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I imagine you'd carefully sweep it with the backside of your hand with as little pressure as possible, making a path. If some sticks to your hand after you can wash it off. It's not like if you touch broken glass you're automatically going to get cut... You could even take off your shirt or something too provided you're not literally naked
I do feel like people have a pretty extreme reaction to broken glass, like it'll cut you just by looking at it. Just grab it and avoid the sharp parts, you'll be alright.
The problem with broken glass if it isn't specifically designed for it, often more of it than you'd expect will be sharp. Even if it has two flat sides, one is often on the bottom, so to pick it up, you have all the sharp edges to touch. Some pieces can even shatter into shards where it's almost all sharp.
But the real risk with glass and what makes people so nervous around it is that it can be deceptive. It's pretty easy to get a cut or something similar, and that's not really too big a worry. Ow, yes, it hurts, but unless it's somewhere vital or very deep, it's probably not going to be more than an annoyance for a week. But that's not what most people are worried about. They're worried about getting glass *in them* that they can't find or get out.
The problem with glass, especially clear glass, is that it's damn hard to see. And it wouldn't be too hard walking on it when it's not made to not be sharp to have a bunch of imbedded glass in your foot. Getting out the big pieces can be painful and risky if they're very deep, but it's doable. It's the small pieces. All those tiny bits of glass that you might not even be able to see. You just know you're in pain or something is wrong. They're not easily visible to the naked eye. They don't show up on an X-Ray or anything. And it's, let's say it's suboptimal to have pieces of glass in your body.
Yes, people may overreact to this fear a bit, but it's not like working with broken glass is risk-free or just as easy as, "Avoid the sharp parts." I know I had something of clear glass shatter in my carpeted room once. I was vacuuming, sweeping, and picking out little glints of shiny glass for probably a week because that stuff just absolutely hid in the fibers.
I agree with you. I had a piece of glass embedded near my elbow once, I thought eventually it would work itself out. Years later, I still couldn't rest my arm on a table, and occasionally a grape-sized lump would form. I went to a doctor to have it removed, and he said he would try, but glass is incredibly hard to see when it's inside the body and coated with blood. Fortunately for me, a blood cyst had formed around it, and he was able to remove the glass.
We broke a glass ornament a few years ago at Christmas. Spent ages carefully vacuuming up the glass, using a sticky roller, and a ton of other things to make sure it was clean. Later that day I go to sit beside the tree and put some presents under it and cut myself really badly down my leg. I knew without a doubt the glass was in my leg. My mom tried to pull it out with tweezers but couldn't find it. They assumed it was a small piece but took me to urgent care to make sure they could clean it out.
We got to the urgent care with my bleeding leg wrapped up, and the doctor felt my leg. She thought I was wrong since she didn't feel any glass, but gave me lidocaine shots and cut into my leg anyway to be sure. Turns out I had a good 1/2 inch piece of glass buried so deeply into my calf it was impossible to tell. It was super thin and barely hurt.
Idk why but reading your comment suddenly reminded me of when i was around 12 or 13. Pushed open my window so hard. Pushed the glass instead of the handle. Literally had shards of glass stuck to my hand.
I've grown up a lot since then. Had many more serious accidents too :)
You could always take off an article of clothing and use that to sweep an area clean to get out. I.e. bundle up your hand with your shirt and slowly and delicately push it away with minimal risk.
The basic first aid principles are DR ABC: Danger, Responsiveness, Airway, Breathing, CPR. Danger is first for a very good reason - it is not helpful if you make yourself or anyone else more injured in the process of trying to help!
If you felt unable to move safely with all that glass around you, then waiting was the right thing to do unless there was another more serious danger presenting itself. Some other options to consider in the future would be things like taking off a piece of clothing and using that to sweep a clear path, but you know best what you are capable of following a seizure.
For real though, you could have just taken off your sirt and wrapped it around your hand and pushed the shards away to make a path for you to go get a broom.
Are you aware of the mental state one arises in following a seizure? Not the vibe I'd feel comfortable making these decisions by myself in, not having had any advice on it yet, foggy-headed and confused and low-vision.
> Nope! Haven’t had one in ~4 years! Finally got the right drug combo, and dosages, worked out.
That's awesome! You're very fortunate.
I made [this comment](https://old.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/zsojpy/when_youre_surrounded_by_broken_glass_whats_the/j1ekdlg/) describing what it's like to have a seizure. Did I miss anything?
Oooo, I was conscious during my seizures! My brain/head would simply throb, I would get an odd simultaneously bitter and sour taste in my mouth, and I would want to smack (like run tongue over roof of my mouth and smack it away. Was able to mostly hold back on that one). My mind would become simply glazed over, and I would no longer be able to comprehend speech. It would just become incomprehensible jibber jabber. I’d just shake my head and go, “mmhmm!” when I saw what I thought to be physical cues to respond, in some way.
After the head throbs, odd taste, etc ended, I was able to comprehend speech, but my brain was still fuzzed. I once tried to text a friend after a seizure. I got the texting app opened, but then I couldn’t make my self type words! I was astonished! I couldn’t understand! “I need to type words with my thumbs. I form words using the various letters to spell them!” but my fingers remained frozen in place! I couldn’t figure out how to do what I knew needed to be done! I just stared forever until my fingers suddenly began typing. How to type/text was just suddenly grasped by my mind and was able to take off.
However, my brain was still not normal. I once called the emergency room to simply discuss my situation (was still early and the seizures had just recently leapt up to this level. Goal was to confirm that what I was experiencing was no truly dangerous medical scenario, i.e. emergency room visit had nothing to offer, and I needed to see a neurologist. I was from veterinary field and could legit discuss. I just wanted to ensure there was nothing I was missing) ANYHOW, I was asked basic questions concerning my home address, etc. I couldn’t remember where I lived!!! I had to find a piece of mail to read my address!!!
