Tag: Medical

Writing Exercise: Pain is a Character Trait

Erin Penn Leave a comment

Meme I created

For the Editing Rant on August 13, 2024, “The Burn”, I covered how burn injuries work. Previously I touched on bruises and related injuries in Bruised and Battered (8/14/2018) and Gonna Leave a Bruise (4/13/2021).

WRITING EXERCISE: Create a flash (around 500 words), where a character is dealing with the fallout from an injury. Not the situation where they were injured, but trying to do things after the injury – drive a car, fighting off sleep, making a meal, bending over, being in public. It can be as simple as a sunburn and getting dressed, especially in skintight combat clothes. It could be a standard broken leg and dealing with a cast for four weeks, but during a series of car chases where grandma has to drive for once.

Put the resulting flash below in the comments, or post a URL link pointing to where you have stored it.

BONUS EXERCISE: If you ever get a grievous injury, take journal and pictures of it to document the progression, whether a cut, bruise, or burn. Time inflicts a distance to our memories, and we forget the healing process. What was the first day like? How about a week later? What continued to be an unexpected problem?

My Attempt: Stick around for my blog posting on 8/29/2024 where I document an injury I got back in November 2020.

Editing Rant: The Burn (How Injuries Work #3)

Erin Penn Leave a comment


Photo 32897647 | Body © Gajus | Dreamstime.com

You know what every.single.one of your readers are going to experience? INJURY

Minor cuts, bruises, and burns.

The Dings and Bangs of Life.

It just happens.

And what that means to you, is you need to get these right.

I’ve previously covered bruises (see the How Injuries Work links below). Most stories have bruises appear immediately, so that is an established trope. The instant bruise comes from two sources, I think. One – most of us are not used to grievous bruises. And Two – half the time, bruises just appear on our body, without us remembering how we got them. So it seems like they were “instant” bruises.

Burns don’t have the same trope to lean into.

The manuscript I’m looking at has second degree thermal burns sending the main character of the romance to the hospital when they covered nearly her entire back. The ER bandaged them and told her to rebandage them every few days to keep them clean. But later in the manuscript, they are described as first degree burns. Either way, they were fully healed in two weeks, despite her being on the run without proper sleep. (Sleep is needed for healing.)

Fine, fine. Just fix the second-first degree burn continuity issue. But, really, that amount of blistering takes more than two weeks to clear up.

Blistering? you ask. … Yes, blistering. That happens with second degree burns.

Let’s go over the level of burns.

Wait, first lets go over the types of burns:

  1. Thermal – Come from heat sources, like touching a hot stove.
  2. Radiation – Come from exposure to different types of radiation. The most common is a Sunburn.
  3. Chemical – Comes from strong acids or alkalies. Especially dangerous around the soft tissues like the eyes and nose. This is why every lab has an emergency wash station. In the house, you will run into chemical burns when working with detergents and solvents. After your first full-strength bleach blister and/or week of red sensitize skin, you learn to wear gloves.
  4. Electrical – These tend to just jump right to third degree, leaving tracks of dead cells between entry and exit.

Unlike bruises, burns and burn damage tends to show up immediately, but the symptoms may worsen as the body continues to “cook” afterwards. DO NOT PUT BUTTER OR OIL ON BURNS – this locks in the heat and continues the issue. You must wait until the skin/site cools. Do not put ice on it to do a quick cool – as Thermal type burns effects can be created both through the addition of heat AND the removal of heat. How many people have had red hands from cold weather? Cool water, running through a faucet or with paper towels. Remove the source of the burn as quickly as you can without causing further damage.

So what are the levels (degrees) of burns?

  1. First degree (superficial) – The skin reddens, often drying. It will be hot to touch. As it heals, the skin will remain sensitive and may be itchy. Lotion is usually enough to control the injury. For those interested in medicine, only the epidermis (outer layer of skin) is impacted.
  2. Second degree (partial thickness) – Red skin, swelling, painful, and blistering. Often the person is thirsty as the swelling and blistering is caused by the body moving resources, especially liquids, to the site for healing. Doctors get worried if burns are covering 10 percent of the body on children and 15 to 20 percent of the body on an adult. Bandages over the blisters are recommended to avoid picking at them. Do not pop them – the skin’s job is to protect the body from infection – popping them breaks this seal – so now the body is both trying to heal the injury and fight off invading microbes at the same time. Do not make your body’s immune/healing system do multi-processing.

