Eye Came, Eye Saw, Eye Conquered

I went to the eye doctor a week ago. I’ve had some sort of problem for months and am finding little satisfaction in the medical profession. Also am spending all I have on doctors, and we do have insurance.

At first, I had all the symptoms of glaucoma, except blindness, and all the exacerbating preconditions except heredity. I went to an eye doctor and behold, my eye pressure was okay, but I just needed bifocals. I put on the glasses and three weeks of headaches were gone in three hours.

Then vision changed again, with the things I looked at moving while I looked at them. The venetian blinds were bent, the words I typed were missing letters, my eyes did not focus at the same depth. Weird.

I decided I needed a different doctor, since I now thought I had macular degeneration and the previous doctor had not even tried checking me for that although I am 60 and complained of vision loss and slow and unequal focusing.

We investigated and found—at least a 6-week waiting period for an appointment. But, wonder of wonders, I contracted some kind of infection with red, swollen eyes weeping all day, and itchy. My G.P. was booked, everyone in town having flu, pneumonia, etc. Could I try my optometrist? Grrrr.

Of course, he was available. I had a staph infection of a non-fatal type, and should pitch all my eye makeup, wash my eyes with special towelettes, soak my toothbrush in peroxide, not let anyone drink after me, and use special prescription drops with antibiotics. And steroids. Grrrr.

I did everything he said, religiously, and although the symptoms faded, I felt they never were fully gone. My eyes still itched. Sometimes they were still matted in the morning. Everyone encouraged me to ignore this, because I was so improved.

But the dimness of vision, the eyes playing tricks on me, continued. I was seriously considering visiting the booked-up ophthalmic surgeon, when, wonder of wonders, the infection came back. I knew it: It never did go away.

Only this time, I had a blister on my eyelid. This was getting out of hand. Of course, this was Friday night. No eye doctors available for DAYS. I felt it time to take matters into my own hands.

First, I drained the blister. I could see better immediately after that. Then, I used a Q-Tip soaked in colloidal silver to treat the perimeter of the eye. This gave such instant relief from itching that, coupled with hot compresses, I saw and felt great improvement.

This was my vision, though, that I was nonchalantly treating without any expertise, so I tried for and got a quick appointment: Tuesday, not the six weeks I’d heard about. Hmm.

Oh, I wish I could tell you the good doctor praised me for anything I did. Nope. He also disparaged the first doctor, saying the diagnosis and the medicine were wrong. Okay, so my doctor and I were totally ignorant, but get this: This new doctor then told me that HE DID NOT KNOW what was causing my itching eyes and to USE HOT COMPRESSES. What!

Now I have another appointment, a referral to a big time specialist who can do an ultrasound on my eyes, because it is obvious the vision is not good.

Can you guess what I expect to experience then? I’ll keep you posted . . .

Published by Katharine

Katharine is a writer, speaker, women's counselor, and professional mom. Happily married over 50 years to the same gorgeous guy. She loves cooking amazing homegrown food, celebrating grandbabies, her golden-egg-laying hennies, and watching old movies with popcorn. Her writing appears at Medium, Arkansas Women Bloggers, Contently, The Testimony Train, Taste Arkansas, Only in Arkansas, and in several professional magazines and one anthology.

7 thoughts on “Eye Came, Eye Saw, Eye Conquered

  1. You’re right, this is your VISION and to be told you have to wait to see a doctor….no not right at all. I hope this gets better quick, like….NOW.

  2. Thank you, Bats!!!
    “Now” would be just FINE with me! You could send a little prayer up to that effect, for me, if you care to.
    It is great to hear from you and I so appreciate your kind wishes. 🙂

  3. I got Pink Eye with a huge blister on the inside of my eyelid in 9th grade and was sent home from school. Itching came along with it, it is an infection of the eye and is very contagious. Is that what you had? Since then I was diagnosed with allergies of the eyes — maddeningly itchy eyes! That’s how I eventually learned of the pigmentary glaucoma that I have. I too was having headaches which I thought were sinus headaches until my eyes dilated suddenly and stayed dilated for a whole week. One of my mother’s friends is an eye doctor’s receptionist, and while I couldn’t see her doctor as he was all booked, she pulled strings and got me an appointment with another eye doctor who in turn diagnosed me. Pigmentary glaucoma is a genetic birth defect. The corneas in the eyes are deformed with mountain peaks which scratch the back of the irises. Cells are released and plug up the drains of the eyes which causes the pressures inside the eyeball to rise. Most people are diagnosed mid-life like me. It’s good that you kept seeking help! It’s a pretty rare disease and I know of no one in my ancestral line who has it. Yes, medicine is getting better at diagnosing glaucoma and other eye diseases! Well, just think, if we don’t get healed here on earth, we’ll have a healed eyeballs in heaven!

    1. Hello, again, Lady! 🙂
      Actually, because of the two minor eye doctors being in competition with each other and disparaging my reports and each others’, I have no idea what I had. It did not itch much, though, only mildly, and went away pretty much on its own. Figure.
      Probably the headaches are pretty universal, if we think about it…
      Glad you found intervention and relief right away.
      And you are right, our healing will be complete with no tears!

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