🔥 The Magical Tube That Saved My Bacon
A Burn Story, A Kind Stranger, and a Whole Lot of Gratitude
Written by Tré Taylor & Bleep the Tattoo
Category: Health & Wellness
Topics: 2nd Degree Burns, Wound Care, Silver Gel, Camp Life, Healing, Culinary Mishaps
🥓 The Great Bacon Grease Baptism of 2026🥓
Memorial Day Weekend.
Spring Strawberry Music Festival.
One giant breakfast.
One distracted volunteer cook.
One extremely enthusiastic camp griddle leg that, unbeknownst to the chef, had filled with molten bacon grease.
What could possibly go wrong?
As it turns out...
Quite a lot.
In a split second, BOOM, it exploded hot bacon grease on my hand. I managed to earn myself a serious second-degree burn on my right hand and wrist. Not ideal when you're right-handed, type for a living, cook constantly, and spend most of your days creating music, writing blogs, and talking to imaginary tattoo puppets.
The injury inspired an AI-assisted bluegrass song called:
🎵 "Bacon Grease Baptism"
Because if you're going to suffer, you might as well get a good song out of it.
🧙 The Magical Earth Angels Appear
Shortly after the accident, a wonderful burn medic gentleman appeared at camp, from the next camp over.
I swear some people seem sent directly by the universe.
He calmly sat me down, looked at the burn, pulled out a tube of SilvaSorb® Silver Antimicrobial Wound Gel, and explained exactly what to expect.
He carefully wrapped my hand and gave me simple instructions:
✔ Keep it clean.
✔ Keep it covered.
✔ Use the gel consistently.
✔ Be patient.
It felt less like first aid and more like receiving instructions from a woodland healer who had wandered out of an enchanted forest carrying modern medicine.
I followed his advice.
And honestly, I'm incredibly grateful that I did.
🌿 Thank You, Marina, Nurse Tracy & and all the first camp kitchen responders that helped take over the cooking of ‘Thee Sunday Brunch’.
A huge thank you to Marina from Grass Valley, California—one of my favorite Strawberry frolickers and all-around beautiful humans.
Marina generously gave me a jar of homemade organic THC and coconut oil ointment that she made herself. During the early stages of healing, it brought wonderful relief and helped soothe the pain.
As I'm writing this on June 3, my burn is healing well, but it still hurts more than most people would imagine. Marina's kindness, generosity, and healing balm were a true gift.
Thank you, my dear. Your medicine, your friendship, and your big heart are deeply appreciated. ❤️
Thanks to the sunflower camp chefs, and loving medical team that patched me up and help load the van after Strawberry.
✨ What Is SilvaSorb?
SilvaSorb is a wound-care gel that contains antimicrobial silver suspended in a soothing hydrogel.
In plain English:
The gel helps keep the wound moist while the silver helps reduce the growth of unwanted bacteria.
The cool gel felt soothing immediately, and throughout the healing process it helped keep the wound comfortable and protected.
Of course, every injury is different and everyone heals differently, but my personal experience with this product was excellent.
🚰 The Thing I Wish I'd Known Immediately
One thing I learned after the fact surprised me.
Many burn-care professionals recommend placing a fresh burn under cool running water for approximately 20 minutes as soon as possible after the injury.
Not ice.
Not ice water.
Cool running water.
The goal is to pull heat out of the tissue without causing additional damage.
At the festival I didn't have access to a sink when the injury happened, so I did what many people would do—I reached for ice.
Looking back, I wish I'd known the cool-water trick first.
📸 My Healing Timeline
The photos below show my progress
Burn Healing Timeline: Day 1 Through Day 16
Honestly, it's been remarkable watching the body rebuild itself.
Every morning I took another photo.
Some days looked dramatically better.
Other days looked like absolutely nothing was happening.
Then suddenly I'd notice another section healing.
Another layer forming.
Another patch of healthy skin returning.
The human body is kind of amazing.
🌿 My Personal Scar-Care Routine
After the wound began closing and new skin started forming, I added something that has been part of my skincare routine for years.
Again, this is simply my personal experience—not medical advice.
🌱 Homemade organic THC and coconut oil ointment
🌱 Organic Cold-Pressed Castor Oil
🌱 A Very Small Amount of Diluted Tea Tree Oil
During the day I primarily used the SilvaSorb and kept the wound protected.
At night I would gently apply the castor oil mixture and cover it with soft breathable gauze.
For me, the castor oil felt incredibly soothing once new skin began developing.
