Bonus segment:
A Piecemeal Exposition
STEP INTO MY SKIN
Hello dear readers!
If you don't mind, I'll try to be quiet for this chapter’s segment. I only held onto life by the skin of my teeth, and I figure I deserve some sleep, so let's try not to wake me up (no matter how metaphysical that might sound).
You've probably noticed a trend in my Piecemeal Expositions. Indeed, these are an occasion to discuss important aspects of recent events. Perhaps you've already guessed this week's topic?
Well, you better brace yourself for the reveal so that you don't jump out of your skin, because it's…
That's right, skin!
The integument, our body's outermost physical barrier, generally considered to be our largest organ, is a subject with such depth that it's certainly more than skin deep.
And so, without further ado, let's get down to the skinny on skin!
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First, I'm proud to announce that I believe I've discovered a new and interesting way to get burned. And when it comes to burns, there's more than one way to skin the cat, or the slug, or me for that matter.
A burn is a type of skin injury caused by either heat, cold, friction, radiation, chemicals, or electricity. But what the slug's mucus did to me was none of these, and so I've decided to dub it… Desiccation Burn!
Granted, electrodesiccation already exists as a surgical method for the removal of skin growths, but my experience was different. The severe dehydration caused by the mucus damaged my skin enough to impede nearly all of my cutaneous nerves.
If you've ever had sleepy leg or arm syndrome (called paresthesia, caused by sustained pressure on a nerve), and if you can imagine this happening to your entire body, then you can get in my skin and understand how I felt.
I'd lost most of my senses of touch, cold, heat, pain, as well as the cutaneous reflexes that help your muscles make micro-adjustments to maintain balance and posture.
Who knew our skin did so much?
If this ever happens to you, I highly recommend dowsing yourself generously in slug blood, one of nature's slimiest moisturizers. Indeed, putting a cap on fluid loss in nearly any burn will limit the buildup of hypovolemia, thereby hopefully avoiding life-threatening shock.
Alright, I better stop before I put too much skin in the game. And anyway, I've gotta go back to rest. Judging by my growling stomach this sleep probably won't be the most restorative, so I should make the best of it while I can.
As it is, for someone who's gifted in Anatomy & Physiology, I don't seem to be managing my health all that well. But you know what they say: “The shoemaker always wears the worst shoes!”
Off the top of my head,
-me (your as-of-yet unnamed Heroine)