Pink eye, Red Eye, Purple Eye

On Sunday morning my eye was very itchy but not bad enough to stay home from church. During the afternoon, it became redder and it felt as though there was something in it. I had spent some time sanding and had come upon termite nests so thought that maybe a small piece of termite dung settled in the eye and that it would soon disappear. My glands were starting to swell and I was having difficult swallowing. Why not just one thing at a time?

We already planned to go to Santa Cruz on Wednesday and while there I would pick up some medication. There was no reason to do to the doctor. I could buy antibiotic drops and Cipro for the swollen glands. Back home again, happy that things would improve.

But they didn’t -- they got worse!

Friday morning at 5 o’clock I told Jake that I thought my other eye was becoming infected. Remember, we do not have ‘normal’ electricity and I do not have many mirrors in the house. But when I looked – WOW! The whole eye ball was the color of the little red truck – and the eye lid as well! I guess the drops did not work. So back to Santa Cruz and this time to a doctor.

We went to the Eye Hospital, paid our 200 bolivianos ($29.00) for a consultation and waited. The actual consult was short – very short – less than 5 minutes. I was told that I had a very bad case of bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye), that it was very contagious, that I should not shake hands nor kiss anyone, that I continue taking the drops but use one drop in each eye every two hours, and that I come back in a week.

(In retrospect, I am sure that I got the conjunctivitis from the little neighbour boy. A number of small children, ages 1-2 years, develop eye infections at this time of year. Why only now and not all year long?)

I looked at my eye in the mirror of the truck. Why do you forget the camera when you need it! The eye was changing color once again. It appeared that I had applied a thick layer of purple eye liner and accented it with yellowy-orange eye shadow. In addition, there was a purple mark along the side of the nose and another one arching upwards. Poor make up job or Jake hit me in the eye!

We were home 13 hours after leaving in the morning and I continued with the medication. Within another day the worst of it was over. The eye is still very tender and becomes sore with the salty sweat that flows down my face in the wonderful plus 30 degree weather. It is still ugly but I don’t think I am going to spend 10 hours driving back and forth to Santa Cruz to be told that it is healing.