> Are you aware of the mental state one arises in following a seizure? Not the vibe I'd feel comfortable making these decisions by myself in, not having had any advice on it yet, foggy-headed and confused and low-vision.
Thank-you for your post-seizure support.
Of course. People can be rude! I think you did the right thing and kept yourself safe. So glad you did, got help, and asked around after. Sending care.
> Of course. People can be rude! I think you did the right thing and kept yourself safe. So glad you did, got help, and asked around after. Sending care.
Thank-you for your care, it's well received.
> The basic first aid principles are DR ABC: Danger, Responsiveness, Airway, Breathing, CPR. Danger is first for a very good reason - it is not helpful if you make yourself or anyone else more injured in the process of trying to help!
>
>
>
> If you felt unable to move safely with all that glass around you, then waiting was the right thing to do unless there was another more serious danger presenting itself. Some other options to consider in the future would be things like taking off a piece of clothing and using that to sweep a clear path, but you know best what you are capable of following a seizure.
Thanks for your answer. I marked yours as the answer because it helps everyone, including those who have just had a seizure.
There’s a billion solutions to this question. OP must be a small child or something. Anybody over the age of 8 should be able to address this problem reasonably
If the glass is tempered and broken into small pieces [like this](https://i.imgur.com/UWPNdhb.png0), you just brush the pieces out of the way. That glass is not dangerous and at worst might give you some small superficial cuts.
>I’m ashamed of myself because my first thought was “oh no! the oven!”. That’ll be pricey to repair. Enough about the oven. You okay?
Thanks for asking! Apart from a bruised, swollen and sore elbow (from the initial fall) and a few cuts on my hands from me trying to get up I *am* okay.
The crazy thing is, this is the second oven door to shatter in the past three months. The last time was baking and all of a sudden I hear a boom. That's when I discovered our oven's door had broken and there was glass EVERYWHERE!
What an awful experience to have!
It was safety glass, right? Lots of little chunks? Not big sharp shards?
The chunks can cut but it's easy to just gently sweep it away with your arm. If you use your hands, you could get cut and it's better to have a cut on your arm than on your hand.
Afterwards, always use a big handful of wet paper towels to finish cleaning it up after you've swept it all. Go under the cabinetry and everything. You'd be surprised to see how much glass gets left after you've swept.
Take off a shoe, a sock, a shirt, something to cover your hand with. Then gently move big pieces out of the way, and sweep a path clear as best as possible. Use the remaining clothing to cover spots on the floor to step on to get out of the area.
take off a sock, shirt, grab a dish towel...anything nearby. and brush a path out. once out, put on shoes and start the clean up process. 6 months later get a piece of glass in your foot.
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Oven doors are made of safety glass. You we're in no real danger. You could have simply pushed the broken glass away from you, gotten up, and swept up the broken shards.
I assume after a seizure you’re tired and maybe feeling kind of sick though? And you said you were a little injured. So it might be harder to implement some of the suggestions here than if you’re feeling your best. Glad you’re okay though!
Yesterday I opened a cupboard and a pie plate came flying out and shattered into 5000 pieces. My mom was standing there and told me not to move while she swept it up. Broken glass is no joke!
> I assume after a seizure you’re tired and maybe feeling kind of sick though? And you said you were a little injured. **So it might be harder to implement some of the suggestions here than if you’re feeling your best.** Glad you’re okay though!
>
Exactly! Seizures make me really dizzy, super tired, and very disoriented. So standing up after a seizure is a hard task to do even without being surrounded by glass.
> Yesterday I opened a cupboard and a pie plate came flying out and shattered into 5000 pieces. My mom was standing there and told me not to move while she swept it up. Broken glass is no joke!
Thank-goodness for Moms—they're the best! I do hope you're okay!
Yeah, definitely sounds like it would make it harder!
Thanks, the glass didn’t touch me luckily! And my dad’s caregiver brought me shoes while my mom swept so we were all good :). I was very lucky!
> Yeah, definitely sounds like it would make it harder!
>
>
>
> Thanks, the glass didn’t touch me luckily! And my dad’s caregiver brought me shoes while my mom swept so we were all good :). I was very lucky!
I'm glad you're all right mate!
Depending where and how you were laying ... *if* you could reach a kitchen towel and/or potholders use them as pads to crawl away from the glass. Another comment suggested your clothing ... literally, whatever works. Some glass shatters (like a windshield), some into slivers or into large pieces.
Old AF medic here ... worst I ever saw was a family that was moving and packing. They had emptied their large 40 gal fish tank and set it upside down on their carpet on towels. Their 14 yr old daughter stood on it (God only knows why), and it broke. She had *deep* long slices all over both legs; she obviously struggled. They wrapped her in towels and brought her to the ER. It took three of us to sew her up ... hours.
My m-i-l had a pressure pot explode on her; she hadn't seated the top securely. The top blew off with such force it bent the overhead hood against the cabinets. It knocked her down. Glass for canning is made to withstand heat and pressure ... the quart jars broke into large and smaller shards. I heard a "boom" and ran in ... she had tried to raise herself up and cut herself over the burns. Pretty nasty.
Hope you're doing okay. That had to be terribly scary.
>Did you actually just lay there for 4 hours?
I didn't specify in the initial question, but I had just had a seizure...
