Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Get The RED OUT!!

My Eyes! My Eyes!

So here’s what happened…

This morning I went swimming with Diane at 24Hour Fitness. I thought a nice easy workout after a good workout yesterday in the gym area. Also, we noticed yesterday that the pool was totally empty as we were working out on the floor. So, we figured we would each have a lane to ourselves.

We got there just before 5:30AM and there was a guy in each lane. (Gee, so much for a lane to ourselves.) Diane jumps in a lane and waits at the end. The “friendly” guy in here lane states,” We split the lane. I take this half.” Then he swims off down on his side before Diane can say anything.

I jump in the next lane I stand in the end and wait. I ask the guy if we can split the lane and if he had a preference as to what side. He was much more pleasant. My first lap, as usual, is breast stroke. Ouch! I could feel it as I opened my eyes under water. The chlorine was VERY strong.

I have had this happen before where it’s taken a bit for my eyes to adjust. (No, I don’t wear goggles because with the water and what not I get kind of claustrophobic.) It was on the fourth lap that I stopped at the end and the guy sharing my lane asked if I was okay. I told him that the chlorine was VERY strong and I couldn’t wear goggles. We got to talking a bit and it was rather funny that he had decided to swim today too because he had seen no one in the pool yesterday too.

It was at the end of lap #10 that I decided that I had punished my eyes enough. I was standing at the end of the pool and looking out to a blurred landscape. Details escaped me as my eyes felt like they were on fire; as more and more air came into contact with them. OUCH!! I admitted to Diane in the next lane over that there was no way that I could drive home with my eyes like this.

I stumbled my way to the locker room and the shower. I kept on trying to hold my eyes open while I threw cold water into my eyes. While I dried off, and changed into clothes; I went to the sink sporadically and splashed cold water into my eyes. I was starting to see some details now, but everything had a bit of a fog. My eyes were still BURNING! OUCH! But I was finally starting to see some details in the world around me.

Diane finished her swim and asked if I would need to be driven home. No I told her I think I had it. It was as we were leaving and walking through the floor area that I pretended a sob and said to Diane,” Oh the things I go through for this friendship!” We both laughed. My eyes looked all red and puffy like I had been crying up a storm.

As the cold air outside hit my eyes, it really looked foggy outside to me. “Is it kind of foggy out here?” I asked Diane. “Yeah, a bit but not too much. Are you sure you’re up to driving?” I assure her I would be fine to get home. Well, it was one FOGGY ride home but I managed.

Oh the BURN, as I put a couple of Visine drops in each of my eyes. OUCH! I ended up making a cold compress and applying that while in between drops of Visine. I did some more cold water splashes on my eyes. The burning was dissipating but my eyes were still pretty sore. I managed my way getting ready for work. (Yes, I was still planning on going to work.) As my eyes seemed to be sensitive to light, I donned a pair of sunglasses and proceeded into work. Several co-workers teased me about having a rough night out on the town. (I WISH!) It wasn’t until about noon that I managed to take my sunglasses off at work. My eyes are still pretty red but not nearly as sore.

5 comments:

  1. Wow. That really sucks.

    Just a thought: Would a different types of goggle like face mask style work? I've seen people have success with them.

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  2. Oh, how we suffer for our art!!! I agree with Joe (he is a Rockstar afterall). Let's get you into a face mask and see if that works!

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  3. Nex time make some chamomile tea and let it cool. Then dip cotton pads in them and place them on your eyes like cucumber slices

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  4. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THAT LOOKS SO SO SORE, PAINFUL INDEED.

    With my eyes vision being all over the place at the moment I can only but feel that burn with you!!!

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  5. Thanks for the comments!

    Yes, I need to maybe look into getting a face mask for my swimming. Hopefully, I can manage it on my face?

    LadyRaven- Thank you for the suggestion! I also had another friend that said to use milk to soothe the eyes because it has the same pH as your eyes. So the next time I have an "RED OUT" issue I now know what to do! (BUT hopefully I can avoid this.)

    Thanks All!

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