The Noobette

Last 23rd April, I never thought I will discover the best way to wake up in the morning.

This is what happened. I got up around 4:30 in the morning. I'm the type of person who wakes up in the morning on the go. My husband greeted me and asked me to make some coffee. I happily obliged to.

While i was preparing the cups, I was already boiling the water. So when the water is done, I poured the water into the cup mindlessly. I'm just pouring water. Not much thinking needed there. Wrong!

As I return the pot onto the base, I knocked downed one of the cups and guess where it landed? Yes, it went down through my shorts into my legs.

My husband said, he never heard me shout in pain like that before. I guess its pretty loud because my dad and sister got out of bed as well when they heard me.

The result of the mini-accident, 1st and 2nd degree burns. And it hurt like hell. I was thinking of posting the pics here but thought again as its not a pretty sight. Nevertheless, you can look it in here.

This is the first time something like this happened to us and we are clueless of what to do. We tried putting one some toothpaste as we were told that toothpaste has a cooling effect on burns. However, we didn't realized that I had endured second degree burn so when we put a bit of toothpaste, it worsen the burn and took out a bit of the skin. We learned the hard way. -.-

Mayo Clinic gives some pointers on how to give first aid on burns.

First-degree burn

The least serious burns are those in which only the outer layer of skin is
burned. The skin is usually red, with swelling and pain sometimes present. The
outer layer of skin hasn't been burned through. Treat a first-degree burn as a
minor burn unless it involves substantial portions of the hands, feet, face,
groin or buttocks, or a major joint.

Second-degree burn

When the first layer of skin has been burned through and the second layer
of skin (dermis) also is burned, the injury is called a second-degree burn.
Blisters develop and the skin takes on an intensely reddened, splotchy
appearance. Second-degree burns produce severe pain and swelling.
If the
second-degree burn is no larger than 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) in diameter,
treat it as a minor burn. If the burned area is larger or if the burn is on the
hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or over a major joint, treat it as a major
burn and get medical help immediately.

• Cool the burn. Hold the burned area under cold running
  water for at least five minutes, or until the pain subsides. If this is
  impractical, immerse the burn in cold water or cool it with cold compresses.
  Cooling the burn reduces swelling by conducting heat away from the skin. Don't
  put ice on the burn.
• Cover the burn with a sterile gauze bandage. Don't use
  fluffy cotton, which may irritate the skin. Wrap the gauze loosely to avoid
  putting pressure on burned skin. Bandaging keeps air off the burned skin,
  reduces pain and protects blistered skin.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. These include
  aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen
  (Tylenol, others). Never give aspirin to children or teenagers.

Minor burns usually heal without further treatment. They may heal with
pigment changes, meaning the healed area may be a different color from the
surrounding skin. Watch for signs of infection, such as increased pain, redness,
fever, swelling or oozing. If infection develops, seek medical help. Avoid
re-injuring or tanning if the burns are less than a year old — doing so may
cause more extensive pigmentation changes. Use sunscreen on the area for at
least a year.

Caution

• Don't use ice. Putting ice directly on a burn can cause
  frostbite, further damaging your skin.
• Don't apply butter or ointments to the burn. This could
  prevent proper healing.
• Don't break blisters. Broken blisters are vulnerable to
  infection.

So there.

But the most important lesson is Before you make some coffee, Be sure you are awake. ^^