Eye Saga

Eye Saga

My right eye went bloodshot about 11 days ago. I kept thinking it might be pinkeye, but it never really itched nor discharged. It's been too tender to wear contacts, though, so I've been going glasses every day. The past few days the eye has been hurting a little, and the red seemed to have traveled over toward my iris. So I called my local doctor friend, and she said it did not sound like a typical case of pinkeye. She thought I should visit the eye clinic the next day, and she said she'd meet me there to figure things out.

My heart sank. I did want to find out what was wrong, but I did not relish the though of more medical bills and a long wait. Who knew what was in for?! My heart sank again when my friend called the next morning and said that I should start ahead to the clinic without her because she was running late.

The clinic is an easy walk from home, and I found it fine. I was further dismayed when the receptionist spoke no English. He motioned for me to fill out a form on his computer in Arabic. I discerned where I was supposed to type my name, but I couldn't understand anything else he wanted to fill out on the form. I thought he was making me an appointment form and was wondering how on earth I'd know when to come back, but then he said, "Three thousand [local currency]" (around $14). (Hah! He know how to say that in English!) I pulled it out, slightly hesitant, because I didn't want to fork over money for an unknown appointment, but maybe the fact that he was collecting the money was a hopeful sign. Then he walked into the back and told me to come with him. Well, in hindsight that's what I assume he said, because he disappeared, then reappeared, motioning me to follow.

I found an English-speaking doctor back there, who looked briefly at the eye and pronounced the red an allergic reaction to my contact lens solution or contact. Okay. This must mean something on my contact, since I haven't had problems like this before. But I haven't spent extended time here before, either, and I have heard that the dryness and dust can irritate contact lens wearers here. It is unusual that only my right eye is affected, but it could be related to the fact that I chemically burned it in August. Perhaps it's extra susceptible to reaction, or perhaps the contact itself broke down faster than the left hand one. The doctor prescribed an antibiotic drop for five days, then a steroid drop after that, and told me to come back in a week for a follow up. No appointment necessary.

My doctor friend found me as I was leaving the clinic. She looked at my eye and wasn't convinced that there wasn't a foreign object in it. So we went back to the doctor, who explained why he thought it was an allergic reaction and the medications he had prescribed. My friend thought that he had chosen medications that would be appropriate even if I did have something in my eye, so she left satisfied.

We filled the two prescriptions at the pharmacy right downstairs in about three minutes for just under $11. I think that the prescription paper was so that the pharmacist would give me the right meds, not because I needed a doctor's authorization for the meds. They say that you can get most any prescription med over the counter with no prescription.

So yes, there are days when everything goes hard and progress on the to-do list comes slowly. But there are other days when you walk right in and get everything you need in minutes at a fraction of the cost it would be back home.

 

Follow-up: After the steroid drops reduced the swelling/pus enough for the doctor to see clearly, he determined that there was a foreign object in my eye and removed it with a pair of tweezers (after numbing it, thankfully). Now the eye should be on its way to complete healing!