New Zealand woman left in ‘excruciating pain’ after hot water bottle bursts

A young mum has been left with “excruciating” second-degree burns after her nightly habit went terribly wrong. WARNING: GRAPHIC

WARNING: GRAPHIC

A New Zealand woman has sworn off hot water bottles after one burst, leaving her covered in “excruciating” second-degree burns.

Erin Majurey would normally fill a hot water bottle for herself and her 11-year-old daughter and they would hop into her bed for a cuddle at night, the New Zealand Herald reports.

But two weeks ago, her daughter had brought her the hot water bottle then gone to get her own.

Erin Majurey received horror injuries from her hot water bottle that burst. Picture: Facebook

With her leg across the hot water bottle, Ms Majurey, who lives in Hamilton, on New Zealand’s North Island, went to stand up, then felt the bottle burst underneath her.

“It was the most excruciating pain that I’ve ever felt in my entire life,” she said. “The pain was horrific.”

She immediately felt blisters forming on her skin.

Thinking quickly, Ms Majurey rolled off the bed, stripped off her pants and jumped in the shower – actions which may have saved her from being more badly burned.

As it was, she still suffered second-degree burns on her lower back, left buttock and leg, and on parts of her right thigh.

Paramedics took her to hospital where doctors cleaned her wounds, saying she may need skin grafts.

Paramedics wrapped her wounds in plastic before taking her to hospital. Picture: /Supplied

It's not clear yet whether skin grafts will be needed. Picture: Supplied

Her pain is now “finally under control” but Ms Majurey still wakes about five times a night from the discomfort.

Having her dressings changed was a “really painful process” and was also embarrassing.

“There really is no privacy for me at the moment,” she said.

She must also do daily exercises stretching out the skin in the burned area to make sure it doesn’t heal too tightly.

“I just really thank god that it was me who got burnt and not my daughter, because I really don’t know how I would have lived with myself had she been the one who was horrifically burnt and in pain.”

Ms Majurey tries to buy a new hot water bottle yearly to make sure they aren’t too old, but said sometimes it could be hard to keep track of how long she’d had one.

She said the middle of the bottle had simply disintegrated.

According to the New Zealand government’s Product Safety website, people using hot water bottles should take care when filling the bottles, use a cover over the bottle, and check them regularly for splits of perishing.

Users should never lie or sit on the hot water bottle, overfill it, or use a bottle that’s showing signs of wear or splitting.

Ms Majurey said she would now be switching to wheat packs to stay warm instead.

This article originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald and has been reproduced with permission