As you can see the difference between first and second degree burns are huge. For a character on the run, first degree burns are a minor inconvenience. Second degree burns covering the entire back while traveling by car and bus, needing to change dressing, moving into a place and unpacking … major impact on movement ability and comfort.

Blister level injury takes about two to three weeks to replace the level of protection for the skin (the lowest level of skin growing out to the outer layer of skin), hence the peeling days after the injury. But another three weeks beyond that before the site starts looking “normal”. The character’s back should have been an ugly mass of peel and red at two weeks. When she ran into her old love interest, I wanted to hear “who hurt you”? Instead, nothing.

3. Third degree (full thickness) – Beyond injury, we are now at destruction. Say goodbye to that part of your epidermis and all layers of your skin at the site. The burn site will appear white or charred black; brown and yellow are also possible. No real pain around the initial site because nerve endings are destroyed. Healing is going to take a long time because the body has to rebuild, not just go through the normal ongoing replacement cycle. The body has to make the things that make the things. There will likely be scars – skin grafts can help. See a doctor – third degree burns are exactly what the Emergency Room is for!!!

We all have heard about first, second, and third degree burns. But wait, there is more! I found this out with an edit where the autopsy covered fifth degree burns. Why we don’t talk about these higher levels is, well, that area is dead and likely being amputated is the body survived the shock to the system. We can’t treat these degrees with first aid – hospitalization 100%, if not the morgue.

4. Fourth degree burns – Damage has extended into the fat.

5. Fifth degree burns – Damage has extended into the muscle.

6. Sixth degree burns – Damage has extended into the bone.

Things you learn while editing.

***

In closing, for writers, get the burn degrees right. Everyone has lived through at least one round of sunburn. They know the swelling and red skin, the peel in a few days and the itch. You need to get this right.  The plus side is everyone knows it, which means you can tap into that visceral memory and have the readers sympathize – feel what the character is feeling. You got a hook into the reader’s brain. Use it.

 

Editing Rant: How Injuries Work Series
1. Bruised and Battered (8/14/2018)
2. Gonna Leave a Bruise (4/13/2021)
3. The Burn (8/13/2024)

Geeking Science: P is for Psychopath

Erin Penn 6 Comments

Image from Dreamtime (paid for)

In “Hope for the Future” (1/28/2024), I created a small slice of the future run by psychopath. And if I continue the Gas Station Killer (first post appearing at 2/7/2021) series far enough, the serial killer(s) posing and modus operandi will lead the police to their doorstep(s). Unlike ADHD and autism, the killer versions of neuro-spicy have little benefit in a healthy society, hunter-gatherer or modern, but they do provide a ton of fun material for writers of thrillers and mysteries. The challenge is to present them realistically without reminding people (too much) that these types are monsters are real.

Psychopath and sociopath are used interchangeably by non-specialists, but neither are defined in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorders.” There the diagnosis becomes defined as “antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)”. Under 18, the diagnose is “conduct disorder”.  In either case, going against societies standards, even quantified ones like laws, without remorse, is standard. Lying, tricking, and endangering others is done without empathy. Some going against society restrictions is expected, especially during teenage years, but people with ASPD have it in unhealthy levels. (Baby)

But when psychopathy is added to the mix, it takes ASPD to another level. About 1% of the population has psychopathy, and 25-30% of people with ASPD have these traits. Psychopathy isn’t a disorder or a diagnosis, but more like introvert or extrovert – just a set of traits some people have. Few of these traits are good … just saying: insincere charm, easily bored, manipulation of others, no guilt, failure to accept responsibility, and usually many sexual relations, likely because of the inability to connect emotionally but the brain’s neuro-spicy bonus of immediate rewards administered at a higher priority than “average”. Given the lack of guilt, failure to accept responsibility, and the manipulation of others, if this combo is found in someone with average intelligence (and 50% of all humans are at or below average – statistics being what they are over a population), crime and getting caught doing the crime is common. 15-25% of people in prisons display psychopathy traits. (Baby)

The upside of psychopathy is little-to-no imposture syndrome and virtually no anxiety issues. Helps not to care. Hey, not all traits personality need to be negative, even in a group package like psychopathy.

