Just Call Me Pinky Lee

Well, after 40 of life it finally happened to me... I got "Pink Eye"!

I had somehow managed to avoid this particular infection my entire life until yesterday. I woke up with my right eye swollen shut. It was the strangest thing I have ever felt.



It's like the "sleep in your eye" had become some form of heavy duty Super Glue! After wiping it away I was able to slowly pry my eye one with my fingers and take a peek in the mirror. AAGGHHHH! What in the hell had happened to me???

Hide the wife and kiddies, stay inside and lock your doors! It's "The Attack of the Monster Pink Eye!"








I quickly called work to tell them that I needed the day off and then proceeded to call my doctor. Here is what I was told...


Pinkeye, (also called conjunctivitis I found out), is redness and swelling of the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that lines the eyelid and eye surface. The lining of the eye is usually clear. If irritation or infection occurs, the lining becomes red and swollen. Pinkeye is very common and goes away in 7 to 10 days without medical treatment. However, it can be VERY contagious!!!


Then I was bombarded with a bunch of questions:


"Do you have any of the following symptoms?"


Eye redness (hyperemia)? Yes.

Swollen, red eyelids? Yes.

More tearing than usual? Yes.

Feeling as if something is in the eye? Yes.

An itching or burning feeling? Yes.

Mild sensitivity to light? Yes.

A yellowish drainage from the eye? Eewww... Yes.


I guess the answer of "yes" to the last question is what determined exactly what kind of pinkeye I had. (Who knew there was more than one?).


I have "Viral and/or bacterial pinkeye". GREAT!

I was told that it was very contagious and can spread very easily. Since most pinkeye is caused by viruses for which there is usually no medical treatment, preventing its spread is important. Poor hand-washing is the main cause of the spread of pinkeye, (and I thought I was doing so well! Becky even made me buy hand sanitizer to use after all of my jobs to prevent the "Swine Flu" from coming home with me). Sharing an object, such as a washcloth or towel, with a person who has pinkeye can spread the infection.


The doctor did give me a prescription of some eye drops. The only thing I hate about them is that when I put them in it feels like I'm putting drops of acid in my eye because it burns so bad! 2 drops, every 4 hours. And they make everything blurry. So I can't even read or watch TV without straining to see the picture.


The great news is that I woke up this morning with my other eye swollen shut as well.! So I went ahead and started putting the drops in that eye also. But I DO get the pleasure of staying home for the next 3-5 days and do everything in my power NOT to infect everyone else in the house!


I just can't tell you how much I love my life right now! LOL!


Until next time... PEACE!