Healthy Eyes

Before my sister's wedding over 3 years ago, I thought I had a sty. It turned out to be a clogged oil duct and after weeks of hot compresses, ointment, no contacts, no makeup and no change, I gave up.

Begrudgingly wearing my glasses to big sister's bridal shower, May 2010

I put my contacts back in and my mascara back on and I accepted that I would have this weird bump on my lower lid for the duration. And I did nothing for just shy of 3 years - during which time, I got married and you barely barely see the tiny bump on my lower lid in any of my wedding pictures.

If you look closely at my lower left lid, it's right in the middle. 

... Then another one showed up. This one was in the outer corner of my eye.


I did some vague math. If I got a new one of these every 3 years, how long would it be before it became noticeable or worse. I could envision myself at 40 barely able to open my left eye. Googling images of clogged oil ducts legitimately scared me.

No no no no no. My vanity got the better of me and I went back to the doctor - a different one this time, but I was expecting the same results: nothing.

Same advice, maybe a different Rx this time. Warm compress. Put this ointment in your eye 3-4 times a day. I was disheartened. How could the same solution possibly yield better results?
I did it anyway. But this time I only did it in the morning and evening, so I could wear my makeup and contacts all day. Since it wasn't an infection, I didn't have to worry about germs on my mascara.

So...why am I posting about this on Thursday for the Be Happy Link Up?

Because they're gone. 

A month ago I woke up one morning after about two weeks of heat and ointment and the first one was just gone - as if it had never been there. The other one stuck around for a couple of weeks. I relaxed my regimen. Tuesday night (as in the day before yesterday), it was really irritating me, so I went back to the hot pack and ointment and when I woke up in the morning I knew something had happened. It looked like the "worse before it gets better". After lunch it was gone.

I am only ashamed enough of my vanity to think twice about posting this and decide to do it anyway. I feel worlds better knowing that if this ever happens again, I will be able to get rid of them on my own. Did they hang out longer than I would have liked? Yes, but they're gone, which means if any other ducts clog, I can unclog them like a pro.

I wasn't sure I wanted to post this today. I feels a bit like TMI, but I wish you could have seen how happy and relieved I was yesterday (and still am). That's why I decided to share.

Healthy eyes, y'all. Healthy eyes.