A nasty eye injury.

Blue and gold Macaw

I chose this image because of the remarkable colour around the eye of the blue and gold macaw.  Certainly the image of this beautiful bird would not have the same allure if its eye was closed, or unfortunately damaged somehow.  Eye damage in any organism living in the wild is often a death sentence.  Anyone who has ever had an eye injury can attest to the concern about reduced or lost vision.  Although the photo is that of a bird, the story I am about to unravel is about me.  To be specific, it is about an eye injury I received two days ago.

The sun has been out in all its glory this last week.  The garden, having been ignored over the winter, was beckoning for attention.  Although all areas required some degree of maintenance, it was the raspberries at the back which were calling the loudest.  Their demands for pruning and securing rose above the silent din of neighbouring herbage.  And so, I got out the pruning sheers and string and began in earnest to placate their prickly cries.

I was wearing my hat and glasses, as is my custom when working outside.  This is especially true on a hot day in full sun as I turn beet-red when left unprotected.  Clipping dead raspberry canes and transferring them to the growing pile was simple enough.  Green shoots protruding from branches clearly allowed me to distinguish the living from the dead.  It was the towering branches and their myriad of prickles which gave me pause.  Each cane, a malevolent arsenal of barbs waiting to take a toll on the offending intruder.

I was about three-quarters done when it happened.  One of my garden sheer strokes caused a branch to thrust towards me.  I find hat and glasses are usually enough, but this stick had eyes of its own and threaded the obstacle course protecting my face.  Not only did it breech the initial security, it managed to thrust its angry member onto my open right eyeball.  My reaction was immediate.

I knew right away I had done something terrible.  I am a bit of a klutz and have poked myself in the eye on multiple occasions.  Usually a few stars followed by some tears occurs and then, after a short reprieve, it is back into action.  Not this time.  My eye was streaming water, not unlike the local mountain creeks channeling the snow melt under the hot sun.  Then there was the pain - wowza!  An impressive crescendo of groans with eye-clutching made an impressive display to the neighbours.

Eyes closed with millisecond bursts of vision, I went inside and plied my story to anyone who would listen.  I rinsed my eye out with water and attempted to open it; the pain was as bad as ever.  My daughter took me to the hospital.  No seats were available.  I sat on the floor.  More good news.  There I waited for six hours, eyes closed the whole time.  Let me tell you, suffering the acute pain in darkness with no ability to access phone or book left me with lots of time to ponder possible outcomes.  Finally my name was called and I walked, left eye barely open, down to where a doctor would see me.

Thankfully I got a prescription for antibiotic drops and the first good news that, although I ripped my cornea, it would heal and not affect my vision.  I eventually got home, went to bed, and found that I was actually doing OK the next morning.  Now, two and a half days after the damage, I barely notice the injury.  I guess I will be fine.  A close call to be sure.