Not every person with psychopathy or ASPD is a serial killer, or even a criminal. Some function in society fine, and there are even jobs tailor-made for them. For example, repossession (of cars), foreclosures (of homes), and dunning (of credit) are all necessary in a capitalistic society for a lending system to function. I had a sister who worked in a dunning call center for about two months, but it destroyed her emotionally – people in that position needed a good helping of psychopathy to survive long-term. Sure we all hate people in these positions, especially when we are on the receiving end of life raining lemons on us after covering our bodies in papercuts, and being unable to pay back loans. But if a lending system is to exist, recourse on collecting the loans are needed too. (Not sure which is worse, not having a lending system or having a lending system.)

But back to the FUN part of psychopaths for writing. Serial killers – thank goodness there is not as many of these monsters in reality as show up in fiction but aren’t they fun in a fictional setting?

There are “organized” and “disorganized.” Organized creating premeditated crimes (which mysteries love so much), and the other creating crimes of passion (perfect for thrillers).

The organized are sane, not healthy but they are sane, an important distinction. They are aware they are killing people and society will punish them for this behavior if it is discovered. To stay unfound they are usually charming and have a “normal” life, even with spouses and children. A good job is necessary to get time off and travel money. Police hate organized killers as they don’t make many mistakes and stringing together enough of the mistakes for the police to actually find them could mean a long line of bodies. Readers love a good organized psychopath for murder mysteries.

The especially fun parts for readers are Modus Operandi (MO) and the signature. In romances, a reader loves how far-flung locations change up love stories; for mystery readers, a good MO makes all the difference between their “book candy” hauls. The method of operation combines things like the type of victim, where the victim is acquired, and the weapon used. All the things that make up the crime. The signature is something the perpetrator does not have to do to commit the crime, such as leaving a riddle with the body or redressing the person in a red gown. The signature comes from the fantasies driving the un-aliving. (Bonn)

Staging and Posing may be part of the signature. For the “Gas Station Killer”, the body(s) was found posed in a gas station bathroom. This particular killer does not stage to confuse the police, although moving the body away from the kill site means a lot of evidence is missing, and the amount of people using gas station bathrooms means any evidence missed during the transfer is highly compromised. The killer is driven by their fantasy to pose the victims.

Have you even written a serial killer with an MO and signature? Comment below what parts of the science of psychology you drew from to create your antagonist (or anti-hero) below. As I indicated, I used posing for the “Gas Station Killer” signature and their MO was the type of person they chose to kill and how they drained the blood from the body. In “Hope for the Future,” I played off organized and disorganized killers on a prisons ship interacting – using their different strengths to create a functional society which could (hopefully) perpetuate itself for the members to survive. Hard to do when most of the ship has the antisocial personality disorder and the inability to follow laws. But if the convicts do not figure it out, death will be long and uncomfortable to the last few left standing at the end.

Bibliography

Baby, Dany P. (reviewer). “How Sociopathy and Psychopaths are Different.” WebMD. 16 March 2023. (https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/psychopath-sociopath-differences – last viewed 11/16/2023)

Bonn, Scott A. “Serial Killers: Modus Operandi, Signature, Staging & Posing – Understanding and classifying serial killer crime scenes.” Psychology Today. 29 June 2015. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wicked-deeds/201506/serial-killers-modus-operandi-signature-staging-posing – last viewed 11/16/2023)

Lampley, Steven. “The Psychological Phases of Serial Killers.” Psychology Today. 25 August 2020. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/captivating-crimes/202008/the-psychological-phases-serial-killers – last viewed 11/16/2023)

Geeking Science: In space they can’t hear you burp

Erin Penn Leave a comment

Photo 172161164 | Burp © Andrej Privizer | Dreamstime.com

An often quoted piece of science fiction wisdom is “In space they can’t hear you scream.” Since vacuum doesn’t carry noise, if the bad guy shoves you out of an air lock, no one will hear the protest. Screaming into the void does nothing.

