It’s been a hectic first of the year with deaths in the family, a bad eye problem and yet it is still no excuse for my not writing as often as I would like to. So yes, the second half of the year you will be hearing from me more often (hope you like it!)
A few months ago, I had a corneal infection in my left eye which literally scared the *&^% out of me. It almost blinded me and took months for it to heal. Corneal infections can sometimes blind you in 24 hours depending upon the bacterial strain. If I had gone to the ophthalmologist just a day later, the situation could have been a lot worst requiring hospitalization or even surgery. Fortunately, someone up there was looking out for me and for some reason I decided to visit the doctor, even though I thought it would be nothing serious and that I’d just be prescribed some eyedrops.
What were the symptoms? If you are a contact lens wearer, like I was, it feels like you have a dry eye and something got caught in it. It felt like I had a piece of class in my eye and my eyes were tearing so much it became hard to keep it open. A white dot the size of a pin-head appeared on the black part of my eye (the cornea). It happened overnight for me and I went to the doctor the next morning. I learnt later, that the white dot was the mucus.
What followed was a daily visit to the doctor for a week, a series of eye drops every four hours and pills to take. I thought it was extreme and couldn’t help but wonder if the doctor was being a bit “commercial.” Afterall it was a private hospital. So I checked with my doctor friend and yes indeed, my corneal infection was a dangerous one. I had to follow doctor’s orders.
For a week I spent my days with my eyes covered and waiting for the beep of my alarm to remind me to put on my eyedrops. No TV, no computers, no iPads, iPhones, no reading, nothing that required my using my eye. When I went back to work, my eyes were so weak it was hard to use the computer all day long.
What caused it? No one knows for sure, but it could be caused by wind blowing sand into my eyes, scratching my eyes with dirty fingers, or contact lenses scratching my eyes, making it easier for corneal infection… I do not know.
Anyways, it wasn’t fun, but it did allow me to step back from the online world for awhile and taught me a few valuable lessons.
- Nothing is more precious than your health. Take care of every part of your body, not just the heart but also the eyes.
- Use eyedrops throughout the day. When we use the computer, we often forget to blink which dries out our eyes and increases the chances of having eye problems.
- Online behaviours or changing through apps or scrolling through various websites strains the eyes. Read a book or don’t flick around so much on the iPad.
- Use the 20:20 rule. For every 20 minutes online, look away 20 seconds at something 20 meters away.
- Get offline and really enjoy life. Take a walk in the garden, listen to the leaves rustle in the wind, hear birds chirp and breathe in the fresh air.
Let’s close your eyes for a minute and love them…Big hugs. Your eyes will thank you.
Having "Me" Time 