Eyes

I haven't written a blog post for awhile. So you get three today!  This is partly because, for at least a month (May), my eyes were really bothering me.  Visual migraines (no headache - just strange coloured lights dancing in my eyes), and high light sensitivity.  It was getting so bad I wanted to wear my sunglasses inside, I couldn't be on my computer (even on the dimmest setting), I had a hard time reading in the evenings (even with a backlight on our iPad books on the dimmest setting), movies were out too.  Now I'm telling you - there's not much to do around here in the evenings if you can't read, play iPad, or watch a movie.  I especially missed reading.  And reading to my kids.  So it was time to figure out what was wrong.  After asking around, it sounded like the Lusaka Eye Hospital was my best bet.  So we booked an appointment for me (and dentist appointments for the whole family since we were heading to Lusaka).  We went on May 18th to the big city and returned back to Choma on May 24th.  I had my eye appointment on the Monday morning at 9:40.  Now, having an appointment didn't seem to matter, I still just had to wait in the "walk-in" cue.  Luckily there was a playground on site, so Andrew and the kids had a great time playing there for a couple hours.  

When they signed me in, they had me read an eye chart.  My first eye was fine - but since I had covered the other one I was having some difficulties.  I usually have really good vision and have never needed glasses. I had recently passed an eye exam in Canada before coming here and also a couple months ago to get my Zambian drivers license.  I'm pretty sure if I had started with the opposite eye I would have had the opposite results.  I couldn't read the bottom 2 or three lines.  He started at the bottom and worked up.  When I couldn't read the bottom 2 lines, he started with the big letter at the top… embarrassing!  But I was sure my vision was fine - but something was wrong.

After waiting a couple hours I got to see the doctor.  I had an infection in both eyes and also showed signs of glaucoma (which was not a surprise as my visit just before I left Canada also showed this, but further testing was fine).  He mentioned that we'd test for glaucoma and since I had just done it in Canada that I should come back in September for that (once a year test).  I was given a bottle of eye drops for the infection and told to put them in 4 times a day.  After that bottle was done I was to take 2 bottles of eye drops for allergies to use 3 times a day. So, the infection was caused my allergies as far as I can tell.  

The drops hurt so bad that first few days.  But by the third day they would sting and then feel better.  

Now, it's late June, and I'm done the first bottle of eye drops and I'm almost done the first bottle of the allergy drops.  My eyes are so much better, but I can still feel the need for the allergy drops most days.  Especially if I go out.  The rains are over and it's getting dusty and dry.  My eyes sting quickly if there is even a bit of wind.  

But I'm so glad to be able to read again!  And work on the computer, watch movies, read to my kids, and have the full use of my eyes again.  

It was a humbling experience.  And I used up lots of internet data downloading a couple audio books! 

Never take your eyes for granted!  

Continue prayers for my eyes would be very welcome!

The kids riding the new bikes at the MCC guesthouse while we stayed in Lusaka.
 (Kate has her training wheels off now!)