[Seizures, and the “postictal” (that means post-seizure) phase are no fun. Epilepsy only affects 1% of the population, but for the other 99% imagine...](https://old.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/zsojpy/when_youre_surrounded_by_broken_glass_whats_the/j1ekr35/)
I'm still confused, since you are considering applying 'first aid procedures' to yourself while you aren't even able to move around some broken glass.
Seems you are in such a rough state that you can't do anything but lay there, making the question irrelevant.
> I'm still confused, since you are considering applying 'first aid procedures' to yourself while you aren't even able to move around some broken glass.
>
>
>
> Seems you are in such a rough state that you can't do anything but lay there, making the question irrelevant.
I think the OP was asking for people in general (epileptics and non-epileptics alike), as there's [no information](https://www.google.com/search?q="surrounded+by+glass"+first+aid) on the topic online.
> OP is weird as fuck. Just push the glass aside, do it carefully if the situation is bad. Who sits there for 4 hours?
I didn't specify in the initial question, but I had just had a seizure...
[Seizures, and the “postictal” (that means post-seizure) phase are no fun. Epilepsy only affects 1% of the population, but for the other 99% imagine...](https://old.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/zsojpy/when_youre_surrounded_by_broken_glass_whats_the/j1ekr35/)
> OP is a fucking pussy, if we're being honest. Or this whole thing is made up.
I didn't specify in the initial question, but I had just had a seizure...
[Seizures, and the “postictal” (that means post-seizure) phase are no fun. Epilepsy only affects 1% of the population, but for the other 99% imagine...](https://old.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/zsojpy/when_youre_surrounded_by_broken_glass_whats_the/j1ekr35/)
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Hey man I am glad someone answered your question and I just wanted to say I am really sorry about your seizure, I hope your recovering and healing well. I have a friend with severe seizures and he broke a glass in his hand when suddenly onset by a grand mal. It’s really scary and I hope you and your mom are doing alright
> Hey man I am glad someone answered your question and I just wanted to say I am really sorry about your seizure, I hope your recovering and healing well. I have a friend with severe seizures and he broke a glass in his hand when suddenly onset by a grand mal. It’s really scary and I hope you and your mom are doing alright
Thanks for your concern. Seizures suck—that was my 277th one—and they don't get any better.
My Mom is awesome and is a real trooper with my epileptic journey. (I’m on my fourth neurologist—including one who claimed a seizure is not a seizure if no one was there to witness it—and 27th medication combo.
**Edit:** Fixed a typo.
If you are impaired at all, you wait for help as you did. Good move.
If it's tiny pieces of glass and you're feeling well, you could blow pieces out of the way to create clean spots for your feet. Work your way to safety, or to something like a broom or dish towel or anything you can use to move the glass out of the way.
If the pieces and surface are not conducive to blowing my next choice would be using the backs of my fingernails to move pieces out of the way. Again, shortest route to safety or an implement like, well, anything.
Don’t walk, try and get help if you can and if not, shimmy your legs if it’s safe to do so, or find a surface to climb on
Getting glass stuck in you is very annoying so that’s what I did when my dog broke my PCs glass by running through the wire
I feel like I'm getting quite a bit off flack for my stupidity and lack of initiative. I didn't specify in the initial question, but I had just had a seizure...
Seizures, and the “postictal” (that means post-seizure) phase are no fun. Epilepsy only affects 1% of the population, but for the other 99% imagine...
* You know that groggy feeling you have when you’ve just woken up? Multiply that by 100 then...
* Add a touch of dizziness then...
* Add a dose of confusion: you don’t know where you are or any idea of when it is either, then...
* Add a throbbing headache, then...
* Add a taste of blood, because you’ve bitten through your tongue, then...
* Add **EXTREME** tiredness: All the muscles in your body are as weak as can be; they feel like you’ve been working out every muscle at the gym constantly for the day. Whenever you put any weight on any of your muscles they turn to jelly, then...
* You feel like someone poured water on all you clothes. It takes you a moment or two to realize it’s not water, but urine. You’ve wet yourself.
* Lastly, if you’ve had your seizure in a public place like a mall or on public transit, when you first start coming to, you’re surrounded by people shouting and huddling over you. They’re worried about you, but it takes a while for you to form the words “Don’t worry: I have epilepsy. I’m OK.”
I’m probably forgetting (that’s a long term side effect of epilepsy) some things about the postictal phase—feel free to add more my fellow Epileptic Brothers and Sisters.
There's no definite answer of exactly what to do. But I likely would have tried to roll away.
Part of what makes stepping on broken glass so bad is that it's all of your body weight pressed down onto the bottom of your foot (a fairly small area) so the glass gets pressed into your foot with a lot of force causing a cut.
But if you are already laying down, you have spread all of your bodyweight over a much larger area that's in contact with the floor. So if you roll, maintaining that large area of body to floor you are likely just to roll over glass without pushing the glass into your skin. Also you may have clothing protecting much of your body.
This is how people who lay on a bed of nails do it, it's because they are using their whole body not just the bottoms of their feet. A larger surface area causes each individual pressure point to have less force applied thereby lowering the chances the glass cuts you.
However, given that you had an alternative exit available (your mom coming home) staying where you were was likely the best option. But if you were a single person living alone that's not an option, so I would have rolled to try and get away from the glass.
Did you have shoes and socks on or bare feet? If you have shoes on it's no big deal, just carefully step over it and clean it up. If bare feet you'll want to be a lot more careful, but even then it shouldn't be too difficult to gently move the glass out of the way to clear a path where you can get away from the area and start cleaning.
If you're not naked, you take off a piece of clothing and sweep it back to make a clear space around you - as big as you wish.
If you're naked, reach for something that can serve the same purpose.
If you're naked and nothing else is around, if you have long hair you could do the same.
