June 2025 – A Shock to the System

This month’s blog is not going to be writing-related. Sometimes real-life events can be every bit as outlandish as fictional adventures.

Some of you know that my mum and I live on the same property. We bought the place with joint resources and have separate living areas. Last night, I heard my mum shouting in the kitchen and I ran to find a fire on the stovetop. A frying pan full of oil had caught alight, and the flame had reached the extractor fan and cupboards.

I can’t tell you the order of things from there – it was a blur of activity. My brother called the fire department and neighbours. I took the frying pan outside and smothered it (getting burnt in the process). After turning off the electrical mains, I managed to get the fire on the cupboards under control just before the firefighters arrived. It was all quite overwhelming. In hindsight, you think of what you could’ve done differently. All the advice I’ve ever heard about putting out fires was spinning in my head at once. I was trying to keep the house from burning down, and making plans about where to put the dogs and precious photos should the worst happen.

When the firefighters arrived, they checked everything. They also examined my burns, which run across the thumb and fingers of my right hand. Thankfully I’m otherwise fine. My face just looks a bit sunburnt, and I’ve singed my eyebrows and some hair. I was taken to the ER and treated. There were some large blisters, and the doctor says I have 1st degree burns. They put me under conscious sedation (which is one of the trippiest experiences I’ve ever had) and scrubbed the wounds clean to prevent infection.

I’m writing while my head is muzzy with painkillers, so this may not make a lot of sense. All this to say, I may not be on socials much this week. I don’t know what the next few weeks will hold. The insurance report was done today. Tomorrow I am back at the hospital for more wound care. With any luck, I’ll get a cool battle scar that I can tell stories about. As long as its a flexible scar – I need to be able to draw with that hand again.

In the meantime, I aim to get some one-handed writing done. Our community has rallied around us, providing transport and meals. Online friends have also expressed support which means just as much.