Mar 3, 2020 3 min read

I almost drowned myself the other day.

Yes, you read that correctly.

I mean, I didn’t do it on purpose or anything. It was a total accident. But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. I think it might just be easier to explain what happened from the beginning.

I have to start at how dry it is in our home every winter from the wood stove that we use for our primary heat source. It is very hard on my skin and hair. I have to use lotion regularly to keep my hands from cracking and splitting. I also need to use conditioner regularly to keep my scalp from itching and flaking as well.

The problem with all of that is my skin is also very sensitive. The smallest amount of conditioner left on my neck or face causes itching and breakouts.

So, I find that it is imperative for me to be sure to get it rinsed off well. Because of the challenge I find it to be, I only deep condition my hair about three days a week. I spritz leave-in conditioner on the other days.

The other morning, I was showering before work and it was my day to use the in-shower conditioner. I rinsed all of the shampoo out of my hair and applied the conditioner. While it was working, I grabbed my face wash, thinking I could apply it to my face and neck and rinse it and the conditioner off at the same time. I thought it might help to have my face lathered up with my skin cleanser as a buffer to the conditioner.

What I didn’t think through was the fact that I couldn’t see anything because of the amount of soap on my face. What happened was that, when I tipped my head backwards under the stream of water, I tipped too far, and the water streamed up my nose full force.

I immediately tried to breathe, which of course, was the worst thing I could do. I sucked the soapy water into my lungs and then began coughing and sputtering. I hacked and coughed with my eyes closed against the soap that remained, all the while the conditioner was running over all the sensitive skin that I had worked so hard to keep free of it.

I was doubled over with one hand on the shower wall and the other swiping at my eyes and grabbing at my throat when my husband came to see if I was okay.

“I’m drowning,” I managed to sputter.

“You’re standing up in the shower,” he said, trying not to laugh.

“You’d miss me if I drowned,” I grumbled.

“Yeah, I would, but I think you’re okay,” he said, laughing this time.

I finally got all of the water out of my lungs and was able to finish my shower.

While drying off, I made myself a promise to use the leave-in conditioner more often. It will make my scalp tolerable, will be better for my sensitive skin and will significantly reduce the threat of accidental death.