I sprayed myself with pepper spray....

...well, sort of...

The other night, I was making dinner with Vel, and I wanted to make roasted vegetables since I had just bought a bunch of red peppers from Essex Market. So, while she was preparing the chicken, I got to work cutting the peppers and scooping out the seeds with my fingers.

Into the 10th or 11th pepper, my forefinger started to hurt, like I had gotten a paper cut and the juices were getting into it. Not surprising, I probably gave myself a little cut with my knife. I washed my fingers and inspected, but there was no cut to be found. So I continued.

Well, about 20 minutes later, all of my fingers were in uncontrollable burning pain!! I realized they were caused by touching the capiscum seeds!!!!

Han recommended me to spread toothpaste all over my fingers and stand in front of the air conditioner to allow the minty coolness to calm things down. That helped for about 10 minutes until the toothpaste started to dry out and I wanted to eat dinner..

It was so intense I could barely hold my fork.... Then Vel got out a half-eaten container of yogurt that Dylan hadn't finished from earlier on. I soaked my fingers in there which felt great again, until the smell of the yogurt started to get me sick.

Wendy and I finally left and during our 10 minute walk home, I guess my swinging arms got all my blood to rush to my fingers so I was in intense pain again. We briefly talked about her come up to my apartment with me to help me take out my contacts, but I convinced her that I would manage.

From the internet, Paul helped me find some home remedies including soaking fingers in rubbing alcohol or vodka (both of which I didn't have), or Clorox Clean Up (of course I have a full bottle under the sink).

So I ended up spraying my countertops with it and rubbed my fingers through that, and then alternated between soaking my fingers in a 50/50 bleach & water solution and then 2% milk. I took 2 advils, spread on thick hand lotion, and went to sleep with still tingling burning fingers.

However, when I woke up, I was thrilled to find that my fingers had healed 99%!! Only the tips of my fingertips, right below the fingernails, were slightly tingling!

So, my advice for next time, USE GLOVES.