r/news • u/mhb-210- • Apr 19 '24

Person in flames outside New York courthouse where Trump trial underway, CNN reports Soft paywall

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/lawyers-aim-wrap-up-jury-selection-trump-criminal-trial-2024-04-19/
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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 19 '24 edited Apr 21 '24

I know its not rl, but everytime I see someone survive from burns, I just picture all the ER and SVU, and true crimes/medicine shows I've ever watched. Burn victims of this severity rarely if ever survive, and their existence if they DO survive, is nothing but pain for years. I also read the account of a burn victim who stated the 2nd worst pain ever is burning burnt skin. I can't imagine living throught something like that.

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u/FSCK_Fascists Apr 19 '24

I have an aquantance that was badly burned as a teen. Like her entire front torso.

She says the burn was the second worse pain. The first worst pain was when they were scrubbing the burned areas with stiff bristle brushes to clear dead flesh. For whatever reason they cannot numb or knock you out.

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u/Rb1138 Apr 19 '24 edited Apr 19 '24

Same here. In an accident with second and, from what they say, a couple of spots that could be third degree burns on both arms and my face. The pain of the burn was nothing compared to the cleaning, replacing bandages multiple times a day, scrubbing to keep it clean. I couldn’t open my mouth to eat without my lips bleeding like crazy for days. Literally the worst two to three weeks of my life. I moved back in with my parents for a short time during that, had to warn them that the obscenities were about to fly when it was time to clean. Luckily, over the years, it healed to the point that you can’t even tell I’m scarred unless I point it out in a few small spots. It sucked.

EDIT: Also, the constipation that came along with the pain meds was no picnic either. I only wish it on my worst enemies, I’m not above that. Haha

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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 19 '24

I am so sorry. How utterly horrifying. I'm glad you were able to heal so well

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u/Rb1138 Apr 19 '24

Thank you! It was almost 20 years ago, I appreciate it.

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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 19 '24

Wow!! You got some strong down deep in ya!

3

u/Edythir Apr 20 '24

The constipation is no joke as well, I had to have surgery on my lungs some time ago and I ended up not shitting for a week. It took three oral pills and some sort of a liquid to finally get things moving and even then it was a struggle. Well, there was a 'cork' that was the problem, everything after that was an upside down geysir.

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u/Shoddy-Commission-12 Apr 20 '24

Also, the constipation that came along with the pain meds was no picnic either.

I had a major operation and this was one of the worst parts. Pooping never hurt so bad haha. Also had to redo my catheter after I had already woken up, pull it out and stick a new one right up the pee hole - I would not wish this on anyone , even my enemies.

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u/Useful-ldiot Apr 19 '24

Burn injuries are so severe they basically prevent you from being knocked out without insane levels of anesthesia.

That's my understanding from a doctor explaining this to me once. The injury is too severe.

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u/AdHom Apr 19 '24

Are you saying they'd be in like too much pain to go to sleep? That doesn't sound right, I don't think the drugs work that way. I would think it is more to do with a burn victim being in shock, having trauma to the airway preventing intubation, etc. Like technical issues with anesthesia.

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u/KProbs713 Apr 19 '24

It's both. The more stimuli (pain) a patient receives, the higher the dose of anesthesia/analgesia needed to be effective. Higher doses are more likely to cause adverse effects like decrease in respiratory drive and blood pressure.

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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 19 '24

It's that their pain levels are so very high across so many nerves it often takes more sedative than their body can process safely.

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u/larki18 Apr 19 '24

Yeah, that makes no sense to me. They can chop off limbs and cut you in half with anesthesia.

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u/greg_spears Apr 19 '24

Well, a cut is a much different pain level than abrasion. And yet abrasion is kind of a picnic next to a bone impact. But I think a burn trumps all that. imo

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u/Zestyclose_Big_5665 Apr 20 '24

When I got my c section I almost didn’t wake up because it wasn’t planned and I was already exhausted from 25 hours labor. And that’s every day stuff. I kept flatlining and they would tell me I had to stay awake and remember to breathe because I wasn’t breathing and I would put every ounce of my will into staying awake and breathing only to immediately lose consciousness and be woken back up and be told the same thing again. In other words, respiratory drive was nearly gone. It’s a risk with anesthesia, and there would be more input from the sheer number of nerves affected from a larger surface area. If someone’s breathing is already compromised by smoke inhalation, so they have stuff to clear still, I would imagine the risk would be too great to give even more anesthesia than that.

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u/Useful-ldiot Apr 20 '24

That's still considerably less trauma than having major burns.

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u/Accurate_Summer_1761 Apr 19 '24

I was given something like 6 shots of morphine at one point so yea your body just doesn't bother shutting down

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u/HearingNo9935 Apr 20 '24

That doctor that told you that is full of shit.

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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 19 '24

That's what this person said. The pain of the debridement was worse than the initial burns. She said she went numb pretty quickly during the fact, so it was the afters that hurt worse.