A lesser know piece of knowledge is “In space they can’t hear you burp.” Not exactly for the same reason as the screaming thing … well, yes, the vacuum does not carry the burp sound. But, and this will be important as we move into space, microgravity prevents the gas from glomming together into bubbles large enough for the body muscles to push out. In other words, you can’t burp in space.

Soda, beer, and all those lovely bubbly drinks can’t be taken into space – or made there. Many science fiction stories talk about how the engineers make a little distillery back in the engine room. Whiskey-in-the-jaro will be fine, beer, not so much. Enough to make one dive into a gravity well, if that is the only way to crack a cold one. (Hey, I should make a flash for that. —Done, hang around for 1/21/2024 “Memory of a Kiss”.)

Science fiction often explores mankind adapting to space as settlers. That means reproduction, and babies need burping. Humans gulp air as part of the eating process (it is actually necessary to taste food and aids in digestion), babies more than most. Until they develop the skill set to burp themselves, parents spend hours patting backs with babies draped over shoulders and legs, then changing clothes from the escaping curds. Can you imagine the pain the little babies will be in if burping isn’t possible?

If microgravity isn’t possible to raise children, how will humans settle space?

Specifically Can’t Burp In Space science:

  1. Instead of gases rising up through the esophagus, there is no “up” in microgravity and the gases get distributed throughout the digestive system.
  2. If you do manage to work a burb “up” to the mouth, instead of “out” the back, it comes with gifts because the liquid and gas haven’t separated. A burp is usually have vomit bits.
  3. Astronauts use special air suction systems to keep airflow away from the mouth, to prevent vomit or-bits. (Microgravity means anything that comes up will orbit the nearest large mass, which is the person. New meaning to whoever smelt it, dealt it.)
  4. Astronauts have a specific low-gas food diet – no carbonated beverages, but also no beans and broccoli, no yeast (risen) bread. That food in a bag is two-fold. One, it doesn’t fly away in the microgravity, but two, as much of the air has been removed as possible.

Bibliography

Planetary Society. “Fact Worth Sharing.” The Downlink. 6 October 2023. (This is an email magazine

Project Archinaut. “Can burp in space? 7 Reasons why you can’t.” Undated. (last viewed 11/14/2023 – Note 4/26/2024 link is no longer working)

Ungar, Eugene K. “Two-Phase Behavior in Mircorgravity.” Nasa. August 2021. (https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20210018162/downloads/Two-Phase%20Behavior%20in%20Microgravity%20TFAWS%202021_.pdf – last viewed 11/14/2023 – This is a PDF slide show.)

Other Cool Blogs: The Smithsonian

Erin Penn

Photo 164543210 / Flu 1918 © Satori13 | Dreamstime.com

1918-1919. An epidemic of Spanish Flu spread around the world. At least 20 million died, although some estimates put the final toll at 50 million. It`s estimated that between 20 per cent and 40 per cent of the entire world`s population became sick

I recently ran across a Smithsonian blog created in 2017 for a special report “The Next Pandemic”. It’s an interesting lookback to “How the 1918 Flu Pandemic Revolutionized Public Health“. Points brought up included realizing that disease does not respect borders, so WHO was created; and creating disease reporting systems. The impact of 2% of the planet dying to disease left holes, and passions to make sure those holes did not reoccur for future generations.

COVID has killed about 1%, although the hidden damage left behind from COVID likely is claiming a lot of people before their time, but not officially from COVID.

How will COVID change society? Studying the 1918 Flu Pandemic and it’s society impact can help indicate changes we might see in psychology, medical fields, political, and sociological. Besides, the Smithsonian Magazine is always a cool blog to follow.

Spinney, Laura. “How the 1918 Flu Pandemic Revolutionized Public Health.” Smithsonian Magazine. 9/27/2017 – https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-1918-flu-pandemic-revolutionized-public-health-180965025/ – last viewed 1/2/2023.