My first trip to the ER was when I was six, on a hot summer day. I got the notion that it would be a good idea to pole vault over the sprinkler with a tent pole. Somehow the sharp end of the tent pole ended up in my thigh, less than an inch from the femoral artery. I screamed. I had been playing in the back yard by myself, and my parents were sitting on the front steps. Now, at the time, my dad worked nights. So my parents had well-trained us kids not to scream and yell. When they heard the scream, they assumed it was the rowdy kids on the other side of the block. Then I screamed again, and they came running. I don't remember how many stitches I got, but I do remember my mom holding me on one of the benches in our van, while my dad zoomed 70 mph down side streets to the hospital.

And Barb, if you think its stupid to burn your hand grabbing a hot pan while a potholder is in sight, just think how brilliant you would feel if you had grabbed it with your empty hand while holding the hotpad in the other hand.

Yeah, my stupidity is spectacular.

A friend of mine did the same thing Barb. The ER doc said to wear a glove ( like the blue ones) Burns hurt when they get air on them -- so keeping them covered helps a LOT.

I tried it the last time I got burned. It really made a difference. Changed the bandage often , but kept it covered as much as possible until it stopped hurting when exposed to air

After the stupid 2nd degree finger-burns (from mis-using a perfectly safe firework, deliberately), I was given Silvadine to slather on them - a white almost-Cool-Whip consistency frothy paste with lots of silver in it. Keeps the oxygen off, helps the burns heal.

I have zero scarring (no hair grows on those fingers, and they TAN faster than the rest of my hands - but no scars) and it wasn't painful (for the most part; don't ask me about debreding burns tho).

Wow. I didn't think I'll wake up to a hardcore Me and the ER morning. And I woke up from such a lovely Austen dream.

shivers from some of the stories.

I know someone who gave themselves a burn when, in a fit of absent-mindedness, they decided to check if the oil in the frying pan had reached boiling point yet - with their hand.

I had very few ER trips. Once, when my eardrum ruptured, my mother took me in under the table at the ER where she worked because it was the middle of the night and she didn't want to drive to the Group Health Urgent Care.

Somehow, when I got the knife in the thigh, we just got an appointment at the regular clinic. Did have to do urgent care when my brother split my ear open with a bowl full of chocolate chips.

I had one alcohol poisoning ER trip in college, and one ER trip when I was pregnant with Lillian.

Having an ER nurse as a mother apparently cuts down on actual ER visits. It was like growing up with your own personal triage team. (Plus, as she was an ER nurse, I was never allowed to do anything risky, AKA, fun.)

The last thing I heard before my first trip to the ER was, "Whatever you do- don't play with that pocket knife."

I know someone who gave themselves a burn when, in a fit of absent-mindedness, they decided to check if the oil in the frying pan had reached boiling point yet - with their hand.

I am so convinced afraid I'm going to do this one day.

Still. I will not do what my sister's room mate did when faced with an oil fire. Since everyone knows you can't throw water on that, he used...ice.

Yeah, it worked about as well as you think.

Still. I will not do what my sister's room mate did when faced with an oil fire. Since everyone knows you can't throw water on that, he used...ice.

a. That was awesome, and

2) Bec once tossed a frying pan of boiling oil into a full sink. Still shudder thinking about how that could've gone.

A friend of mine who used to work in a hospital said the most common phrase uttered by ER patients is, "I knew it was stupid when I was doing it."