I'm having trouble describing an injury that not many get every day: A lightning blast to the shoulder. Surprisingly, I'm stumped here. How do I go about describing something like that?
Step 1 - Go to a farm Step 2 - place a boot to the electric fence Step 3 - wait 3 seconds Step 4 - Enjoy being flung 10 feet Step 5 - Memorize the feeling OR It feels sudden. You don't feel the shock or pain till AFTER. It's dull and numb, mostly physical panic as you try to understand what happened to you. You feel weird for a few minutes, goes away rather quick. It's more distressing than anything.
Just did a quick Google search (sorry, I don’t have any firsthand experience to offer you) and came up with a list of things that happens to you when you are struck by lightning. Hope it helps. 1) Deep entry and exit wounds can occur where the lightning strikes the body and then exits the body. The wounds are sometimes accompanied by severe burns. Also, Lichtenberg scarring can occur over large areas of the body, often in bizarre fractal patterns, as a result of bursting blood vessels. 2) The heat associated with the lightning strike can cause clothing to catch on fire. In addition, clothes can be shredded by the explosive force of air being superheated by the lightning bolt. 3) The force of lightning exiting a person’s foot can easily blow off shoes. 4) The electric discharge of a lightning strike can instantly stop the heart and cause cardiac arrest. This happened to a concert-goer at RFK during the 1998 Tibetan Freedom Concert. 5) Brain damage and comas can occur if the electric current enters the skull. The associated heat from the electric current literally cooks brain cells. 6) Nerves can be damaged or destroyed by the lightning’s electric discharge which can then lead to permanent paralysis or numbness in limbs. 7) Ruptured ear drums are very common with lightning strike victims. 8) Large pieces of jewelry, chains, and under wire bras may channel the electric current from a lightning strike. If the metallic items described above encounter lightning, the metal can superheat which will often burn and sear the skin. 9) Some victims are left with constant muscle twitches and Parkinson’s Disease type symptoms. 10) And, of course, death can occur. The majority of lightning strike victims do survive, but many will experience one or more of the issues described above. The article is here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/05/08/ten-shocking-things-that-can-happen-if-you-are-struck-by-lightning/
Start with the unending ringing in your ears. You just stood inside a lightning bolt. Noise? WHAT? Yeah. The sense you are most likely to lose? Hearing.
@Wyr: "1 - 10" I was about to make a comment somewhat along this same vein but, you did it so thoroughly, yup, pretty much covered the question.
