Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1545102
SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | JUNE 2026 7 By Suzette Strauss, Resident Relationships can be a sticky thing, but there's something that can tear your skin as much as a breakup can tear your heart if you're not careful… Super Glue! You've got to respect its power. When I was working in Ophthalmology years ago, a patient came in with her eyelids stuck together. She, rather foolishly, stored her Super Glue for her fingernails in the medicine cabinet where she also stored her moisture drops for her contact lenses. Yes, she lost many lashes because of that blunder, but thankfully not her vision. Several years ago, my husband was building a fence using a circular saw that a neighbor had given him many years ago. Unfortunately, the blade guard tended to stick at times (you're probably already cringing) and several of his fingers were severely injured as you will see in the before photo. However, thanks to Gorilla Super Glue Gel we were able to close the wounds after cleaning them, and as you see in the after photo, Super Glue was the perfect solution, especially since we were staying at our cabin in the hills, far from any urgent care facility. This may sound absurd, but did you know that Super Glue became well known after being used in the Vietnam War to stop bleeding when our beloved soldiers were severely wounded. This resulted in the saving of many of their lives. It was largely used in spray form but is now sold locally in liquid and gel. It can be found in the hardware stores and pharmacies. Its first-aid name is commonly Dermabond or New Skin. Oddly, Super Glue is said to have been rediscovered twice before the Vietnam War. First, in 1942 by Dr. Harry Coover, at Eastman Kodak during World War II, while trying to develop a clear plastic for precision gun sights for the military, but it was too sticky. Then, in 1951, Coover's colleague, Fred Joyner, accidentally bonded two expensive refractometer prisms together with the compound. This mistake opened their eyes to the broader potential for commercial use, and it was given the name, Eastman #910. Finally, it's fame spread as the battlefield hero of the Vietnam War and became a household staple, and in the 1970s became known as Super Glue. Next time you hear Elvis Presley singing, Stuck On You, perhaps you'll remember this article and have a chuckle or two. Stuck On You!