Water Blisters and Tanning Bed Burn Update...

SO..

I went to the medical clinic in town and the doctor told me that I have a couple of areas that ARE pretty close to second degree burns.(He called them "partial thickness burns".) He prescribed some prescription cream/gel, cool soak baths, and antibiotics, and told me to take advil and tylenol alternating between the two every 4 hours.  Antibiotics are for when the water blisters start to burst(I bet that's gonna be fun!!) so I don't get an infection.

I'm actually feeling pretty ill and he says this is not uncommon for someone so severely burned. Flulike symptoms are common as is fever, which I have both. He said that someone as fair as me should NEVER tan in a tanning bed and I should avoid it like the plague from here on out. DUH!! I will CERTAINLY avoid it like the plague...

I actually have dressings on the area UNDER my breasts because the skin there was so irritated and had rubbed together and the blisters there were worse than anywhere else. Yeah so I have GAUZE under my boobs. YAY!

He said that I had pretty badly damaged the skin under my breasts, and on my butt because those areas NEVER see the sun and therefore they are the WORST burned. (and other unmentionable places like the crease of your legs where the undies hit.) The blistering there is pretty significant and he guesses that it will be at least a week or two before I will truly be comfortable sitting down again. I have to keep the prescription cream on those areas and keep them clean and dressed with gauze and take antibiotics to prevent infection. There is a possibility I will actually have SCARRING there after the blisters are gone.

I go back in a week for another checkup and he will determine then what the next step is. He did say he didn't think I would be wearing a sports bra anytime in the near future, OR a real bra for that matter. *sigh* So much for running anytime soon. I guess I could go to the gym and ride the bikes in a LIGHT support sports bra if that's tolerable for exercise. I'm guessing I could still lift SOME weights too since my arms aren't too badly burned nor are my legs.

I'm definitely going to talk to the idiot behind the tanning counter that did this to me. I mean I KNOW it's partially my fault too but I have NEVER tanned before and he is supposed to KNOW what he is doing. You would THINK he would know better than to put CASPER in a high compression bed for 15 minutes on her first tan. HELLO!!!

Ok...so I'm going to take something and put this cream stuff on again and try to lay down and get somewhat comfortable....I'll post again later if there are any new developments..

Comments

[Toe-Knee]

I'm going to ask my girlfriend what you should do.  She works at a store where they offer tanning, and she's better educated than me on the subject, but I know she's mentioned that if she overtans someone then her store can lose the licenses to operate the beds.  I personally disagree with your doctor's statement that fair skinned people should outright avoid tanning beds because there are health benefits to it as well, but if the people operating them have no concept of what is required to do so then they shouldn't be.  At Tash's store, no one goes in without lotion, and they can't knowingly put anyone in longer than a set-number of minutes per-day.  If the boy who put you in that bed didn't know enough to limit the minutes on you, then can you be sure that he knew enough to clean the bed, or ensure you had proper eye-protection?  You should be talking to his manager.

[Red Mosquito]

OMG, that sounds really bad. Glad you went to the doctor and got some meds. Hope you're better soon.

[mystique]

oh my lordy, that sounds horrible! i am probably as fair as you (if not fairer) and the first time i went to a tanning bed, the people put me in there for the minimum amount which was 11 minutes and i came out red as lobster and with burns on my unmentionables. that guy at the tanning bed sounds like a idiot! there is NO WAY he should have recommended 15 min!!

hope you feel better soon!!!

[Kzinti]

[this is good]

I feel your pain. I got second degree sunburn down both legs during a canoe race. It felt like somone had driven nails into my knees every time I would try to walk. Of course, it was during my two weeks of recuperation that I met my wife...

PS - The skin coming off in big pieces was very scary...

[Jenn]

Oh God I'm so sorry! I hope you start to heal and feel better as quickly as possible!!!

[ChicagoProud]

I've been where you are now! I hope you get better soon!

[ohwellhi]

Something similar to this happened to me when I was in high school.  Only, it wasn't as bad.  Also, the "tanning assistant" recommended I go for only 4 minutes, yet I insisted to go the full time.  My own fault.  I can't imagine how horrible you must feel.  Especially with the fever/burn combination.  Probably hard to get at a comfortable temperature.

[Elma]

I feel really sorry to hear that, the whole idea of going to a tanning bed in the first place seems fundamentally unergonomic to me

[Havana Rex]

[this is good] On the tanning beds there are stickers that recommend you begin with
2-4 minutes per session every few days for a week then move up 6
minutes for another week, this is the safest guarantee you won't burn
and will develop a base tan.

[Kristy Clements]

[this is good] Honey I feel your pain, I am a 32 year old woman that is in nursing school and knows better but last night I got in my home tanning bed that the timer is broke on and fell asleep an hour later I woke up.

[Kristy Clements]

when I woke up I thought I was okay until about 15 min and I was in severe pain.  I am burnt to a crisp!!!!

[Bertram Arriaga]

[this is good] Bravo, your opinion is useful

[kittenbaby]

[this is good] um Toe-Knee... sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but tanning beds have NO Health benefits.. have you been under a rock? they are pretty much just a cancer machine. I am sitting here in the same position as Cat...and I knew better, but now im burned and I cant move.. and my summer is ruined cause I had a lot of plans