Can't take it anymore

[littlemermaid]

Merka, the thing that moves around on your eye surface when you blink, is it a string of mucous?

It is very common in UK to take a year out of a university course, normally for work experience, another qualification, or study abroad. But you will need regular medical appointments for advice about your eyes, even if it's with an optometrist, if the eyes have become the priority out of necessity.

My daughter is planning on taking a year out for health reasons, also so she is sure about the course, but she has been advised to plan her occupations, even if it's low-pay and volunteer work. She has also had some counselling at school, not much - any conversation is helpful even if it's to realise what we want.

Are you able to visit your grandmother or someone at church to talk it over? Do you mind me asking, have you lost your mother or are you far from your family?

[Guest]

Hi Merka,

I agree with little mermaid, there is no harm or shame in taking a year out for health reasons and you can keep yourself occupied with other useful things until you get yourself back on track. I am sure the university would be able to guide you or support you with a decision. Have you spoke to anyone from the university about it yet? They may present options you haven't even thought about.

Your situation very much mirrors my own. Healthy white eyes and then one day, they were all red and inflamed. I truly believe you had either a case of blepharitis or conjunctivitis and then through using an excess amount of eye medications your eyes became more and more inflamed until the doctors couldn't tell you what's wrong - because it had gone beyond a medical condition and your eyes had suffered a toxic hammering (did you tell them how many drops you were using?) this is what happened to me. My blepharitis had cleared through eye lid cleansing but my eyes were still inflamed. I was so deeply upset and confused I carried on with the drops and, like you, I left ointment just sitting on my eye to try and make it less dry. Your eyes are burning because of all the chemicals you have been pouring in.

My eyes were so red I couldn't look in the mirror without wanting to cry and scream. And they burned. They don't hurt anymore and appearance wise they have cleared up a great deal. Not to the point that I would like but it's been a few months recovery compared to half a year of abuse so just got to keep going.

Have you tried reducing the drops yet?

What I did to get through was start a diary marking my 'success' days. Days where I used no more than three or four drops a day (the recommended amount) it was really hard at first. I had to use cold compresses to calm my eyes down. I started loading up on vitamins. Bilberry, omega 3, vitamin a, anything to encourage my eyes to function normally. Did a warm compress once every two days along with an eyelid scrub (as my consultant said, overdoing scrubs/compresses can be bad.

Looking through my diary it took six weeks of doing this until my eyes didn't require drops anymore. They look whiter in appearance and like I said they don't hurt. I have thrown all my eye drops away.

They are not how they were but time is your best healer and, like mine, they will get there. Your eyes were fine before and despite this nasty blip in your life they will be again.