Had to go to the ER last night...long

[dk17hmr]

I was cleaning up some waste from running some woodI had run through the planer, I was throwing it in my outside wood stove and burning it. Well it was time for another shovel full so I opended the door and I guess it was starved for O2 or something because when the door openned a flame ball came shooting out right at me.

Luck for me I blinked or something as it happened because it didnt get my eyes, just my eye lashes, the tip of my nose and my beard. It also burned my left arm from the tips of my fingers up to my bicep with first and second degree, also a little bit on my neck and right bicep which felt like a sun burn.

Right way I ran into the house and turned the shower on cold and jumped in. After that I went and asked my mom what to do she did the made dash mothers do getting the 4" thick doctor book out will my brother and I filled the sink with water to soak my arm.

Zac and Mom didnt know it happend, although they were only 30 yards away on the other side of the barn when I yelled and I know that fire ball made some noise when it came out.

Bad news is I cant do anything at all because of infection although it is dressed and everything the nurse said it would be best if it didnt work for a few days until it starts to heal and they had to give me a tetanus shot which is worse then the burn. Also I turn 21 this Saturday and I still havent gone to the DMV so I am going ot have a pretty funny pic. But I am off work for a few days and cant do anything fun which is the worst part.

Good news is it didnt hurt my trigger finger so once they say I can do something I will be hunting and shooting again.

[3006guns]

Ouch........made me cringe just reading your post. I've had my experiences with wood stoves too and finally learned to open the feed door slowly. Gives the fuel a few seconds to "normalize". Not trying to lecture as it sounds like you learned a painful (but not final) lesson. They're a great source of cheap heat but like anything else a moment's inattention can cause some real problems. I really hope you heal quickly....we need all the casters we can get!:-D

[dragonrider]

Long ago I did the same thing, only I was a lot luckier than you were, and it taught me the lesson you just learned, open the door just a crack and let the fire acclimate, only take a few seconds. Sorry about your burns, I have had second a third degree burns and they suck for sure.

[crowbuster]

allso a good idea to stand off to the hinge side while slowly opening. mine has a catch that you must lift handle, pull toward you, drop down to open door, great design and saved me a few times, mostly like you where doing, opening soon after cycle or adding fresh fuel. look at a heatmor to see door catch design. and be carefull.[smilie=1:

[armoredman]

Wood stoves are pretty rare out here, so I probably would have made the same mistake. Best of luck to you, sir, hope it heals quickly without marks.

[wiljen]

Not that It'll help ya heal, but I'm in the same boat - got told no recoil for another 6 weeks when I went to the doc today. I guess I'll practice with my 22s until then. Hope you heal quickly and completely.

[testhop]

i sure feel for you just take it easy do what the dr. says and most importantwhat your mom says oh one thing are you sure the dr. ant one of the bradybunch lol

[trickyasafox]

god's speed on a quick recovery!

[9.3X62AL]

Hope those burns get better quickly--MISERABLE injury!

[HORNET]

Doug,
I wish you a speedy and complete recovery (Opening day is not far off[smilie=w:). Burns can be truly miserable injuries. Maybe you can still enjoy your 21st (You just think you hurt now....wait till the tequila starts to wear off Sunday[smilie=b::groner:).

[waksupi]

Doug, check around, and see if you can find some emu oil. It really works well on burns. Aloe vera is also good. both promote healing, and prevent infection.

[dk17hmr]

Went back into the ER tonight for a follow up they took the remaining bandages off my arms, I took some off of the not bad parts neck and right bicep, the nurse said they didnt need to be on anyways after we got there and he looked at them. The Doc came in looked everything over and said nothing to worry about except keeping it clean and I should be able to get back to work really soon. Pain is zero, I got a perscription for Vicaden and didnt even open the bottle. Should be good to go in a few weeks all healed and everything. The main thing is going to be getting back to work on Wednesday, I think it will help a bunch take my mind off of it and put it on other things, doesnt help sitting in the house all the time.

[versifier]

doug,
Almost turned myself into a crispy critter last fall. Face & left hand 1st, 2nd & 3rd (on the end of my nose) - don't ask how. Beard gone in a flash but probably prevented much worse burns on my face, and glasses saved my eyesight. My left hand was still not usable by opening day, but I bandaged it all up and padded it and went out anyway. Didn't see anything shootable, probably just as well, but I was going stir crazy and HAD to get out there.

A little burn humor may speed your recovery:

A man was ready for his first solo parachute jump.
The big day arrived. He hurried to the airfield, put on his gear, and boarded the plane. Getting the thumbs up from the pilot and his instructor, he exited the plane. After freefalling for a bit and enjoying the view, he grabbed the main chute ring and gave it a good hard yank. To his horror, the strap pulled out and nothing happened.
About to panic, his training took over and he remembered the emergency chute. Wasting no time, he grabbed that ring and gave it a good hard yank, but the same thing happened again.
Plummeting faster and faster, he looked all around wildly for an idea, anything to keep him from becoming another stain on the runway. To his surprise, something caught his eye.
Rising from the ground in a high arc, he saw what looked like a man leaving a trail of black smoke behind him as he rose. As they neared each other, he saw that it was indeed a man, badly burned, his clothes still smoldering.
Figuring he had nothing to lose, when they got close enough, he shouted to the man,
"Hey, do you know anything about parachutes?"
As they passed each other, he caught the man's reply.
"Sh*t no! You know anything about gas stoves?" :mrgreen: