He was rushed to the UTMB Burn Unit in Galveston, one of the best burn hospitals in the country, which luckily for us, is only about an hour or so away from here. My mom and I sped to Galveston unsure of what to expect since we did not get to talk to him the whole morning. It was unnerving for me because the last time I heard his voice was from a voicemail message he left me from an unknown number on my cell phone at 4 in the morning. I had to pray that that wouldn't be the last time I would hear his voice...
We got to Galveston, and to my relief, found my dad chatting and smiling with the BASF Safety Officer, Sterling, who had been with my dad since 2:30 a.m. shortly after the incident occurred. The burns were on his face and chest, and his skin was purple and about 8 to 10 shades darker than he usually is. It was already 9:15 a.m. by the time my mom and I arrived at the hospital, and I hated that it took so long for us to get to him. I was emotional mostly because I was relieved and happy to see my dad smiling and talking, but the next hours and days would be critical because the chemical he was sprayed with has extremely toxic properties that could kill. Lesson learned: ALWAYS ANSWER YOUR PHONE...EVEN IF IT'S 4 A.M.
The chemical my dad got sprayed with is called Dichlorophenol, also known as DCP. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to explain what happened in a public post, so if you'd truly like to know, message me at my inbox on Facebook or Gmail, and I can tell you in a private message.
Thankfully, all of my dad's pH levels and blood work tests were normal. That meant the chemicals did not have the chance to seep into his system and affect his organs. Thank God he took the time to wash the chemical off as much as possible! He spent 60 minutes in the safety showers at BASF and they scrubbed him another 60 minutes at UTMB. Since his results were all normal, they were able to discharge him and send him home the very next day.
Here are some progress photos of my dad's burns
(Warning, some may be hard to look at, so scroll quickly if you have a weak stomach):
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| August 8 Same day of accident at UTMB |
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| August 9 Back at home |
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| August 11 Painful Peeling |
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| August 13 |
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| August 13 Still peeling, painful, & swollen |
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| August 13 Post 1st Follow-Up Visit at UTMB Galveston Doctors removed the burned peelings |
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| August 20 2nd UTMB Follow-Up Visit at UTMB Galveston |
Somehow during all the chaos of the past couple of weeks, I have still been able to make time to work out and eat right 80% of the time. I didn't get to exercise as much as I would have liked, but it was better than doing absolutely nothing for 2 weeks. I was (and still am) very tired from this big shake-up from my usual routine, but I know that keeping up with my physical activity has helped keep my stress levels lower than they would be otherwise. Besides, I'd take this kind of fatigue and overwhelmed feeling any day over what could have happened.
The first weekend that my dad was home, I stayed with my parents to help my dad change his bandages, get him food, etc. When my parents were napping, I made time to work out in my old bedroom. I managed to walk to my aunt's house down the street and use her treadmill on Sunday morning before church also.
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| I was able to run/walk a mile in 16:12. |
Back at work, it was weird to adjust. I've been on a spinach salad kick lately. I enjoy it with an Italian vinaigrette, sun dried tomatoes, a little Pecorino Romano, and sometimes I add a protein such as tuna or salmon.
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| Spinach salad, tuna, pita chips & hummus |
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| Time |
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| Strides |
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| Calories |
This was the first time I ever went to a casino. Yes, I am 28 years old, but there are several reasons why I've avoided it for so long, though. I hate cigarette smoke, and I don't want to risk losing any of the little extra money that I have after all my bills have been paid. The only joy I got out of the trip was seeing my mom win and enjoy herself and the splurging a little by eating at the massive buffet. Otherwise, I intend to avoid going back. The machines devoured all the money I put in, it smelled awful, it was loud, crowded, and did I mention it smelled awful?
Obviously, my dad could not join us because God only knows what kind of germs lurk in a casino, and he may have still been vulnerable to infection. It was a lovely mom/daughter trip, though! We went back home on Sunday morning and took advantage of the tax-free shopping sales in Beaumont before I brought her back to Fannett. I wish she could have had a more exciting birthday celebration, but we had a lot to be thankful for. Keeping it low key this year was the best option.
I will admit that my eating has not been as great as it needs to be, and that I have been "stress eating" more often than not. But by some miracle, I have been able to more or less maintain the same weight since my last weigh-in. It has been fluctuating between 136 and 139 over the past 2 weeks, but it has not gone any lower than 136. I have about 10 - 15 more pounds to go before I reach my true goal bracket, and I know I need to get back on track with my eating and my regular workouts.
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| My weight August 20, 2012 My apologies for the blurriness. |
Now that things are (hopefully) beginning to settle down a bit, I intend to get back on track and shed these last difficult 10 pounds. Now, more than ever, I understand that maintaining my health and my weight are so important. Life is short, and you never know when some surprise situation might take away everything...
Why not make the most of it by taking good care of what you've been blessed with instead of waiting until it's too late? There are times, if you are fortunate enough, to enjoy and savor the rich flavors and indulgences that life has to offer, but what makes those things special vanishes when you make them available to yourself all the time.
Since I am still playing catch-up both at work and at home, I have decided to reduce my posts to weekly entries rather than daily. I am a little more than halfway there, and it's down to the wire. I truly need some inspiration to keep going, friends and followers. If you have any words of encouragement, they are welcome! I know it sounds kind of selfish to ask for words of love, but well...I could use some!
Here's to a good rest of the week. Be healthy! Be happy! And hug your parents often. Oh, but if the front half of their body is burned, hug their back. ;)
Wow Mel! Thanks for sharing the photos of your Dad. He looked really good Sunday at church and I was surprised. Those damn refineries scare me so much!!! Prayers for continued healing and healthy living!
ReplyDeleteI am so very proud of my daughter. She almost singlehandedly gained control of what could have been the worse day of our lives. Having been a trauma, burn etc. nurse I expected the worse but prayers and confident that our beloved was taken to the best hospital one could ever ask for. Mel & I tried to be strong for each other as we travelled the LONGEST (it seemed like) highway but the nearest still, compared to the other route, (Houston) and sped but we knew better.
DeleteWe also knew that our friends and families were praying for our dear one. I would like to, AGAIN, Thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for without your prayers, things could have turned really bad. I believe that mass prayers do help in times like these. It is difficult to mention those prayer warriors one by one. We all Love you and thank you million times and thanks is not the right word. I would like to say, God bless you and we are praying for all of you.
Going back to our dearest child, she has shown us the love and affection all through out this ordeal and we couldn't ask for anything more. I also want to thank her sweet Nick and his family for offering to help, you are all God's gift to us.
I admire our daughter for her resilience in her Journey to lose more pounds, she has been very strong and determined ever since the beginning and we know she can do it.
Melanie is our only wealth and what does a parent do or say when your child tells you "you raised me right"? God has a LOT to do with that and it is also because our child is the best one a parent could ask for.
Anak, your determination will get you every where you want to go. Your Love and devotion to God is every parents wish for their own.
I LOVE you so much and my heart longs for you. I know you can do this. I will always be around to support you. You have grown to be a model for everyone so keep it up. I wish you the Best in all the things you do. I am glad to be a part of your life. Keep that laughter forever.
Daddy adores you. We have the Best daughter a parent could ask for. You have shown us courage and your love for others is contagious. There will be critics but I think, as your mama, those critics should look at themselves in the mirror and trace their past.
Your loving Mama