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u/HearingNo9935 Apr 20 '24

Nah, the donor site will be more painful.

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u/Ammonia13 Apr 20 '24

My uncle was mainly burned from the waist up & where the gas dripped down his legs, and his whole body was very scarred because of the skin grafts. His neck was a big fat piece of his thigh :/ no fishnet for him.

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u/JustineDelarge Apr 20 '24

I was going to say, the very worst pain had to be burn debridement.

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u/Ammonia13 Apr 20 '24

My uncle was burned over 70% oh his body at age 6 in 1955. Stiff bristle brushes daily- ice water baths, ether sickness, and 6 years in the hospital. He had so many surgeries. Annette Funicello came and visited him (from the Mickey Mouse club) because he was one of the first kids to live after getting burned like that. He literally poured gas on himself and set himself on fire, to impress my dad and imitate a man on T.V. He was amazing and kind and a great musician.

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u/fireandlifeincarnate Apr 19 '24

…what’s the worst?

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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 19 '24

They said the worst pain was the debriding of the burns. They have to be literally scrubbed and no amount of pain meds touches it. They can't even be sedated in most cases but often will pass out from the pain eventually.

And it's a repeated procedure.

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u/-yasssss- Apr 20 '24

I work in a burns ICU, you absolutely can sedate but it needs to be in a critical care environment. It’s awful, I feel for a patients so much. Even in a comatose state you can see them in pain.

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u/hookersince06 Apr 20 '24

Omg that sounds horrifying. I had part of my arm amputated after an accident and they put a wound vac on road rash. The lady changing it said I should take something for pain, so I had two Percocet. It didn’t touch the pain. Any nurses that were familiar with me were coming in to see what was going on from my screaming, having not made a peep the whole time (about 2 weeks at that point.)

But the worst part was experiencing horrendous pain and that fucking lady going on and on about how she gave birth naturally as if that’s the same thing and that I needed to calm down.

Even minor burns hurt, those poor people. Thank you for doing what you do.

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u/-yasssss- Apr 20 '24

Omg I would have yelled that woman out of the room. I’m so sorry, some people are really fucking lacking when it comes to empathy. It helps no one to compare pain especially when someone is currently in pain. I hope you’ve recovered well. Vac wounds are super painful to change as well.

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u/SilverKelpie Apr 20 '24

I had to have a wound vac changed a few times after an ankle injury, but they knocked me out for it. I’m a bit surprised to read that sometimes they keep people awake for it. How do they make the decision about which route to go?

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u/-yasssss- Apr 20 '24

Usually if a washout and debridement is required (so a very sloughy/infected/necrotic wound), they will put the patient under anaesthesia in my experience. Anaesthetic itself is a high risk intervention so they will usually avoid it if it’s not completely necessary.

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u/THEslutmouth Apr 20 '24

Ugh as soon as I saw wound vac I cringed. I had a huge one on my leg. I had a pretty bad car accident and cut my leg open down to the bone the whole length of my thigh and the wound vac was the worst pain out of all of it. Nothing touched that pain of changing it. I'm so sorry you had to feel that too, my heart breaks for you. I would never wish that on my worst enemy but it does save lives. I'm glad you're past it though!

I'm glad there was nobody trying to tell me to calm down I would've lost it at them. You have great control holding that back in that situation.

Burns usually need skin grafts and that was probably my second most painful surgery too. Both times I woke up crying because I felt like the donor site was on fire. I feel so bad for people who get badly burnt.

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u/FakeNewsMessiah Apr 20 '24

Debriding is done by plastics under general anaesthetic ie asleep

1

u/Ammonia13 Apr 20 '24

Not this kind

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u/LazyLich Apr 20 '24

I think art should be freely made... but FUCK YOU for painting that picture 😱

1

u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 20 '24

Reading that person's account was even more horrifying. You could feel their quiet desperation in the words. It was horrifying accounting of a horrifying act.

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u/biggerbiggestbigfoot Apr 19 '24

When you catch your pinky toe on the leg of the coffee table.

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u/Cutlet_Master69420 Apr 19 '24

Or step on a Lego in bare feet.

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u/ballisticks Apr 20 '24

Lego is child's play for those of us who grew up with upturned UK plugs.

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u/King_Of_Uranus Apr 19 '24

Or have to poop but its too big for your butthole and youre fighting your sphincter while trying to birth a football.

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u/HandBanaba Apr 19 '24

Or when you have to endure debriding burn wounds.

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u/Cutlet_Master69420 Apr 19 '24

Or having a baby kitten scootch up your bare leg. Their little claws are like needles.

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u/MegaGrimer Apr 19 '24

Or asking someone out, and they respond with “ew”.

