Me and My Eyes

I should have known better. When I first started wearing contacts in high school, the optometrist repeatedly told me to never sleep in my contacts. Taking good care of my eyes, I followed his instructions and my eyes never missed a beat. Until college.

All nighters and the 4 pairs of glasses that I lost (actually, make that six now...I lost 2 pairs of glasses in December before Tristen was born. Ugh! Where do these glasses run off to?) MADE me start wearing my contacts non-stop. Forgetting they were in, I made it a routine to fall asleep in them. Yes, they were itchy and red in the morning but somehow I didn't let it stop me.

So, fast forward until my one year anniversary. I was on a trip to the Boundary Waters with our youth group. When I reached into my pack to take out my contacts the first night, I realized that I had forgotten my contact case. I could either be blind the whole week or keep my contacts in. I should have been blind the whole week but I chose the latter. I think this particular incident is what pushed my eyes over the edge.

4 months later, after days of extreme eye problems, I finally visited an optometrist. Who knows what particular incident sparked it or made it happen, but I found out that I had an ulcer in my right eye and very bad scarring. I was given medication, glasses, and told to never ever wear my contacts to bed again. And I haven't done it again. EVER.

But, to this day, my eyes still aren't the same. Days like today remind me yet again what I've done to my eyes through my stupidity. Itchy, red, and watery (it could be partly allergies too which the doctors haven't ruled out) and looking like I've been crying all day or I'm extremely tired. So not fun, but sometimes you have to live with your mistakes.

So, if there's anything to take away from this story, learn from my mistake and take care of your eyes!! Don't sleep with your contacts in.....trust me, it's not worth it :)

P.S. Sorry for the freaky eye picture! Hope it doesn't give anyone nightmares...I was trying to portray the intensity of my eye problems :) Ha!