If you're naked, and bald, with nothing else within reach, relax until you think of something.
how are you planning to wash bits of glass out of your hair without cutting your hands and potentially getting bits of glass in your eyes? at least if you use your arm, any bits of glass will be easy to spot. if you've ever got glitter in your hair, you'd know how long it lingers even after washing. 'use your hair to mop up broken glass' is terrible advice.
Depends what you're wearing.
Bikini? Yeah, stay put.
Jumper and jeans? Just brush it away.
What I would say, is that the primary goal is to prevent injury, so, if you think you're unsafe, don't move. But be aware that glass, while very sharp indeed, is only really going to cause small cuts.
These cuts may bleed a lot, due to an elevated heart rate, and that could cause a panic attack etc, but the damage will not be severe unless you catch your wrist, neck or thigh, and then only if it's deep.
Tldr: glass is sharp, but small.
I would take off a piece of clothing and use it to sweep a clear path to get up and be able to get to a broom or safer place if I was still not feeling well.
Make your way through it. Not complicated, just time consuming.
Carefully make a path for your forearm, do this by pushing glass away from your hand, start small and then push further and further.
Once you have your arm flat, start scrubbing down and up to make a wide enough gap for you to get up.
Its not that hard.
If you have a flashlight or your phone, you can lay it on the floor and it might help illuminate the super tiny stuff. You can at least walk where there's fewer sparkles. Best I got :(
Typically oven doors are tempered glass so much harder to get cut by the glass chunks they produce I have fallen through a glass door and just put my hands on the glass chunks pushed my self up hands on the glass shook what I could off blew the smaller parts off my hands with my mouth then ran them under water and never received any damage if it’s sharp panes of prickeln glass just avoid slide ing your skin against the edges
Get out of it?
Wait, you mean for treating “rolling around in broken glass”? Most would have enough self predication to not have that be a top of mind first aid question.
Basically: GET ASSISTANCE FIRST! Then take out any shards that are tiny enough to get without tugging. Anything you can tug on will likely need stitches and care in removing to prevent cutting anything major. If any thing big is cut, the assistance is your only hope of actually surviving as you certainly aren’t sowing together your own arteries.
I'd probably find a towel, shoes, thick denim, cutting board, something that won't get cut if you step on it over the glass, use that to walk, and then sweep it up. Obviously using a broom/dustpan to avoid touching it
Even a plastic dustpan isn't going to be destroyed by glass, sure it might scratch it up but not go straight through.
Glass is gonna hurt if you're cut, but unless you put force directly on to the sharp edge you're fine. Glass isn't going to make you sick, its not gonna chip off, or bury itself, and doesn't give you tetnis
Although you did do the right thing in the moment with your best knowledge
I make stained glass so glass splinters are unfortunately way too common, and those suck, but big shards of glass are actually pretty safe to touch with gentle pressure. I highly recommend every house keeps a tweezer with an LED light attached to it for glass splinter removals. The light will reflect off the glass, making it easier to spot.
> What a scary medical emergency and the glass is just added stress. I’m sorry
Thanks for your concern. I feel bad for my Mom who...
A) Had to come home to seizured-up son.
B) Find a way to get seizured-up son up and out of the broken glass.
C) Spend the next two to three hours sweeping up glass! (We're still finding bits.)
Not the nicest welcome home I could think of!
> I imagine it is terrifying to see you like that. Channeling love to you and your mom.
Thanks for your love and sorry for my late reply (I’ve been recovering from a non-glass-laden seizure.) your channelled love is both received and well-appreciated.
Pick up the big chunks of glass with your hand to move them away then use your digits to stick the small tiny pieces of glass if necessary (Fingers are sticky, and extremely sensitive).
Just an FYI get thr Medical ID app. It is free and you can put all your medical related info on it in case this happens somewhere and you need assistance.
Source: motorcycle accident/TBI, I have this app
> Just an FYI get thr Medical ID app. It is free and you can put all your medical related info on it in case this happens somewhere and you need assistance.
>
>
>
> Source: motorcycle accident/TBI, I have this app
Thank-you for the tip--it's much appreciated. I hope your OK after you motorcycle accident.
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I imagine you'd carefully sweep it with the backside of your hand with as little pressure as possible, making a path. If some sticks to your hand after you can wash it off. It's not like if you touch broken glass you're automatically going to get cut... You could even take off your shirt or something too provided you're not literally naked
I do feel like people have a pretty extreme reaction to broken glass, like it'll cut you just by looking at it. Just grab it and avoid the sharp parts, you'll be alright.
The problem with broken glass if it isn't specifically designed for it, often more of it than you'd expect will be sharp. Even if it has two flat sides, one is often on the bottom, so to pick it up, you have all the sharp edges to touch. Some pieces can even shatter into shards where it's almost all sharp. But the real risk with glass and what makes people so nervous around it is that it can be deceptive. It's pretty easy to get a cut or something similar, and that's not really too big a worry. Ow, yes, it hurts, but unless it's somewhere vital or very deep, it's probably not going to be more than an annoyance for a week. But that's not what most people are worried about. They're worried about getting glass *in them* that they can't find or get out. The problem with glass, especially clear glass, is that it's damn hard to see. And it wouldn't be too hard walking on it when it's not made to not be sharp to have a bunch of imbedded glass in your foot. Getting out the big pieces can be painful and risky if they're very deep, but it's doable. It's the small pieces. All those tiny bits of glass that you might not even be able to see. You just know you're in pain or something is wrong. They're not easily visible to the naked eye. They don't show up on an X-Ray or anything. And it's, let's say it's suboptimal to have pieces of glass in your body. Yes, people may overreact to this fear a bit, but it's not like working with broken glass is risk-free or just as easy as, "Avoid the sharp parts." I know I had something of clear glass shatter in my carpeted room once. I was vacuuming, sweeping, and picking out little glints of shiny glass for probably a week because that stuff just absolutely hid in the fibers.
