Hi Everyone,
HI STACY
Thanks for your advice Tommy. I appreciate it. I hope
Stacy, I would go to a nuerologist that will take time and listen to you. Don't let them tell you "you're just lucky to be alive", bill you and send you on your way. Good luck.
I came across this website while doing some research
on whether or not I should be concerned. Three days
ago, I had a very scary experience...
A friend of mine had given me her used washer/dryer
stacker unit. I had spent several days touching the unit,
the water hookups, and all the parts in between, with no
problems. Then, on Saturday, I leaned up against the
metal casing of the stacking unit with one bare arm, and
reached for the metal water hook-ups faucet on with the
other hand, and as soon as I made contact with the
metal faucet, I felt the current going through me. I
actually heard what sounded like the cycles in my head
(a humming in a pulse), and I felt tingles in waves going
up my hand. I held there for a few seconds (I don't know
how many) before I realized what was happening, and I
was able to back away and let go.
I was totally terrified, and cried and shook for quite a
while afterwards. I called the ER and they told me I was
fine, so I didn't go see anyone, but I haven't really felt all
that fine since it happened.
-- I had a really bad headache that night, and a few
minor ones since then (I NEVER get headaches)
-- I am really fatigued and I want to leave work and go
sleep.
-- I am achey all over (especially my arms and chest,
where it happened)
-- My arm was twitching but that seems to have
stopped.
-- The hand that touched the faucet tingles
intermittently.
-- I have had some 'flashback' type moments where I
remember the incident with dread and horror
-- I am stiff and sore in my upper back
-- I feel intermittently spacey and I am not concentrating
very well
-- I have these low moments (that last an hour or so),
where I feel very depressed and dismal (mentally).
I don't know how much voltage or amps I was exposed
to. I know the outlet is a 110 outlet.
Is there a way to find out more about how much
electricity I was exposed to?
Is there a way to find out whether it was the washer/
dryer or the faucet that caused it? (I want to sue my
landlord if it was the faucet)
Everyone I've talked to (dad, uncle, friends, boyfriend,
ER...) all seem to think that I couldn't have been killed,
but I don't know enough about it to know how serious it
could have been or how serious or longlasting the after
effects may become.
I know a lot of you here on this site have sustained
much more severe injuries, so I apologize for trivializing
your suffering which such a smaller scale injury, but I
had to ask.
Also, I wanted to add that I also had a very similar injury
when I was 16, but I never noticed any lasting effects
from that one, and I never even told anyone it
happened. Twice in one lifetime!!! What the heck!?! I
feel jinxed!
Thanks for any feedback!
stacyjune@comcast.net
By Anonymous on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 - 12:44 am:
IT'S GOOD TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO YOU SINCE YOU COULD BE DEAD NOW THANK THE LORD GOD YOUR'E NOT IVE BEEN THERE AND ITS NOT FUN ,I THINK YOU WILL BE ALL RIGHT BUT IM NOT A DOC THOUGH BEING AN ELECTRICIAN IVE BEEN SHOCKED MANY TIMES SIMILIAR TO THAT .
THE WASHER/DRYER UNIT RECEPTICAL ELECTRICAL PLUG IN PROBABLY IS NOT GROUNDED CORRECTLY IF IT WERE THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. WHEN YOU TOUCHED THE FAUCET YOU THEN WERE THE GROUNDFOR THE ELECTRICITY TO GO THROUGH THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE FAUCET.
YOU NEED TO HAVE A GROUND FAULT TYPE RECEPTICAL INSTALLED TO HELP PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN AND ALSO HAVE SOMEONE CHECK OUT THE WASH/DRY UNIT TO MAKS SURE ITS GROUNDED INTERNALLY.
I HOPE YOUR SYMPTOMS GO AWAY SONE, MORE THAN LIKELY IF YOU GO TO A DOC THEY WILL RUN A BUNCH OF TEST THAT WILL SHOW UP NEGATIVE AND IN THE LONG RUN TELL YOU YOUR CRAZY BUT IF YOUR SYMPTOMS CONTINUE OR GET WORSE GET YOU A NEUROLOGIST WHO HAS EXPERIENCE WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD ELECTRICAL INJURIES OR ONE WHO IS REALLY CONCERNED WITH YOUR HEALTH AND NOT WITH HOW MUCH HE CAN MAKE OFF OF YOU BECAUSE I HAVE ONE LIKE THAT AND IF I WERE PAYING FOR HIS SERVICES I WOULD HAVE DUMPTED HIM A YEAR AGO.
TOMMY
By Anonymous on Wednesday, September 17, 2003 - 05:52 pm:
you're doing well. I went to see the doctor this morning,
and he shrugged it off, saying that if I lived through the
actual event, then I'm ok. He checked my pulse and my
blood pressure, told me to thank my lucky stars and
sent me on my way. It was reassuring, even though I
have a feeling after reading this site, that regular
primary care physicians may not be that well versed in
this kind of injury. He said it will take me two or three
weeks to feel normal and well again. I can't wait,
because right now I feel pretty toxic.
If anyone else has advice for me, I'd love to hear it.
Thanks,
Stacy
By Jim on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 12:38 pm: