[removed]

Comments: 174 • Responses: 41  • Date: 

SeriesOfAdjectives82 karma

My first mental image was your arm all crisy and golden like fried chicken.

Then I pictured the burns. What degree of burn did you suffer?

Birdwax44 karma

2nd, 3rd, and 4th in various areas up to the elbow

the_arkane_one35 karma

Did it hurt ?

Birdwax57 karma

Yeah just a bit, ha but seriously for about 5 seconds I thought I would just walk it off

Horny-Dolphin22 karma

Did you cry?

Birdwax46 karma

Oh yeah haha I actually busted out a Tonya Harding WHY?! WHY?! WHY??!!!

finishedlurking30 karma

FTFY *Nancy Kerrigan

Birdwax16 karma

Haha right ^

adarkfable28 karma

did you pull it out yourself or was somebody there to pull you back?

Birdwax38 karma

I thought I "pulled out" and imeadiatly jumped to the ceiling, but I've heard different accounts in which I was pulled back

arpsazombie21 karma

Do you have a full range of function and sensation?

Birdwax39 karma

Pretty much full motion, the sensation is mostly gone on the forearm

fadetoblack100418 karma

So you could do it again and it wouldn't hurt?

Birdwax34 karma

I don't think that's how it works? I did try to work once I was fully healed but quickly figured out I wasn't able to be around fryers anymore

Slazman99925 karma

I worked at a McDonald's for a month or 2 when staying at my sisters in Florida for a summer. I was deathly afraid of walking past the fryer or using it even though not thing like this has ever happens to me.

TL;DR: Damn fryers; you scary

Edit: Thanks /u/birdwax didn't think of Ollie.

Birdwax22 karma

Damn fryers you scary!

RealPeterNorth20 karma

Get a lot of sympathy bj's or pussy after this ?

Birdwax49 karma

Haha coming from you Mr. North? I was actually dating a girl at the time and pretty much got what I wanted. I was on a lot of pain killers at the time though which is not conducive to the penis functioning.

tehnoodles14 karma

(Not the real Peter north)

Birdwax25 karma

You can't lie on the inter webs!!

lordeddardstark18 karma

Do you now use an air fryer at home? My air fryer changed my life

Birdwax30 karma

You've changed my life haha I just looked them up. How has no one shown ME?!

Psychwrite15 karma

Ehhh... you'll be pretty disappointed. It's not the same. They take forever. Like easily twice as long as a regular dee p fryer. Also, all that crispness you get from a deep fryer, completely forget about it. Maybe they're alright for some people, but if you actually enjoy fried foods, an air fryer is an extremely overpriced convection oven.

I've been working in kitchens for 8 years though, so I get salty about these kinds of things.

Birdwax12 karma

Haha yeah I was kinda feigning enthusiasm. An over priced convection oven it indeed is. I still like to cook and am still an American from the south so I'm a sucker for fried food

oldschoolfl17 karma

Obviously it hurt like hell, but after some time did you go into shock and the pain lessened?

Birdwax33 karma

I guess I went into shock cause I don't remember much or I remember details that didn't happen. The pain never really lessened I was given morphine, Demerol, and delodid until I finally passed out in the er

kaboobies13 karma

What right arm activity did you miss most during your healing process?

Birdwax17 karma

It is my dominant hand, but I quickly picked up being ambidextrous. That being said I think missing using both hands was the worst. For like 6 months it would take a while to get dressed, type, stuff I took for granted

scaredbyinsanity6 karma

Yea. I lost mobility in my left hand for about 6 months after an accident. I used to be ambidextrous. 10 years later and I still haven't gotten back to being totally ambidextrous. I've broken fingers in my dominant right hand and one of the hardest parts was wiping my ass with my left.

Birdwax5 karma

Brushing my teeth I think was the hardest, super awkward for awhile

Assdolf_Shitler1 karma

I just went to my bathroom and tried brushing left handed. God damn that is a pain in the ass. I would have just put a bullet in my head if I was refined to just my left hand. You got my respect man.

Birdwax1 karma

Thanks man! Don't take anything for granted...

PugsterThePug12 karma

Did you have an incredibly small pinky finger your entire life, or is that a result of the accident?

Birdwax8 karma

Haha it's just bent a little under my hand

FlakeyNChewy10 karma

What was the surgical process for this? It looks like they had to take a lot of skin grafts, where did they get them from? Also what would be your zaniest, painkillers are fucked up story?

Birdwax10 karma

It was actually only two surgeries initially, both were 8 or so hours each. The first the day after the accident in which they scraped it clean and put cadaver skin over most of it. The second surgery they removed the cadaver skin and grafted skin from my thigh. They pretty much take a cheese grater to it and take as many strips as they need. I never really liked the painkillers, they are pretty fucked up. That being said, I used to forget to wear clothes around the house my roommates didn't really care but their friends did

oslo024 karma

Can I be your roomate? I have no friends, so it's all good.

Birdwax4 karma

Just moved to Charlotte NC come on by!

CrustyCod23 karma

704 checking in!

Birdwax2 karma

Let's grab a drink Charlotte redditors!

Ggungabyfish7 karma

Ouch! Who helped you to call 911?

Birdwax8 karma

There were 4 or 5 guys in the kitchen at the time, like an hour before we opened. It was actually the bartender who was maybe 200 feet away at the bar that called after he heard my first scream

Boojum2k7 karma

How's your sense of humor about it now? Just a painful memory, or something alleviated by some joshing now and then?