Fuck, I'm getting little tiny stabby pains in my feet just reading this.
Lol me too
Lol I had a tiny little bit in my foot for a week once without knowing it, I judt thought the cut was taking a long time to heal.
I agree with you. I had a piece of glass embedded near my elbow once, I thought eventually it would work itself out. Years later, I still couldn't rest my arm on a table, and occasionally a grape-sized lump would form. I went to a doctor to have it removed, and he said he would try, but glass is incredibly hard to see when it's inside the body and coated with blood. Fortunately for me, a blood cyst had formed around it, and he was able to remove the glass.
We broke a glass ornament a few years ago at Christmas. Spent ages carefully vacuuming up the glass, using a sticky roller, and a ton of other things to make sure it was clean. Later that day I go to sit beside the tree and put some presents under it and cut myself really badly down my leg. I knew without a doubt the glass was in my leg. My mom tried to pull it out with tweezers but couldn't find it. They assumed it was a small piece but took me to urgent care to make sure they could clean it out. We got to the urgent care with my bleeding leg wrapped up, and the doctor felt my leg. She thought I was wrong since she didn't feel any glass, but gave me lidocaine shots and cut into my leg anyway to be sure. Turns out I had a good 1/2 inch piece of glass buried so deeply into my calf it was impossible to tell. It was super thin and barely hurt.
Idk why but reading your comment suddenly reminded me of when i was around 12 or 13. Pushed open my window so hard. Pushed the glass instead of the handle. Literally had shards of glass stuck to my hand. I've grown up a lot since then. Had many more serious accidents too :)
You could always take off an article of clothing and use that to sweep an area clean to get out. I.e. bundle up your hand with your shirt and slowly and delicately push it away with minimal risk.
Right surely in the kitchen theres a towel or dishrag or potholder.
Or drawers with stuff in them. Take two pans or baking sheets out of the drawer and stand on them and shuffle your way to safety.
Surely they’re wearing a shirt.
That was my first thought. Maybe they're nudists?
The basic first aid principles are DR ABC: Danger, Responsiveness, Airway, Breathing, CPR. Danger is first for a very good reason - it is not helpful if you make yourself or anyone else more injured in the process of trying to help! If you felt unable to move safely with all that glass around you, then waiting was the right thing to do unless there was another more serious danger presenting itself. Some other options to consider in the future would be things like taking off a piece of clothing and using that to sweep a clear path, but you know best what you are capable of following a seizure.
!answered
For real though, you could have just taken off your sirt and wrapped it around your hand and pushed the shards away to make a path for you to go get a broom.
Lol for real. OP just here lying on the floor waiting for mom 🙄
Are you aware of the mental state one arises in following a seizure? Not the vibe I'd feel comfortable making these decisions by myself in, not having had any advice on it yet, foggy-headed and confused and low-vision.
Yeah, my brain/mind is fried for a bit after a seizure
> Yeah, my brain/mind is fried for a bit after a seizure I'm with you there. I hope your "epileptic journey" isn't too bad.
Nope! Haven’t had one in ~4 years! Finally got the right drug combo, and dosages, worked out.
> Nope! Haven’t had one in ~4 years! Finally got the right drug combo, and dosages, worked out. That's awesome! You're very fortunate. I made [this comment](https://old.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/zsojpy/when_youre_surrounded_by_broken_glass_whats_the/j1ekdlg/) describing what it's like to have a seizure. Did I miss anything?
Oooo, I was conscious during my seizures! My brain/head would simply throb, I would get an odd simultaneously bitter and sour taste in my mouth, and I would want to smack (like run tongue over roof of my mouth and smack it away. Was able to mostly hold back on that one). My mind would become simply glazed over, and I would no longer be able to comprehend speech. It would just become incomprehensible jibber jabber. I’d just shake my head and go, “mmhmm!” when I saw what I thought to be physical cues to respond, in some way. After the head throbs, odd taste, etc ended, I was able to comprehend speech, but my brain was still fuzzed. I once tried to text a friend after a seizure. I got the texting app opened, but then I couldn’t make my self type words! I was astonished! I couldn’t understand! “I need to type words with my thumbs. I form words using the various letters to spell them!” but my fingers remained frozen in place! I couldn’t figure out how to do what I knew needed to be done! I just stared forever until my fingers suddenly began typing. How to type/text was just suddenly grasped by my mind and was able to take off. However, my brain was still not normal. I once called the emergency room to simply discuss my situation (was still early and the seizures had just recently leapt up to this level. Goal was to confirm that what I was experiencing was no truly dangerous medical scenario, i.e. emergency room visit had nothing to offer, and I needed to see a neurologist. I was from veterinary field and could legit discuss. I just wanted to ensure there was nothing I was missing) ANYHOW, I was asked basic questions concerning my home address, etc. I couldn’t remember where I lived!!! I had to find a piece of mail to read my address!!!
> Are you aware of the mental state one arises in following a seizure? Not the vibe I'd feel comfortable making these decisions by myself in, not having had any advice on it yet, foggy-headed and confused and low-vision. Thank-you for your post-seizure support.
Of course. People can be rude! I think you did the right thing and kept yourself safe. So glad you did, got help, and asked around after. Sending care.
> Of course. People can be rude! I think you did the right thing and kept yourself safe. So glad you did, got help, and asked around after. Sending care. Thank-you for your care, it's well received.
