The Real Eye Story

Hey everyone,

So after all the medications and eye treatments, here is what really happened.

One fine Wednesday morning, I decided to wear my contact lens, that had been lying in the case for a couple of days. I use Johnson & Johnson's Acuvue Weekly ones. I have been wearing contacts on and off since 1997, so I know I am experienced. Well, I thought I was.

So, I had my contacts in all day Wednesday. After an exhausting evening, I was so tired, I did not bother to remove my contacts, and so slept in them. I did not think anything would be wrong, because back in the 90s, I once actually had the weekly contact lens in the whole week, without removing them once. I slept, showered, swam did everything whith the contacts in.

So, I get up Thursday, and went about the usually activities. Come Thursday night, and I remove my contacts. The right one came out after a little bit of fidgeting around. The left one was not coming into my grasp. My two fingers were trying to pull the lens out, but it had dried up and was little sticky. I think the dusty weather and humidity may have played a part in causing the lens to dry up. So, I wet my left to make it easier. I did not want to put the lens solution liquid right into my eye. About fifteen minutes later, I finally managed to get it out, but I did not realize that I had scratched the surface of my eye.

It was much later into the night, when my eye started to bother me. I did not realize what had happened, but when I looked into the mirror, I saw bloodshot red eye. I knew I had scratched the surface, but where I was not aware of. Four four days I self-treated myself to eye drops and all. It was when my eye developed a small white spot and became ultra-sensitive to sunlight that I forced myself to see the doctor, and he said I have Cornea Ulcer. (Xena, I know I should have listened to you.)

So, a second opinion confirmed that it is Cornea Ulcer, and had the scratch been any closer to my iris, I could have been partially, or even completely, blinded. The doctor said I can wear the contacts again, but I would have to be very careful to use new pairs each time, and to not wear lens that are days old. So I learnt my lesson the hard way.

I have been asked to get the Lasik surgery done, but I am not to sure about that. A friend in Jeddah is about to get it done, and she is excited about it. An aunt in Pakistan got it done, and she is really happy with the outcome. No more eyeglasses or contacts. I would personally rather wait to get it done, should I wish to, because my eye sight number isn't that bad. It's minor.

What I have learnt through this whole ordeal is that my eye and health are more important that the looks. My eye is not worth damaging over few hours of not wearing glasses. A friend told me, "God created us the way we are, and when we try to alter His design, we will suffer such consequences." If you wear contacts, please insert and remove them carefully, and make sure you clean them overnight, as well when inserting them. Also, consider how old the contacts may be, because the older they are, the higher the chances the lens would be damaged thus hurting your eyes.

Having said that, the one thing almost everyone compliments me on are my eyes. I can remember when I was as young as 8 in London, and I had accompanied my cousin to her workplace, and all her colleagues were cuddling me up telling my cousin about my eyes. Since that event, I had let it go to my head that my eyes are my best features, and I chose to highlight that on special occasions by wearing contacts. Even today, a friend calls me Mr. Sexy Brown Eyes.

So, this whole situation of mine recently, brought my ego back to the ground, and at the back of my mind, I somehow feel that someone has thrown the curse of the evil-eye on to me, which of course would call for another article.

Mansur