Still Seeing Strong

Indifferently, I walk into my eye appointment - at this point I have already mentally prepared myself for the worst.  The assistant shows me back and has me take an eye test.  It seems every time I do this those little tiny letters get harder and harder to see. I just end up guessing based on the shape.  I think that's how you know you really are getting older.  He laughs at my inability to guess the right letter.  Next, he puts numbing drops in my eyes and pokes at them with a stick.  Asks A LOT of questions, writes everything down, smiles and leaves. In walks the doctor...

Dr:  Hi Amber.  How are you?  Your chart says you have a bump on your eye?
Amber:  Hello, I am fine.  Yes, I have this bump on the white of my eye. Sometimes it's big and itchy and hits my eyelid when I blink and sometimes I hardly notice it.  I am super nervous about it and need to make sure it's nothing serious.  By the way, your assistant made my eyes numb and they feel really weird.
Dr: Ha, yes it is a weird feeling. The numbness will wear off soon. Ok, I see what you're talking about.  Let's take a closer look.
(He then proceeds to poke, flash lights and look very closely into my eye with his very large microscope.  Then rolls back in his chair and looks straight at me.)
Dr: You have pteryguim.
Amber: Oh
Dr:  Pteryguim is sun damage on your eye caused by over exposure to sun, wind, dust and dry climates.  We see this a lot in people from dry areas.
Amber:  Like Utah?
Dr:  Yep, Utah is a great example.
(Amber and the Dr talk about how she is from Utah and her bump inflammed on her last trip back for Christmas.  And that she actually has already been diagnosed with this, but freaked out and needed to be sure.  The Dr informs Amber that people from these types of climates need to use extra precautions with there eyes.)
Amber:  So what do I do?
Dr:  There isn't much you can do.  It's kind of like a freckle on your skin, it's there but it shouldn't change.
Amber:  So will this grow over my entire eye?
Dr: No.... I am confident that won't happen.
Amber: But if it does grow over my entire eye, then what will you do?
Dr: I don't think it will, but if it did I would remove it.
Amber:  Oh, so surgery can remove it if that happens.  Ok.  Well sun damage on your skin can turn into skin cancer.  Can sun damage on your eye turn into eye cancer?
Dr:  I am 95% positive this will not turn into cancer on your eye.
Amber:  But if it were to, is there anything you can do?
Dr:  Yes, there is treatment for that, but I have been doing this for 15 years and have never seen pteryguim turn into cancer.
Amber:  OK
Dr:  Keep your eyes covered in the sun.  When it's windy make sure you protect them from dust and when they get dry use eye drops and you shouldn't have any problems.
Amber:  That's it?
Dr:  Do you want steroids?
Amber:  Not really - I prefer to grow my muscles naturally.
Dr:  I mean for your eye.  You can fill the prescription it if it inflames again and it will bring down the swelling.
Amber:  Oh.  Right.  Sure.
Dr:  Ok, I don't think you need a follow up unless you have any problems.
Amber:  Alright I will be sure to come back if it grows over my eye.
Dr:  Ok! See you then.
Amber:  Uhhh... what?
Dr: Just kidding.
Amber:  That's not funny and my eyes are still numb.  Weird.

So I am as good as new... or as good as new plus a freckle.  Now, I definitely need some new sunglasses!

Eye hate waiting

Remember the freaky bump that popped out of my eye 2 years ago and had me positive I would soon be picking out a wooden eye? (If you missed it, you can read my old posts here).

Well.... He's back!  Remember when I said how important sunglasses are?  I must have forgotten.  About 2 weeks ago, while I was in Utah for Christmas,  the bump came back.  At first it didn't alarm me knowing it had happened before and knowing the previous doctor said it could inflame again if it was irritated.  I committed to going to the doctor when I got home. 

Well here I am a week after I arriving in Oregon, appointment scheduled for Friday the 15th and officially terrified out of my mind (again) that it's something new that will take over my entire eye.  Saturday after an awesome workout a few people from the gym went to lunch.  A conversation started with one of our trainers about a condition she has in her eye.  She has a rare eye cancer that she has treated with chemo and dry ice every couple years.  Literally in the middle of the conversation I thought I might have a panic attack wondering if I have the same thing and thinking how amazingly positive she is.   I had her look at my eye and heard the words I was REALLY hoping wouldn't come out of her mouth, "Yeah, that's how mine started."

Fabulous. Now I wait for Friday.

You requested...

A couple of you have asked to see pictures of my eye. For some reason it hasn't all cleared up yet, so here is my best effort to get you pictures. Apparently it is really hard to take good pictures of your eyeball. Haha!!

Also, check out my first report for the college newscast! This is my first story that has been on the air, so there will be plenty more to come! Go to http://www.newsbreak.utah.edu/ and scroll down until you see, The U's Dance Department Ranks Third In The U.S. You can click 'video Mp4' and view the report.

My eye... Update

I should have taken bets to see who the winner of the freaky eye trivia would be... Ok, so I went to the doctor yesterday preparing myself for some terrible cancer of the eye news and I had already started picking out my replacement wood eye. There I sit in the waiting room filling out the medical history chart. Do you wear glasses? No. Do you have a history of eye disease in your family? No. Do you have any previous medical conditions? No. Do you take medication? No. Did you poke yourself in the eye? No, no, no. I mean how have a contracted this weird eye malfunction when all my answers are no? Finally they call me in, do an eye test - 20/20. Fabulous, at least the freaky bump hasn't affected my vision. The doctor comes in, shines many bright lights in my eyes (both), hooks me up to a few machines, takes some samples, touches, prods and stares. Looks at me and says... you have sun damage and now it has become infected. OH - crap! He continues, what has happened is you have a lifetime (24 years exactly) of being in the sun and not protecting your eyes properly. Now, something has irritated the sun damaged spot in your right eye and it has become infected and inflammed. OH - Great! He continues, what you will need to do now is drop an antibiotic in your eye 4 times a day for two weeks. This should bring the swelling down and heal the infection. I ask, and the sun damage, can I repair that? No, he says, sunglasses are very important when you're out in the sun, you need to wear them all the time, even in the winter.

So this is my plug for Sunglasses... if you don't wear them you will get sun damage, if something irriates the sun damage, you will get a bump, if you don't go to the doctor when you get the bump (he says) it will grow over your entire eye. Let's start at the top, wear sunglasses. I have about 15 pairs... I think I will start wearing them. :)

What is this freaky thing on my eye!?!

Ok, so for about a year Bryce had been telling me that I had this yellow spot on my eye. Well I just thought it was a part of who I was, character if you will. Until now... for the last week this itty bitty tiny yellow spot on my right eye has grown into this not so itty bitty big yellow BUMP! Day by day it seems to get a little bigger and a little more irritating. I was sure it would just go away until yesterday when I could feel it when I blink and felt a little ache in my eye. I made an appointment with an Opthamologist yesterday, but they can't see me until Thursday, yes THURSDAY! The very helpful receptionist had no suggestions to halt the growth of my new bump so for 2 more days I will wait and hope it doesn't take over the entire thing. Oh man, what is this freaky thing??