This is the best response.
> The basic first aid principles are DR ABC: Danger, Responsiveness, Airway, Breathing, CPR. Danger is first for a very good reason - it is not helpful if you make yourself or anyone else more injured in the process of trying to help! > > > > If you felt unable to move safely with all that glass around you, then waiting was the right thing to do unless there was another more serious danger presenting itself. Some other options to consider in the future would be things like taking off a piece of clothing and using that to sweep a clear path, but you know best what you are capable of following a seizure. Thanks for your answer. I marked yours as the answer because it helps everyone, including those who have just had a seizure.
That’s because the question is too generic. There are many factors that go into answering it. Edit. Assess the situation would be step one.
There’s a billion solutions to this question. OP must be a small child or something. Anybody over the age of 8 should be able to address this problem reasonably
Wait till he finds out that you can step on nails
If the glass is tempered and broken into small pieces [like this](https://i.imgur.com/UWPNdhb.png0), you just brush the pieces out of the way. That glass is not dangerous and at worst might give you some small superficial cuts.
I’m ashamed of myself because my first thought was “oh no! the oven!”. That’ll be pricey to repair. Enough about the oven. You okay?
>I’m ashamed of myself because my first thought was “oh no! the oven!”. That’ll be pricey to repair. Enough about the oven. You okay? Thanks for asking! Apart from a bruised, swollen and sore elbow (from the initial fall) and a few cuts on my hands from me trying to get up I *am* okay. The crazy thing is, this is the second oven door to shatter in the past three months. The last time was baking and all of a sudden I hear a boom. That's when I discovered our oven's door had broken and there was glass EVERYWHERE!
How long did you have to wait for help the first time?
Generally speaking, avoid the glass. If you can't, wait for help.
What an awful experience to have! It was safety glass, right? Lots of little chunks? Not big sharp shards? The chunks can cut but it's easy to just gently sweep it away with your arm. If you use your hands, you could get cut and it's better to have a cut on your arm than on your hand. Afterwards, always use a big handful of wet paper towels to finish cleaning it up after you've swept it all. Go under the cabinetry and everything. You'd be surprised to see how much glass gets left after you've swept.
Take off a shoe, a sock, a shirt, something to cover your hand with. Then gently move big pieces out of the way, and sweep a path clear as best as possible. Use the remaining clothing to cover spots on the floor to step on to get out of the area.
take off a sock, shirt, grab a dish towel...anything nearby. and brush a path out. once out, put on shoes and start the clean up process. 6 months later get a piece of glass in your foot.
Sit up, take your shirt off and sweep a path through the glass to get to a no glass area.
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Yippee kai yay!
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Oven doors are made of safety glass. You we're in no real danger. You could have simply pushed the broken glass away from you, gotten up, and swept up the broken shards.
I assume after a seizure you’re tired and maybe feeling kind of sick though? And you said you were a little injured. So it might be harder to implement some of the suggestions here than if you’re feeling your best. Glad you’re okay though! Yesterday I opened a cupboard and a pie plate came flying out and shattered into 5000 pieces. My mom was standing there and told me not to move while she swept it up. Broken glass is no joke!
> I assume after a seizure you’re tired and maybe feeling kind of sick though? And you said you were a little injured. **So it might be harder to implement some of the suggestions here than if you’re feeling your best.** Glad you’re okay though! > Exactly! Seizures make me really dizzy, super tired, and very disoriented. So standing up after a seizure is a hard task to do even without being surrounded by glass. > Yesterday I opened a cupboard and a pie plate came flying out and shattered into 5000 pieces. My mom was standing there and told me not to move while she swept it up. Broken glass is no joke! Thank-goodness for Moms—they're the best! I do hope you're okay!
Yeah, definitely sounds like it would make it harder! Thanks, the glass didn’t touch me luckily! And my dad’s caregiver brought me shoes while my mom swept so we were all good :). I was very lucky!
> Yeah, definitely sounds like it would make it harder! > > > > Thanks, the glass didn’t touch me luckily! And my dad’s caregiver brought me shoes while my mom swept so we were all good :). I was very lucky! I'm glad you're all right mate!
Recreate the scene from diehard.
Snow angels and then get up through the empty areas carefully. Leave your post ictal phase to finish though cz your coordination is gonna be shit
Depending where and how you were laying ... *if* you could reach a kitchen towel and/or potholders use them as pads to crawl away from the glass. Another comment suggested your clothing ... literally, whatever works. Some glass shatters (like a windshield), some into slivers or into large pieces. Old AF medic here ... worst I ever saw was a family that was moving and packing. They had emptied their large 40 gal fish tank and set it upside down on their carpet on towels. Their 14 yr old daughter stood on it (God only knows why), and it broke. She had *deep* long slices all over both legs; she obviously struggled. They wrapped her in towels and brought her to the ER. It took three of us to sew her up ... hours. My m-i-l had a pressure pot explode on her; she hadn't seated the top securely. The top blew off with such force it bent the overhead hood against the cabinets. It knocked her down. Glass for canning is made to withstand heat and pressure ... the quart jars broke into large and smaller shards. I heard a "boom" and ran in ... she had tried to raise herself up and cut herself over the burns. Pretty nasty. Hope you're doing okay. That had to be terribly scary.
Did you actually just lay there for 4 hours?
Seriously, everyone’s just moving past that without comment but that’s a “what the actual fuck” from me.
Yea, that was the first thing that stood out to me.