Birdwax27 karma

I've tried to stay upbeat about it. I had some therapy after I physically healed but hey, tis just a flesh wound

bxwxc6 karma

Did it smell like bacon?

Birdwax10 karma

No idea, too much pain

ButtStuph2 karma

What does it smell like now tho?

Birdwax7 karma

Thigh, great question!

shoemaker7771 karma

Doesn't look that bad in the pic

Birdwax16 karma

That's after 5 years and several surgeries, trying to find old pics from after the first surgery

fosighting5 karma

How is that proof? There are no burns on your arm at all. More proof please.

Birdwax23 karma

Trying to dig up pics from after the surgery. This is after several surgeries and 5 years later

Roses884 karma

I dipped my finger up to the first knuckle on accident and it pretty much felt like it was on fire. I can't i imagine how you felt. Did you go into shock at all?

Birdwax3 karma

Yeah I think so but I think I was still in a lot of pain, my memories go in and out

Nevermore4163 karma

Simple question.

How did it feel?

Birdwax10 karma

Like a million bees constantly stinging. It got progressively worse even with drugs

ConstableGrey2 karma

How do you feel about the deep fryer scene in Watchmen?

Birdwax6 karma

As much as I like that movie that scene is totally unrealistic haha

ifiwastheilluminati1 karma

why unrealistic? bc breaking glass with his elbow?

Birdwax6 karma

Haha yeah, no I'm just thinking he would almost instantly pass out the reaction seemed mild to me

slayeromen2 karma

I had a similar experience! Counter top deep fryer in the satellite kitchen was set up on a wonky table and flipped over spilling oil on my arm down my side and into my shoes. Worst burns on my arm and ankles. All deep thickness burns. Lots of lancing the boils at the er.

Huge amounts of pain over time biggest issue was that you have to remember all of those wounds are open at all times now. I got a staph infection on one of my ankle and couldn't walk. That was the most painful thing I've ever dealt with. Don't do that.

Good Luck! Don't forget to get your work comp settled out immediately, your owners won't care and don't expect anyone to hold a job for you while you recover. Seems like you weren't on the clock so they may not cover you at all did you get on the clock at all or are they going to cover you anyway?

Birdwax3 karma

Agh yeah fortunately I had everything wrapped up nicely and never had to deal with infection or anything on top of the burns. The accident was 5 years ago and I've been settled up for about a year and a half now. I actually wasn't on the clock at the time but the owner was right behind me when it happened and was tore up about it

slayeromen2 karma

Nice! I feel like I remember smelling a lot like fry oil for months. Clothes were ruined too. Your arm looked about like mine after a few months, was that a recent pic? It took about 4 years the sharing to fade for me.

Birdwax1 karma

I think they cut my shirt off on the way to the hospital or in the ER I could have sworn I pulled it off immediately but that's what they tell me. Yeah I took that pic earlier for this AMA haha it's been 5 years since the accident but it's pretty much gonna look like that for the rest of my life

ifiwastheilluminati2 karma

If you had zero medical insurance at the time of the accident would your treatment have been reduced in any way?

same treatment but owe $40,000 bill?

Birdwax11 karma

Not sure, I'm pretty sure every employer has to have workers comp insurance which in my case was almost imeadiatly called upon. And $40,000? Prob closer to $500,000 when it was all said and done

BrickHardcheese1 karma

I'm curious, did workers comp cover the whole bill? Did you suffer any out of pocket expenses?

Birdwax2 karma

Yeah covered everything, I paid out of pocket for some persciptions and cabs to appointments and such but was reimbursed. I had a great lawyer to deal with the employers workers comp insurance company

Anarroia1 karma

Removed? But why..!?

Birdwax1 karma

I have to provide more proof, trying to figure it out. I'm new and idk what to do! Haha

50CAL5NIP3R1 karma

As part of my job is repairing fryers. Including 400-500 degree fryers. Do you have any safety tips to prevent me from getting any body parts inside?

Birdwax2 karma

I mean it was really just a freak accident, but just be aware of your surroundings. I'm sure you know about more safety tips than I do haha stay safe brother

knittykittyemily1 karma

Do you have pics of it when it was burnt?

Birdwax1 karma

I have some after they took off the first bandages that I'm trying to find, I will post them when I can. Just realizing I didn't take many photos for about a year as I healed which I now regret

Landsfaderen1 karma

Do you still eat deep-fried food? Do you experience deep-fried food differently now after the accident?

Birdwax2 karma

Unfortunately I do enjoy fried food still, I hear it's not great for you? I don't think I really experience it differently, I don't really think about it

t--1 karma

why is your pinky finger so small? did it shrink because of the deep fryer?

Birdwax2 karma

Ha no I just don't know how to take a picture and it's kinda curled behind my ring finger

TheRealHanBrolo1 karma

So how do you fell about fryers now? Do you still operate them, or did they kind of remove you away from them?

Birdwax2 karma

Not a fan, I tried to go back when I first healed and was cleared. Just being around in that same room gave me anxiety and after a couple days I couldn't do it so they just moved me to bartender. I try to be mentally tough about it but my body still freaks out

NaziMeComin-3 karma

Did you sue?

Birdwax25 karma

No, I was close with the owners and it was a freak accident. Not the litigious type, workers comp took care of it