The Nation's Health

Sunburn

"29 year old female, burn to the face"

Before I tell you about the job, I think I should share a few stories from my life thus far.

1993

It is the first time that I can actually recall being in pain. I was on holiday with my family and some family friends in a villa in the south of France. There was a pool, a big garden, and I remember playing with an inflatable ball and a basketball hoop in the pool for hours on end! Despite my parents' best efforts to keep me covered in sun cream, my refusal to get out of the sun resulted in me having a very burnt back and face. OUCH!! What was this?! This was serious pain! The incredible cooling effect from the aftersun was short lived and I sobbed at every given opportunity until it had blistered, peeled and healed.

1996

My first proper school trip. I went on an expedition to Kenya for 10 days. The teachers were hot on sun cream and for the most part I complied. That was, until the penultimate day. No excursions, just a relaxing day with my friends in the hotel. We spent the day mucking around on the beach and in the pool. Having no teachers pestering us about sun cream meant I was rather slack with application! The result... I woke up the next morning in agony, hardly able to dress, blisters on my shoulders and neck and yet another lesson learnt!

2001

GCSEs were over! My first holiday abroad with friends and no adults! I didn't even pack suncream! Off I went to Europe for a few weeks travelling. Any part of my body not covered got burnt and I didn't really care! I looked like a lobster the second I step out of a shadow so it was no surprise I was covered in patches of bright red. It hurt, I moaned about it, I applied aftersun, and did the same the next day.

2008

My honeymoon in South Africa. You should know the drill by now. A week on safari, left arm hanging out the window holding the camera and sure enough, my entire left side got burnt. It hurt. I applied aftersun, it peeled and it healed!

2011

I climbed Mount Snowdon in Wales. It was a baking hot day and I spend the entire time with my back to the sun, clambering up rocks. I applied sun cream every time we stopped! How sensible of me! We made it up and down again, got in the car and drove home. Five hours later I tried to get out of my car and could hardly walk! I forgot to apply cream to the back of my legs. Doh! I couldn't stand up straight, I couldn't wear trousers or socks! It blistered, it peeled and it healed!

2012

I was a grey, overcast day; it had been raining on and off for the last 4 days. It was raining now in fact. I was sat in my ambulance watching the world go by when I got the call. A burnt face! This could be nasty! We headed round to the address and were met at the door by the patient. There were no obvious burns or scalds though her face was slightly pink; more so on her nose.

"What's the problem today?"

"I have burnt my face"

"Oh right, how did you do that?"

"I think I was in the sun for too long yesterday?"

"Oh, so it's sunburn?!"

"Yes"

There was an awkward tumbleweed moment where I didn't know what to say and she didn't add anything to her admission to calling an ambulance for sunburn. What could I say?! All I could think in my head was 'where in god's name was the sun?!' because I sure as hell don't remember it! I went with:

"Is it just on your face?"

"Yeah, I think so"

"What were you hoping we would do?!"

"Can't you give me some aftersun or something to take the pain away? It feels like my face is on fire"

"No. We don't carry aftersun"

"Do you think I should go to the hospital?"

"No"

I am unable to say what I think when faced with these people; I genuinely don't understand the mindset. How does the thought 'I have a slightly sunburnt face, I must call an ambulance' enter into someone's head? I can't lecture them, I can't refuse to attend; I just have to turn up, be nice and advise alternative means to get treatment. This was the first time I have 'referred to Tesco' as a treatment plan. I often say how nothing amazes me anymore, and in the main it doesn't, this however did; had I really just been to someone because they had sunburn?!

My reason for sharing my sunburn experiences was simple. We all get burnt many a time. We burn, we blister, we peel and we heal. That is how it rolls. However, like me, WE DON'T CALL AN AMBULANCE!!!!!!!!