It wasn't bad enough for my blogging that I was organizing this little blogging shin-dig which left me little time for actual blogging. Then I had to go and contract an infectious corneal ulcer which has left me fairly incapacitated for days.
What's a corneal ulcer? Well, you can read about it here. Basically, as the doctor I finally saw on Tuesday said, it's an open wound in your eye. Yes, it's as yummy as it sounds.
Right now I'm sitting in a darkened room, working on my laptop with its screen brightness dialed way down. I'm working on the laptop, instead of my desktop, because the desktop is near a window, and because the desktop has this gorgeous huge screen that even at reduced brightness is just too bright for my eyes to take.
I'm working in little 15 minute increments and then resting.
And every 2 hours I have to put drops in my eyes. Drops that sting. Every 2 hours is better than the every 20 mintues I had to administer them back on Tuesday after my initial appointment.
And for the last two nights I've had to wake up every 2 hours to put in those drops that sting.
And what is the lesson? The moral of this story? Do not hang out waiting for large, swollen, red, painful, photo-sensitive eyes to get better on their own. Just suck it up and go to the doctor.
Original, I know.
I'm not feeling particularly brilliant, though, because corneal ulcers suck!
What causes something like that anyway?
Posted by: Trisha | August 09, 2007 at 07:37 PM
Well, apparently it's common for contact lens wearers to get these, although much less common for someone who wears daily disposables like I do. But the softer lenses are more permeable to help keep them moist, and that can also let bacteria in, i guess. I think it got infected because I already knew my eye was bugging me, and then I put in my contacts for a 15 hours day anyway...which totally exacerbated the problem.
Posted by: Elisa Camahort | August 09, 2007 at 07:44 PM
I thought it might be contact related. I wear ones that I sleep in though, and have not had a problem. Its good to know what to look out for though.
Posted by: Trisha | August 11, 2007 at 05:01 PM
I also had a corneal ulcer in my eye two years back. I still have scars from my ulcer and even after two years, it still irritates my contacts sometimes. When something happens to your eye it's the most annoying thing ever. Whenever I sat in the passenger seat of my car, I would need a black cloth to cover my face AND i would put my head down. I could not stand the brightness. Woah, I just realized this WAS two years ago! Well, we float the same boat (:
Posted by: Sania | October 21, 2008 at 05:07 PM
I also have had a corneal ulcer in my eye, and tried to baby it better, and it never got better. I now have permanant damage to my eye and about once a year it well flare up and burn and water and be very light sensitive. The eye doctor told me I was leaving my (overnight) contacts in too long, but isn't that the point of a 30 day overnight contact? Anywhoo...these ulcers are a pain!
Posted by: Kylie Duvall | January 19, 2010 at 07:36 AM
I guess I'm glad I didn't try to take care of it on my own...sorry it still givs you problems Kylie :(
Posted by: Elisa Camahort | January 19, 2010 at 07:48 AM
I also gots me a nice and big ulcer in my eye:) I have to put drops in every thirty minutes which will keep me up for an excitingly painful night. Doc said it might be bacterial, fungal, or viral. I'll have to cycle through different treatments until we start making my ulcer better. Really hoping it's this treatment that's the good one, but knowing my luck well go through the treatments until my cornea rots:). This is a good link http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/616/main.html
Posted by: Brandon | March 31, 2010 at 11:38 PM
I currently have a corneal ulcer in my right eye that I got on August 26, 2010. It is currently September 22 and I see very little improvement in my eye, despite proper treatment.
Treatment started with 4 different sets of eye-drops every 30 mins, then gradually scaled back. I am now at 4 sets of eye-drops 4 times daily. I saw a corneal specialist in Toronto (excellent doctor) and he said I should be good by mid-october...I somehow have my doubts though.
I got the ulcer by wearing my 30-day disposable contact lenses for 60-90 days and cleaning them with tap water on occasion. I never wore them overnight. The ulcer is very deep and doctors were intially concerned with saving the eye, is how badly infected it was.
My life is miserable. I sit at home all day and have lost my independence! I cannot work, cannot socialize, cannot drive anywhere and cant play sports. Heck, I cant even look up straight or give people eye contact. I sit in a darkened room half the day and nap for the other half. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a month and am constantly waking up to clean gunk out my eye. Simple tasks like cooking and getting the mail, are now painful events....
Lesson is....wear glasses ;)....
Posted by: Jon | September 22, 2010 at 02:03 PM
Oh Jon, that sounds horrible! Mine did not take nearly that long to improve!!
I hope it gets better soon :(
Posted by: Elisa Camahort | September 22, 2010 at 02:20 PM
I am planning to wear contact lenses but after reading this post I'm actually thinking twice about it. My eyes are okay and I just plan to wear contact to change eye color or something and I guess that's really not a very good reason. So, I might shelve this idea for now because I don't really have a valid reason to be doing so.
Posted by: Randall | November 15, 2010 at 08:11 AM