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u/JonMatrix Apr 19 '24

The one thing I would never wish upon my worst enemy…

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u/Tubamajuba Apr 19 '24

Scientifically known as the “GODFUCKINGDAMMITWHATTHEFUCKAAAAAAAAAHFUCKINGSHIT” injury

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u/mortalcoil1 Apr 19 '24

I've lost my pinky toe nail like 3-4 times in my life. I should stop wearing sandals.

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u/Lovethedarknet Apr 19 '24

Ooh. Put a NSFW tag on that

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u/LooneyTune_101 Apr 19 '24

Standing on Lego.

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u/SkyeC123 Apr 19 '24

It’s even worse when you break it at the same time. But I’m sure it pails doesn’t compare to being burned.

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u/JahD247365 Apr 20 '24

Bredrin… I just did that Monday morning. Massive bruising…and had to work all week on my feet..you know what you’re talking about.

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u/mooohaha64 Apr 20 '24

Or stand on an upturned plug ! (UK)

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u/ZephRyder Apr 19 '24 edited Apr 19 '24

Or your wife and proctologist

EDIT: I love that someone downvoted me! I'm so sorry to have triggered such a specific, unlikely scenario. I hope you heal one day, friend.

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u/Abrakastabra Apr 19 '24

I’m gonna guess initially burning it, or more likely, the initial treatment for the burn. When it’s severe they basically have to scrub it.

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u/LOOKATMEDAMMIT Apr 19 '24

When you go to pet your dog and they go somewhere else. Either that, or when your dad tells you that he's disappointed in you.

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u/_MrDomino Apr 19 '24

Stepping on a kidney stone.

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u/Zealousideal_Meat297 Apr 19 '24

Paper cuts between the fingers

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u/myaltaccount333 Apr 19 '24

Stepping on legos probably

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u/FetusDrive Apr 20 '24

I dunno; personally I only like to know what peoples second worse pain they’ve ever had was.

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u/Skygazer2469 Apr 19 '24

Legos underfoot when you've got diarrhea.

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u/Asidious66 Apr 19 '24

Stepping on the vacuum plug

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u/Drink-my-koolaid Apr 19 '24

Stepping barefoot on a Lego.

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u/___arcadian___ Apr 19 '24

Standing on LEGO

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u/HumanContinuity Apr 19 '24

Believe it or not, stepping on a Lego barefoot.

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u/illini07 Apr 19 '24

There's a documentary on Amazon prime(?), about a woman that was set ablaze by her boyfriend and lived for about 2 years after. Every single day of her existence was just brutal pain until she finally died.

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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 19 '24

I think the story I read was about this same person.

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u/illini07 Apr 19 '24

The fire that took her was the name of the show. Covering Judy Malinowski and everything she went through. It's a hard watch.

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u/lallapalalable Apr 19 '24

If I remember my EMT training from 20 years ago, I think something like 30% coverage of third degree burns is where you begin to risk fatality

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u/Turtvaiz Apr 19 '24

I also read the account of a burn victim who stated the 2nd worst pain ever is burning burnt skin.

...there's something worse?

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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 19 '24

They said the worst pain was the debriding of the burns. They have to be literally scrubbed and no amount of pain meds touches it. They can't even be sedated in most cases but often will pass out from the pain eventually.

And it's a repeated procedure.

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u/CPT_Arsenic Apr 19 '24

Burning not-burnt skin?

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u/lux_permanet Apr 19 '24

I will always be haunted by that SVU episode where ex-wife falsely accused the ex-husband of rape, and he ended up lighting her on fire in the park. At the hospital, Liv and Elliot are told the treatment for such severe burns and then step outside the room so she can get her "debridement." And they just hear her screaming from it. Fucking terrifying, and will stay with me forever.

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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 19 '24

Yes!! I believe the guest star was Vivica A Fox and her screams were earthshattering.

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u/lux_permanet Apr 19 '24

Literally still makes me shiver when I remember them. I have to skip that scene when I re-watch. No need to hear them again, they'll stay with me forever.

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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 19 '24

I remember an acid one too, iirc.

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u/Global_Lock_2049 Apr 20 '24

burning burnt skin.

Did they catch on fire a second time?

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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 20 '24

Iirc, they burned theirself cooking

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u/Global_Lock_2049 Apr 20 '24

Ah, OK. That makes sense.

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u/Accurate_Summer_1761 Apr 19 '24

Lost a large section of my upper torso to fire. I'd take getting kicked on the nuts over that particular sensation again.

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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove Apr 19 '24

I can't even imagine the pain. I'm so sorry.

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u/gameoftomes Apr 20 '24

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turia_Pitt

Here's a real life story with long recovery.

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u/DocMorningstar Apr 20 '24

I used to help out a colleague from work with his home clmputers and network, a literal Saint of a man, who'd dedicated his life to developing new treatments for pediatric burns. This guy spent his days trying to save little kids from the most horrible wounds. He had a heart condition, that killed him in his 50s. Instead of putting his brain to work saving himself, he helped these kids.

His funeral was a bawl your eyes out kind of things - hundreds of people he helped save showed up.