Melanie Anderson

Scars Fade - Life is Bright

In March, 2009 my life was more than good! I was happily married, working, planning a trip and just enjoying life.

On March 6, 2009 my life changed while working at a drive-in restaurant, as I spilled 350 degree hot oil from a bucket I was holding onto my right arm. Immediately I put the bucket down so not to injure two others.

As shock turned to pain, I got to the sink and put my arm under cold water. The manager of the business arrived, when called about my accident and took on the role of caregiver. Given my accident happened during the dinner rush on a Friday night, everybody was very busy and at my request my husband was called to take me to the hospital.

I live in the small town of Port Alberni, and the closest burn unit is three hours away in Victoria. After examination, it was concluded that I would be fine with local care. A doctor examined me and then recommended I should take at least a few days off work. The nurse applied Flamazine (a burn survivors best friend), bandaged my wound and I was told to come back to the hospital on Sunday. I went home, I took a couple Tylenol 3 and went to sleep on the couch, not wanting to risk my husband rolling on to my arm.I managed normal things at home that Saturday and Sunday. However, at the top edge of my bandages, I could see a small blister, but I thought "that’s not too bad", and sure that I would be back at work in a week. My arm was sore but manageable.

As directed I went back to the hospital on Sunday. When they took off the bandages I couldn’t believe that was my arm. There were huge blisters all over my right arm and I felt it wasn't even attached to me.

Since, I went directly to the hospital, I only saw the doctor on duty, not my family doctor. The on duty doctor drained the largest blister, bandaged me up and told me to come back the next day. When I returned the next day, the current on duty doctor wanted the blisters to drain on their own.

On the third day I saw my own doctor for the first time, and for the next week she met me at the hospital every morning to check my progress.

After that first week, I now realized how serious my injury was. I was not going back to work for a while, I saw my doctor weekly and nurses daily to change my bandages. The nurses were great, warning me the day before a debriding so I could take painkillers before my appointment. For me personally, debriding was the most painful part of my process. For those readers who never experienced this process, it is the removal of dead tissue, and when experienced, not something you forget.

Now I was learning about my limitations from washing my hair to preparing meals, life was certainly different. I will be forever thankful to my family and friends for their support and help as they helped me along the healing journey.

A few weeks after my burn, I asked the nurses to take a picture of my burn. My doctors and nurses had seen it, but nobody else had as it was always bandaged. Everybody was shocked at what they saw, just as I was at the beginning. When I see those pictures now I consider how far I’ve come. This photo is below, and I am happy to share it with you.

When in July my arm was still not healing on its own, I was referred to a doctor in Victoria who admitted me almost immediately to Victoria Jubilee hospital for a skin graft. My surgery went well and I went home the next day. I healed relatively well and started physiotherapy. The physiotherapy affected the part of my arm where I still had an open wound from the initial burn. When I returned for a check-up on my skin graft another surgeon said my skin graft looked fine but my other wound was unviable skin. My own skin would never grow back on its own, so I needed a second skin graft. At the end of October of 2009 I had my second skin graft and my healing process could now begin.

I started physiotherapy in December going three days a week. I had kept my arm straight for 9 months, (my burn was in the hinge of my arm, by keeping it straight I would grow enough skin back) so to learn to be able to bend my arm again was a struggle. I also hadn’t used my right arm much so I had very little muscle there. Lifting a 1 pound weight was quite an achievement.

By mid July I was almost there. Not completely healed, but getting close. According to my occupational therapist, I’m a slow healer and will be wearing my compression sleeve until the summer of 2011. I go to physiotherapy as needed, when my arm or elbow is bothering me.

I am approaching the second “anniversary” of my accident. As I look back on these past 2 years, I am content. Now I am a participant in The Future Is Mine program, and look forward to participating in activities such at the Vancouver Island Wine Tour, and coming to Vancouver to join in the special cooking class at The Dirty Apron. This community is special and I am glad to be both a participant and volunteer.

I am a strong believer of everything happens for a reason. I think my accident taught me to be thankful for what I have and who I have in my life. As my scars fade, my life will be bright with opportunities not yet known.

By: Melanie Anderson

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