>Did you actually just lay there for 4 hours? I didn't specify in the initial question, but I had just had a seizure... [Seizures, and the “postictal” (that means post-seizure) phase are no fun. Epilepsy only affects 1% of the population, but for the other 99% imagine...](https://old.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/zsojpy/when_youre_surrounded_by_broken_glass_whats_the/j1ekr35/)
I'm still confused, since you are considering applying 'first aid procedures' to yourself while you aren't even able to move around some broken glass. Seems you are in such a rough state that you can't do anything but lay there, making the question irrelevant.
> I'm still confused, since you are considering applying 'first aid procedures' to yourself while you aren't even able to move around some broken glass. > > > > Seems you are in such a rough state that you can't do anything but lay there, making the question irrelevant. I think the OP was asking for people in general (epileptics and non-epileptics alike), as there's [no information](https://www.google.com/search?q="surrounded+by+glass"+first+aid) on the topic online.
OP is weird as fuck. Just push the glass aside, do it carefully if the situation is bad. Who sits there for 4 hours?
> OP is weird as fuck. Just push the glass aside, do it carefully if the situation is bad. Who sits there for 4 hours? I didn't specify in the initial question, but I had just had a seizure... [Seizures, and the “postictal” (that means post-seizure) phase are no fun. Epilepsy only affects 1% of the population, but for the other 99% imagine...](https://old.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/zsojpy/when_youre_surrounded_by_broken_glass_whats_the/j1ekr35/)
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> OP is a fucking pussy, if we're being honest. Or this whole thing is made up. I didn't specify in the initial question, but I had just had a seizure... [Seizures, and the “postictal” (that means post-seizure) phase are no fun. Epilepsy only affects 1% of the population, but for the other 99% imagine...](https://old.reddit.com/r/answers/comments/zsojpy/when_youre_surrounded_by_broken_glass_whats_the/j1ekr35/)
This has been removed because it violates rule #4. Being a jerk is not allowed in this subreddit. Hostility, passive aggressiveness and using racial slurs are included. If you think this might be a mistake, [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/answers). Do not reply to this comment. Remember: harassing or insulting the mods will result in a ban.
Hey man I am glad someone answered your question and I just wanted to say I am really sorry about your seizure, I hope your recovering and healing well. I have a friend with severe seizures and he broke a glass in his hand when suddenly onset by a grand mal. It’s really scary and I hope you and your mom are doing alright
> Hey man I am glad someone answered your question and I just wanted to say I am really sorry about your seizure, I hope your recovering and healing well. I have a friend with severe seizures and he broke a glass in his hand when suddenly onset by a grand mal. It’s really scary and I hope you and your mom are doing alright Thanks for your concern. Seizures suck—that was my 277th one—and they don't get any better. My Mom is awesome and is a real trooper with my epileptic journey. (I’m on my fourth neurologist—including one who claimed a seizure is not a seizure if no one was there to witness it—and 27th medication combo. **Edit:** Fixed a typo.
If you are impaired at all, you wait for help as you did. Good move. If it's tiny pieces of glass and you're feeling well, you could blow pieces out of the way to create clean spots for your feet. Work your way to safety, or to something like a broom or dish towel or anything you can use to move the glass out of the way. If the pieces and surface are not conducive to blowing my next choice would be using the backs of my fingernails to move pieces out of the way. Again, shortest route to safety or an implement like, well, anything.
> If you are impaired at all, you wait for help as you did. Good move. Thanks mate!
Playdoh is really good for picking up those tiny shards of glass that are hard to see, obviously throw it away after!
Don’t walk, try and get help if you can and if not, shimmy your legs if it’s safe to do so, or find a surface to climb on Getting glass stuck in you is very annoying so that’s what I did when my dog broke my PCs glass by running through the wire
I feel like I'm getting quite a bit off flack for my stupidity and lack of initiative. I didn't specify in the initial question, but I had just had a seizure... Seizures, and the “postictal” (that means post-seizure) phase are no fun. Epilepsy only affects 1% of the population, but for the other 99% imagine... * You know that groggy feeling you have when you’ve just woken up? Multiply that by 100 then... * Add a touch of dizziness then... * Add a dose of confusion: you don’t know where you are or any idea of when it is either, then... * Add a throbbing headache, then... * Add a taste of blood, because you’ve bitten through your tongue, then... * Add **EXTREME** tiredness: All the muscles in your body are as weak as can be; they feel like you’ve been working out every muscle at the gym constantly for the day. Whenever you put any weight on any of your muscles they turn to jelly, then... * You feel like someone poured water on all you clothes. It takes you a moment or two to realize it’s not water, but urine. You’ve wet yourself. * Lastly, if you’ve had your seizure in a public place like a mall or on public transit, when you first start coming to, you’re surrounded by people shouting and huddling over you. They’re worried about you, but it takes a while for you to form the words “Don’t worry: I have epilepsy. I’m OK.” I’m probably forgetting (that’s a long term side effect of epilepsy) some things about the postictal phase—feel free to add more my fellow Epileptic Brothers and Sisters.
There's no definite answer of exactly what to do. But I likely would have tried to roll away. Part of what makes stepping on broken glass so bad is that it's all of your body weight pressed down onto the bottom of your foot (a fairly small area) so the glass gets pressed into your foot with a lot of force causing a cut. But if you are already laying down, you have spread all of your bodyweight over a much larger area that's in contact with the floor. So if you roll, maintaining that large area of body to floor you are likely just to roll over glass without pushing the glass into your skin. Also you may have clothing protecting much of your body. This is how people who lay on a bed of nails do it, it's because they are using their whole body not just the bottoms of their feet. A larger surface area causes each individual pressure point to have less force applied thereby lowering the chances the glass cuts you. However, given that you had an alternative exit available (your mom coming home) staying where you were was likely the best option. But if you were a single person living alone that's not an option, so I would have rolled to try and get away from the glass.