I've used castor oil on my skin for years and personally love how moisturizing it feels.
The tea tree oil was always heavily diluted.
Never apply undiluted tea tree oil directly to damaged skin.
As ridiculous as this whole story is, it gave birth to a song.
A funny one.
A bluegrass one.
A song that only someone who has actually baptized themselves in bacon grease could write.
My dream version?
I sing it.
And somewhere in the universe, the legendary banjo master and comedy genius Steve Martin plays banjo on it.
Will that happen?
Who knows.
Life is weird.
Strawberry is weird.
Music is weird.
Miracles are weird.
And sometimes weird things happen.
But even if Steve Martin never sees it, maybe some wonderful banjo player out there will.
The point is to keep creating.
Keep laughing.
Keep dreaming.
And occasionally turn your disasters into songs.
😂 Final Thoughts from Bleep the Tattoo
Bleep says:
"Never trust bacon grease. It spends its entire life pretending to be breakfast while secretly training for arson."
Honestly?
I think he's onto something.
With Love, Music, Food, Art & Fun,
Tré Taylor & Bleep the Tattoo
📚 Medical & Wellness References
The information below is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you experience a serious burn, signs of infection, worsening symptoms, or have concerns about wound healing, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
🩹 SilvaSorb® Silver Antimicrobial Wound Gel
SilvaSorb® is a hydrogel wound dressing containing ionic silver designed to help maintain a moist wound-healing environment while providing antimicrobial protection. It is commonly used for first- and second-degree burns, skin tears, abrasions, and other wounds.
Official Product Information:
https://www.medline.ca/en/silvasorbr-silver-antimicrobial-wound-gel.html
Clinical Wound Care Reference:
https://www.woundsource.com/product/silvasorb-gel
Additional Clinical Information:
https://www.clwk.ca/get-resource/silvasorb/
🔥 Burn First Aid Resources
Current burn-care guidelines generally recommend cooling a fresh burn under cool running water for approximately 20 minutes as soon as possible after injury. Ice is generally not recommended because it may contribute to additional tissue damage.
Understanding SilvaSorb Gel: Uses and Benefits: https://blog.wcei.net/silvasorb-gel-uses-benefits
American Burn Association: https://ameriburn.org/patients/burn-first-aid
20 Minutes of Cool Running Water Initiative: https://www.20crw.org
Evidence Review on Burn First Aid: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10464582/
HealthDirect Burn Care Guide: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/burns-and-scalds
🌿 Other Resources
How to Make Cannabis Salves: https://www.mofga.org/resources/cannabis/how-to-make-cannabis-salves/
I personally found the organic THC ointment and organic cold-pressed castor oil soothing during the later stages of healing after new skin had begun forming. This was part of my personal experience and is not a medical recommendation.
Scientific Review of Castor Oil in Dermatology: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12978418/
Cleveland Clinic Reference:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/19174-castor-oil-peru-balsam-topical-ointment
Evidence-Based Overview:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319844
Integrative Medicine Perspective:
https://www.pacificnaturalmedicine.com/post/how-true-are-the-health-benefits-of-castor-oil-a-deep-dive
⚠️ Important Notes
Medical & Legal Disclaimer
• Never apply ice directly to a burn. • Seek medical care immediately for large, facial, electrical, chemical, white, charred, or numb burns. • Essential oils should be properly diluted and may not be suitable for every individual. • Some people may have sensitivities to silver-containing products, castor oil, or essential oils. • Healing times vary based on injury, health status, age, and other factors. My experience with SilvaSorb®, castor oil, and diluted tea tree oil was extremely positive, but every wound is unique. • Bacon grease is not currently recognized as a spiritual practice. • Breakfast should not require a trauma specialist. • If a woodland healer appears carrying silver gel, accept the quest. • Banjos are not approved safety equipment. • Friends bearing homemade salves should be considered a public service. • The phrase "Watch this..." may void certain warranties. • Cast iron skillets remember your mistakes. • The universe occasionally teaches lessons using bacon. • Side effects of recovery may include gratitude, songwriting, excessive storytelling, and unrealistic hopes that Steve Martin will hear your bluegrass song. • If Steve Martin does hear the song, please remain calm. • If Steve Martin responds, all bets are off. • Tattoo-based safety officers remain largely unregulated. • Pain is temporary; good stories are forever. • Miracles sometimes arrive disguised as campers. • Community remains one of the most effective healing remedies currently known to science. • Do not attempt a Bacon Grease Baptism at home.
