EYE hate PINK

My battle on SLOTH has taken a hit this week, ironically, because I am starting to look like an actual sloth.

I woke up on Saturday morning to find my left eye very, very red and pretty painful. I whined about it on the couch for a while until I caught myself in a mirror when I flicked on the light and noticed that the red eye had a huge, dilated pupil that wasn't moving in the light. Trust me, it was a sexy look. . . red eyes with mismatched pupils. I decided to call the doctor -- who wasn't in because it was Saturday. Next step, the hospital that is 10 blocks from my apartment.

Five hours in the "eye chair" in the ER, and I was diagnosed with conjunctivitis... pink eye for those of you who remember when all your friends had it in 3rd grade. How I got it, I have no clue. But the doctor sent me on my way with a prescription for antibiotic eye drops, and the reassurance that I didn't have to avoid people like kids do when they get pink eye. Always nice to hear that you're not going to infect everyone you meet. But he did recommend that I follow up with the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary on Monday, since my symptoms were a little funky, and he wanted to make sure it wasn't something else.

Great! Eye drops in my burning eyes, and off to brunch with friends on Sunday! More redness and burning at night, and a little pink hue to my RIGHT eye, as well as the left. . . I decided to make the infirmary my first stop in the morning on my way in to work.

I got right in, since they said I was an emergency case, and I got to fast forward though registration and the general assessment nurse, past the folks with appointments, and wait with the other emergency patients. . . for six hours. SIX HOURS in the waiting room. As an "emergency" patient. And the end result? Confirmed conjunctivitis in BOTH eyes, after they dilated my pupils to the point that you couldn't tell that my eyes were blue and shined a light with the power of the sun directly in my retina. Thanks, doc! His feedback? STOP taking the antibiotic eye drops, and stay away from the entire human race for 10 days. WHAT? Does that even make sense? If I am that contagious, why would I stop taking antibiotics?

Needless to say, I did not make it into the office on Monday. So I worked from home for three days straight. I kept doing the antibiotic eye drops (because how much harm could it really do to continue actually TREATING my symptoms?). After almost a week, I have now had some great work-from-home days, some moments of extreme boredom (although I did complete a 1,000 piece puzzle in about 24 hours), and continuously irritated eyes. I couldn't go to the gym, cause I can't be putting my hands all over equipment that other people use. (Like I needed another excuse to avoid the gym). I couldn't do much cooking. I couldn't go out and run errands that would put me around innocent, healthy-eyed victims. I have basically been useless all week. Terrible.

I split the difference between the doctors' advice about how much I can be around others, and decided to head back to work to wrap up my week (and because there are a few things that I really needed to be in the office to take care of this week).

Now I am back at work, but trying to be very aware of not touching my eyes at all, not touching anyone in the office, and emptying a bottle of antibacterial junk on my hands whenever I touch anything. I am so glad the weekend is coming so I can spend time at home again. Safe within the walls of my little petri dish apartment. Assuming I am not contagious (Andy is still doing fine), but not feeling much better either (something please just rip my eyes out!).

And most importantly, not getting much of anything accomplished.

::sigh::