Yes, it's true, I've got pink eye. And, no, I'm not happy about it...
My roommate and I both developed an upper respiratory infection about 3 weeks ago. Hers came on first and she had a sore throat and sinus infection followed by pink eye in both eyes and an even more severe sore throat. She also had a slight cough. And, maybe 3-4 days after that, I developed a horrendous sore throat, tonsillitis, a slight sinus infection, and middle ear infections in both ears. We both went to the doctor and were given Amoxicillin despite the doctor feeling it was a viral illness (it was not strep nor was it the flu). Apparently, this lovely virus has been making its way around northeast Ohio and we were lucky enough (ha!) to catch it. Well, the antibiotics haven't done much to help either of us, but the doctor wants us to remain on them in case of an opportunistic bacterial infection. It's been almost 3 weeks and my roommate is almost 100%, but I'm not. I still have a cough and my tonsils are still swollen, though aren't painful. And, on Monday, I developed pink eye. And, I think it's making it's way from my right eye into my left.
The doctor won't prescribe eye drops as they believe it's viral and will run its course on its own. I'm already taking the Amoxicillin, Tylenol, Motrin, and Robitussin DM and so I am okay with not adding another medication to the mix. But, for anyone who has dealt with pink eye, you know it's not fun. My eyes are not bad off, but there is discharge and some minimal discomfort and irritation. This morning, when I woke up, my right eye was the worst it's ever been -- it wasn't matted shut, but there was quite a bit of discharge. And, it was fairly red though the redness has decreased somewhat during the day. Today's day 4 and I'm hoping it passes soon, but, in the meantime, it is a major inconvenience.
I'm not struggling with wanting to rub my eyes and so I am not concerned about that aspect, but I have needed to wipe my eyes throughout the day. What I've been doing is using a tissue wet with warm water, wiping my eye, and directly throwing the tissue into the toilet. Then, I wash my hands and repeat with the other eye. And, then again, I wash my hands and go about my merry way. I'm washing all of my bed linens daily and am not wearing my pajamas or other clothing more than once. And, I'm wiping down most surfaces with Lysol throughout the day. But, most importantly, I am just not touching my face. The fact that my eyes are not itchy or too irritated makes not fussing with them easier, but I am still needing to be conscious of everything I am doing.
This virus needs to go. And, soon. I've been nothing but sick for the last 6 months or so and I think I'm ready to be healthy for a while. Thanks for letting me vent...
My roommate and I both developed an upper respiratory infection about 3 weeks ago. Hers came on first and she had a sore throat and sinus infection followed by pink eye in both eyes and an even more severe sore throat. She also had a slight cough. And, maybe 3-4 days after that, I developed a horrendous sore throat, tonsillitis, a slight sinus infection, and middle ear infections in both ears. We both went to the doctor and were given Amoxicillin despite the doctor feeling it was a viral illness (it was not strep nor was it the flu). Apparently, this lovely virus has been making its way around northeast Ohio and we were lucky enough (ha!) to catch it. Well, the antibiotics haven't done much to help either of us, but the doctor wants us to remain on them in case of an opportunistic bacterial infection. It's been almost 3 weeks and my roommate is almost 100%, but I'm not. I still have a cough and my tonsils are still swollen, though aren't painful. And, on Monday, I developed pink eye. And, I think it's making it's way from my right eye into my left.
The doctor won't prescribe eye drops as they believe it's viral and will run its course on its own. I'm already taking the Amoxicillin, Tylenol, Motrin, and Robitussin DM and so I am okay with not adding another medication to the mix. But, for anyone who has dealt with pink eye, you know it's not fun. My eyes are not bad off, but there is discharge and some minimal discomfort and irritation. This morning, when I woke up, my right eye was the worst it's ever been -- it wasn't matted shut, but there was quite a bit of discharge. And, it was fairly red though the redness has decreased somewhat during the day. Today's day 4 and I'm hoping it passes soon, but, in the meantime, it is a major inconvenience.
I'm not struggling with wanting to rub my eyes and so I am not concerned about that aspect, but I have needed to wipe my eyes throughout the day. What I've been doing is using a tissue wet with warm water, wiping my eye, and directly throwing the tissue into the toilet. Then, I wash my hands and repeat with the other eye. And, then again, I wash my hands and go about my merry way. I'm washing all of my bed linens daily and am not wearing my pajamas or other clothing more than once. And, I'm wiping down most surfaces with Lysol throughout the day. But, most importantly, I am just not touching my face. The fact that my eyes are not itchy or too irritated makes not fussing with them easier, but I am still needing to be conscious of everything I am doing.
This virus needs to go. And, soon. I've been nothing but sick for the last 6 months or so and I think I'm ready to be healthy for a while. Thanks for letting me vent...
