 🙂
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I hope the recovery will be fast.
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So do I 🙂
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Get well soon
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Thank you
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You are welcome
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oh how to like this bit of news? how painful this sounds, there’s nothing worse than a bad burn! you take care of you and let the men wait on you. seems life is trying to tell you it’s ok to need others sometimes! all will happen one way or the other so no worries, dear heart. xox
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*chuckles* I live alone, my friend, so it is a little difficult. But yes, I will, at this stage, accept all the help that is offered 🙂
I really, really want to wash the stickiness out of my hair, but have no idea how I am going to manage that one!
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well, you are full of surprises as i thought you had a large man around you. maybe he’s only around you once in awhile 😉 and not a bad idea either…. ahem.
don’t bother with the lovely red hair, my dear. it’ll not fall out waiting for you to heal. you’ve had quite a streak lately! time for you to have some time of peace and NO pain! xxx
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*chuckles*
It would be nice. No doubt when I finally grasp what the Powers That be are trying to tell me things will change. 🙂
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haha, good luck in figuring that one out! 😉 I’ve been trying for years and still can’t quite get it right… ah well… tomorrow’s another day!
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Tomorrow the bandages come off and I can see how much damage I’ve done. Hopefully not too much and I can get on with healing 🙂
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fingers and toes will be crossed for you! ♥
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Thank you 🙂
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I am so sorry to read this, je pense à toi and wish you a prompt recovery. Don’t forget what you learned. You are “une personne extraordinaire”. I am lucky to know you !!!
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Je t’en remercie. J’espère, moi aussi, que la guérison sera rapide! Il fait beaucoup trop chaud pour être déguisé en momie.
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l’humour sauve de toutes les situations
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🙂
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Liking this post seems an inappropriate way of me showing concern for you. Shock, pain and mentally beating yourself up is one of the worst combinations. I hope the cooling breeze from Wellington gets to you in time 🙂
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I could do with it, Robert, we have, finally, an ill-timed simmer’s day here 🙂
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Oh my, I do hope you recover fully and quickly. Please take care of yourself my dear.
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Doing my best, Pamela 🙂
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Wondered what that expletive was, drifting in on the breeze 🙂
Liking that you’re home. As if you didn’t have enough aches and pains without this!
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Well this on is more colourful, you have to admit 🙂
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Indeed. But it’s an awful lot of trouble to go to – all to justify a new coffee pot! 😉
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filter next time x
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😀
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Ha! I love this.
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Oh no! I hope you heal swiftly – and are able to shake the the zombie-with-a-hangover feeling (that’s the worst! ;-)) as well as the mental agonizing. That’s a good son you raised – calm, purposeful and helpful. Feel better soon!
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I have a couple of excellent sons, Katie. 🙂
I’m not worried now.. though it was not pleasant in the shock period. It will heal however it heals and scars are only scars. I shall start a new fashion, I think, for wide brimmed hats, chiffon scarves and long gloves.. 🙂
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That is an excellent idea! Very classy, I think!
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*chuckles* You haven’t seen me in a hat 😉
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🙂
Oh boy, I know how you feel. I love cloche hats and yet … that just isn’t pretty.
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It gets easier with age.. but never that easy 🙂 My mother was a hat woman.. anything looked marvellous on her.. sighs…
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Sending blue and white colored healing thoughts across the pond to you – Best wishes in your healing.
xo {hugs}
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Thank you, my friend xxx
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Healing love and light to you!
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Thank you, Simone x
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It must have been a shocking experience. The inner dialogue and the observer consciousness you described is wonderful. All strength to you and may you recover fully.
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Thank you, Don. I shall be doing my best 🙂
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Hope you are recovering quickly and completely. by the by I love the cartoon at the opening of this post…very cute 🙂
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We will see what the burns unit has to say tomorrow. Yes, I rather liked it myself 🙂
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Oh Sue, the lessons are coming thick and fast aren’t they! Hope you don’t need grafts – I don’t have much experience of treating burns but I hope you have good healing skin.
LOL Anne Hynes
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Thank you Ann, I’m hoping so too x
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I can so relate to your attempts to do it all yourself and not want to ask for help. Thank heavens that your son Alex was there to provide a calm center for you, and get you the help you needed. Heal fast, get well and take care of yourself, my friend.
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Thanks Judy, he was wonderful.At the burns unit tomorrow to see how things are going x
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Hope the burns unit doctors gave you good news today. May you heal swiftly and give your body the rest it needs to repair itself.
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Eightin the morning my time, Julie. I’m hoping so too 🙂 x
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