Your trauma does not define you
Veterinary nurse Sarah Thynne shares how she found inner strength following a traumatic eye injury that resulted in sight loss in the affected eye .
In August 2021 , I was suffering with an extremely sore right eye and sought medical advice at the accident and emergency department of my local hospital . I was diagnosed with a corneal ulcer caused by my contact lens and prescribed antibiotic drops . However , by 3 am the following day , I was in excruciating pain and unable to see . Over 2 years later , I ' m still unable to see out of my right eye .
The ulcer on the surface of my eye had become infected with Pseudomonas , possibly through something as simple as washing my face , and the bacteria had caused considerable damage to my eye .
The treatment was both intensive and extensive : my loved ones had to take me to and from the hospital every day , and I had to administer a multitude of drops into my eye , as often as every half hour for several months , so I was unable to get much sleep .
Unfortunately , the doctors ' attempts to resolve the issue with medication were futile and my cornea perforated and melted . To preserve my eye , I underwent an emergency cornea transplant ( keratoplasty ) and four further surgical procedures . Although the keratoplasty saved my eye , my body rejected the transplanted tissue and my lens was damaged by the infection ( Figure 1 , page 7 ), so I ' m still unable to see with that eye .
6 Veterinary Nursing Journal