Blurred Vision

A few weeks ago, I started to notice a brownish discoloration on the skin around my eyes. The first thing that came to mind was this is what people mean when they say, “You can really notice a difference between your 20’s and 30’s.” The difference hit me hard. I must admit that I am vain and immediately started slathering on my eye cream.

Then a couple weeks ago, I put a scrub on my face and part of the brown discoloration rubbed off.  I tried a wash cloth to see if I could rub it all off, and I could. I applied more eye cream and went to sleep. The next morning, the brownness returned. What the--?

Last week, I took a photo and shared it with my lupus group. One member was going through the same thing and another knew what I had. The mysterious brown discoloration around my eyes was bacteria. I have severely dry eyes and rub them constantly; that had to be how I got it.

I went to the doctor a few days later. He looked at my eyes briefly, told me I just needed some ointment for the infected area and it was no big deal. He told me how to apply the medication and I was on my way. I stopped by the pharmacy on the way home and thought I was set.

After a few days, I felt a tingling around my eye that turned into a burning sensation; it also started to itch. I didn’t think much about it, either the cream was working or I was being overly sensitive. I continued the medication for a total of 6 days. The doctor told me the infection should clear in 4, but I gave it a couple of more days because with lupus everything takes longer.

Unable to tolerate the burning and itching I went online and looked up the ointment. It said NOT for use around the eyes, if a burning sensation didn’t go away in 24 hours, to stop using it, and to discontinue use after 5 days. I ran into the bathroom and washed it off. I will return to the doctor on Monday with a lot of questions and there better be good answers.

Being a lupus patient, I’m prescribed so much medication; I take for granted that the doctors know what is best for me. I didn’t speak to the pharmacist, because I thought the doctor told me everything I needed to know. In the future I will ask more questions and double, triple check everything.   

 

Mission Accomplished: Blurred Vision No More, Ask More Questions, Be Vigilant About my Healthcare, Remember I am Not a Regular Patient, I have Lupus.

Comments

[WANDA SEREBRENIK]

BUT WHAT CAUSED THE BLURRY VISION, MINE ARE GETTING WORSE, THE BLURRY VISION, AND EVEN WITH GLASSES I CANT READ. I DONT HAVE THE BROWN AROUND THE EYE OUTSIDE ON THE SKIN.