Monday, September 13

I was alll the Buzz























Okay I'm making light of this situation, but it was seriously scary. Have you ever been shocked? I mean like whole-body-taken-over-by-robotic-aliens-who-are-frying-you-with-their-zappers shocked? Of course I was stupidly hanging up christmas lights barefoot on wet grass and picked them up near broken bulb/exposed wire which didn't immediately make contact until I had a hammer and nail in one hand and looped the string of lights around my finger to nail to a tree.
For the first few seconds of not realizing what was happening it felt just like the description above. According to my husband and daughter I was screaming bloody murder so the whole neighborhood could hear. I couldn't see anything until it clicked in my brain that I was being electrocuted and I pulled off the lights with my other hand. I have no idea if I clenched my eyes shut in reaction to the sensation freaking the crap out of me or if the voltage zapping my body caused temporary blindness?
So I ran, I screamed, I was shaking, my arms muscles hurt for a bit, then my legs, then I folded myself on the ground and cried a bit. I do that, I cry to release freaked-out-ness among plenty of other emotions. I had a red slightly swollen hand for a bit, and a burn on my finger, and even yesterday woke up unable to make a fist and my left arm got tired easily and couldn't take much pressure before aching. 
Household voltage is not that dangerous, but the force of a zinger is dependent on how reactive your tissues are, whether you're wet or dry (duh) and how far and where the current travels.
 I managed to supply the right conditions for a whopper of conductivity!

Oh maiya, it was all worth it, your birthday was lovely.

4 comments:

  1. oh my gawd, that is SO scary. i'm glad you're ok!

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  2. I'm so glad you're ok. I haven't been shocked that bad, but my dad did convince me to grab an electric fence when I was younger, I still remember the pain today..

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  3. Oh my goodness. I am glad you are okay. Getting electrocuted is a scary thing indeed.

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