For those of you who don't know, I'm bringing you this Daily Routine from Torrance Memorial Medical Center. This is a first both in my life and the life of the Daily Routine. And while my routines have been anything but daily for the last few hours, I'm doing alright. And this brings us to our Daily Topic: DON'T PLAY WITH FIRE
Okay, to be more specific, don't play with candles, but that just doesn't sound as cool. My hospital journey began early on Friday morning. Unwinding after a stressful week, I joined my roommates in a rousing game of Monopoly around 11pm on Thursday. After being thoroughly and utterly defeated in a two and a half hour game, I was anxious to redeem myself. We began our second game around 2:30 am, and that's when things got interesting.
Throughout the evening, we had been setting the mood for our boardgame with a candle. By the wee hours of the morning, the candle had been reduced largely to molten wax. Aromatic? Yes. Safe? No. As I passed my hand back across the table, my fingers caught the rim of the candle holder and as I flipped the candle towards me, the wax splattered across my wrists and hands.
I jumped up, as the wax burned my skin, cooling in a vicious Jackson Pollock pattern across my arms. Immediately recalling my years of lifeguard training, I ran my hands under cold water and applied ice as I (the dedicated Monopoly player that I am) returned to the game. After several minutes, I realized that this was not your everyday candle-wax-burn accident.
I was escorted to the emergency room and my arms were washed and wrapped. The ER doctor made the decision that I should be transferred to a burn treatment center. At this point, it was 7 am and I had been awake for a good 24 hours. I took my first ever ambulance ride to the Torrance Memorial Medical Center and was admitted with first and second degree burns on the backs of my hands and on my wrists.
After answering a slew of questions, my burns were assessed, wrapped, and I was able to lay back in my hospital bed to contemplate my stupidity. Not having ever been to a hospital, I wasn't sure what to expect. Turns out, it's even more boring than it's made out to be, and the food is even worse than that. Fortunately, I'm in the hands of the most capable and caring nurses and an even better girlfriend.
So as I sit here, barely able to type, I have been able to recall some of the more humorous moments of the last two days for your reading pleasure:
- I brutally lost both games of Monopoly, even though I had houses on Boardwalk and Park Place prior to the incident
- The DPS officer who drove me to the hospital told me that he had personal experience with burns since he had been branded for his fraternity. Absolutely insane.
-Because of the placement of my burns, I now have a hospital anklet.
- I managed to still have hair on my arms even after several layers of skin came off. I would recommend laser hair removal over waxing.
- Even though my ambulance driver went to UCLA, I managed to make it to the hospital alive.
- I have told most people that my injuries were the result of a "heated game of Monopoly"
- I have a channel on my TV that only plays scenes and noises of breaking waves and bird noises.
- I had to cancel my Tuesday appointment for a hand model audition
- Even after a shot of morphine, I was able to promote the Daily Routine to the nurses who were washing and dressing my wounds.
- Because I was unable to start as quarterback in USC's Homecoming game today, we are currently losing 21-7
I am scheduled to be discharged on Monday. After that, all cards containing bills over $50 can be sent to 922 W 23rd St. Apt. 204, Los Angeles CA 90007. All others will be returned to sender. More pictures to come. Also, my moustache remains intact. To donate click here.
Daily Food: NOT Hospital Food
Daily Activity: Recuperation
Daily Song: Candle in the Wind - Elton John
Daily Attire: Hospital Gowns
Daily News Everyone Should Care About: 9/11 Trial Poses Unparalleled Legal Obstacles
Daily News No One Should Care About: Palin Faithful Eagerly Await "Going Rogue: Sarah Palin"
Daily News No One Should Care About: Palin Faithful Eagerly Await "Going Rogue: Sarah Palin"
Daily Life Goal: Actually Win a Game of Monopoly
Daily Complaint: Seriously?
Daily Drink: Whatever is put into me intravenously
Daily Television: Clearly the Wave ChannelDaily Movie: 16 Candles
Ouch! That looks like it really hurts! I hope you recover very quickly.
ReplyDeleteOw wow wow! You are a trooper. Feel better soon and don't play with matches. Right when we finished reading this, Aunt Marie called thanks to a Molly alert. She hopes you feel better too.
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hahahaah Ryan, I'm sorry you had to go through all that, but it made for a pretty riveting blog post. The part about the UCLA ambulance guy reminded me of freshman year when I too had my first experience in an ambulance en route from the USC health center to the hospital because they thought I had appendicitis. When I got to the hospital, I proceeded to flirt with the poor ambulance technician (also a UCLA grad) for the 3 hours it took to be admitted that he had to wait for me. and then eventually I realized that I had been throwing up for the last 24 hours and was lying in a gurney, so attractive...haha he probably thought I was a joke. anyways hope you got a laugh out of that little story and that you're feeling better!
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