Librarian, Heal Thyself!

I've been feeling pain below my left eye for the past couple of days.

Last night, I finally figured out it's an infection of the exterior eye. You know, the kind that's a four-letter word.

This morning, I called the ophthalmology department for an appointment, and was told that a nurse would call me within an hour. Already, that didn't sound good.

When she called, she asked me if I'd started applying hot compresses (yes, last night and this morning) and I should continue doing so as often as possible. R-i-g-h-t.

I should walk around the library and sit at the reference desk and computer with a hot towel on my eye?

Basically, she was telling me NOT to come to the clinic, they were NOT going to help me. SURPRISE! - this is a big HMO!

I relayed this to the DH over dinner (a yummy meal - see my other blog, Soos Lives to Eat and tonight's blogpost!) and I mentioned that I've also been using Secret Sauce on my lower eyelid. He calmly asked me if McDonald's knew about this alternative utilization. No, but they might like the idea, I replied.

Now, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME, but it seems to be helping me:

I had eye drops from a previous prescription that I recall was for my ears. This is not as wacky as it sounds, if you look at some of your prescriptions, you'll find various formulations of the same drugs often serve different purposes. I started using the drops last night, both IN my eye, and applied to the affected area with a swab. This is a cortisone formulation, and seems to have both a palliative (pain-reducing) and swelling-lessening effect. Yes, I am healing myself!

If all I'm given is lemons, hot towels and cortisone, I'm gonna run with those, baby!

I will let you know if/when my eyelid falls off and/or I go blind.

BTW, ophthalmology is probably one of the easiest words to miss-spell, don't you think?