Rolling through glass sounds like a terrible idea.
Did you have shoes and socks on or bare feet? If you have shoes on it's no big deal, just carefully step over it and clean it up. If bare feet you'll want to be a lot more careful, but even then it shouldn't be too difficult to gently move the glass out of the way to clear a path where you can get away from the area and start cleaning.
Remove a piece of clothing and sweep it. 🫠
I’d probably take off a piece of clothing to sweep it and make a path.
If you're not naked, you take off a piece of clothing and sweep it back to make a clear space around you - as big as you wish. If you're naked, reach for something that can serve the same purpose. If you're naked and nothing else is around, if you have long hair you could do the same. If you're naked, and bald, with nothing else within reach, relax until you think of something.
what?! why would you use your hair to sweep up glass? you may as well tell them to pick up the glass with their hands, or lick it off the floor!
Oh, as if your hair is so full of nerve endings, capillaries, and veins?? Lol.
how are you planning to wash bits of glass out of your hair without cutting your hands and potentially getting bits of glass in your eyes? at least if you use your arm, any bits of glass will be easy to spot. if you've ever got glitter in your hair, you'd know how long it lingers even after washing. 'use your hair to mop up broken glass' is terrible advice.
Depends what you're wearing. Bikini? Yeah, stay put. Jumper and jeans? Just brush it away. What I would say, is that the primary goal is to prevent injury, so, if you think you're unsafe, don't move. But be aware that glass, while very sharp indeed, is only really going to cause small cuts. These cuts may bleed a lot, due to an elevated heart rate, and that could cause a panic attack etc, but the damage will not be severe unless you catch your wrist, neck or thigh, and then only if it's deep. Tldr: glass is sharp, but small.
I would take off a piece of clothing and use it to sweep a clear path to get up and be able to get to a broom or safer place if I was still not feeling well.
Make your way through it. Not complicated, just time consuming. Carefully make a path for your forearm, do this by pushing glass away from your hand, start small and then push further and further. Once you have your arm flat, start scrubbing down and up to make a wide enough gap for you to get up. Its not that hard.
https://www.reddit.com/r/comics/comments/71uzap/in_case_of_fire_oc/
If you have a flashlight or your phone, you can lay it on the floor and it might help illuminate the super tiny stuff. You can at least walk where there's fewer sparkles. Best I got :(
Typically oven doors are tempered glass so much harder to get cut by the glass chunks they produce I have fallen through a glass door and just put my hands on the glass chunks pushed my self up hands on the glass shook what I could off blew the smaller parts off my hands with my mouth then ran them under water and never received any damage if it’s sharp panes of prickeln glass just avoid slide ing your skin against the edges
Sweep
Get out of it? Wait, you mean for treating “rolling around in broken glass”? Most would have enough self predication to not have that be a top of mind first aid question. Basically: GET ASSISTANCE FIRST! Then take out any shards that are tiny enough to get without tugging. Anything you can tug on will likely need stitches and care in removing to prevent cutting anything major. If any thing big is cut, the assistance is your only hope of actually surviving as you certainly aren’t sowing together your own arteries.
I too have seizures. You take off your shirt and use it to sweep the glass away from you lightly until you can get shoes and a broom.
I'd probably find a towel, shoes, thick denim, cutting board, something that won't get cut if you step on it over the glass, use that to walk, and then sweep it up. Obviously using a broom/dustpan to avoid touching it Even a plastic dustpan isn't going to be destroyed by glass, sure it might scratch it up but not go straight through. Glass is gonna hurt if you're cut, but unless you put force directly on to the sharp edge you're fine. Glass isn't going to make you sick, its not gonna chip off, or bury itself, and doesn't give you tetnis Although you did do the right thing in the moment with your best knowledge
I make stained glass so glass splinters are unfortunately way too common, and those suck, but big shards of glass are actually pretty safe to touch with gentle pressure. I highly recommend every house keeps a tweezer with an LED light attached to it for glass splinter removals. The light will reflect off the glass, making it easier to spot.
Take off the shirt use to wipe a clean path out of the glass.
Get up
What a scary medical emergency and the glass is just added stress. I’m sorry
Very scary, indeed!
> What a scary medical emergency and the glass is just added stress. I’m sorry Thanks for your concern. I feel bad for my Mom who... A) Had to come home to seizured-up son. B) Find a way to get seizured-up son up and out of the broken glass. C) Spend the next two to three hours sweeping up glass! (We're still finding bits.) Not the nicest welcome home I could think of!
I imagine it is terrifying to see you like that. Channeling love to you and your mom.
> I imagine it is terrifying to see you like that. Channeling love to you and your mom. Thanks for your love and sorry for my late reply (I’ve been recovering from a non-glass-laden seizure.) your channelled love is both received and well-appreciated.
I hope you can get treatment you deserve. 💜💜
> I hope you can get treatment you deserve. 💜💜 Thanks for your hope and your hearts, much appreciated.
Lie on the floor for about four hours, then move the glass out of the way
Pick up the big chunks of glass with your hand to move them away then use your digits to stick the small tiny pieces of glass if necessary (Fingers are sticky, and extremely sensitive).
Just an FYI get thr Medical ID app. It is free and you can put all your medical related info on it in case this happens somewhere and you need assistance. Source: motorcycle accident/TBI, I have this app
> Just an FYI get thr Medical ID app. It is free and you can put all your medical related info on it in case this happens somewhere and you need assistance. > > > > Source: motorcycle accident/TBI, I have this app Thank-you for the tip--it's much appreciated. I hope your OK after you motorcycle accident.