Recently I went to a routine contact lens check up. Expecting to get the all clear, I was rummaging around nonchalantly for my lipgloss when the optician told me my cornea was badly swollen.
Anything to do with eyes freaks me out a little. Eyes are more fragile than say, bones or limbs to me and eyeballs belong in Halloween cocktails, not in dinner party conversation.
She added that if I experiences any loss in vision, blurriness or worsening pain (my eyes always sting from fatigue – I’m a mother) that I should go to the emergency department.
Eeek.
Apparently corneas can swell up from exhaustion. I’ve been travelling more than usual and with the kids in tow, it has been a been a hectic few weeks. I assumed my fatigue was down to an iron deficiency (I don’t eat meat), so I maxed out on the supplements and boosted my system with a few health tricks I learned from fellow Expaters.
Apparently I am really tired this time.
The good news is that the body, including the eye, heals itself. Just as my child’s finger (with the help of an amazing British surgeon) has now magically grown back, my cornea is also on the mend.
Frequent travel, stress or excitement, lack of sleep… expats must surely have it bad. When I move homes (and countries) my psoriasis greets me faster than my new neighbours.
Expat life takes its toll and I’m not alone – Expater friends share similar stories – from bad breath to muscle ache, from bad skin to heart issues.
My optician’s advice to me was to take some rest, avoid contacts for a while and wear eye drops. So this week I’m sporting my Tom Ford eyewear (which my husband doesn’t like, but I love) and I’ll be sure to use the drops. As for the rest? Well, I’m off to Barcelona…
