Most parents have had to deal with the dreaded pink eye or conjunctivitis at least once. It can be caused by allergies, a bacterial infection or a viral infection. Either way, if your child has an eye that’s oozing, it’s probably contagious!
When I was a teenager, my entire family was hit with the worst, most disgusting case of oozing, crusting pink eye ever recorded. Okay, I’m exaggerating but it was awful. I was the last person standing and I fled for the safety of my grandmother’s house. I was fifteen and I wasn’t going to be exposed to that nastiness! I came out of the mess unscathed, safely quarantined a few miles down the road. It has left me slightly paranoid ever since.
My daughter developed a cold right before her end of the season soccer party and I went into cleaning overdrive. I sanitized every surface, cleaned every door knob and reiterated to everyone to wash their hands and keep them away from their faces. The morning of her soccer party, she developed red oozing eyes. The green globs of gunk just kept forming and I knew it finally happened. Our family was infected with pink eye!
I washed every linen and pillow case in our house. Then I took her up to urgent care for antibiotics. She was quite devastated about missing her soccer party so I told her she could ask the doctor and get his opinion. We waited patiently and in walks the doctor. He was a young man, newly hired and right out of medical school. He proceeds to tell me that I’ve over-reacted and that although pink eye has a bad name, it isn’t actually that contagious. I openly disagreed with him. He tells me that the only way you can truly get pink eye, is if you rub eyes together and he doesn’t feel my daughter needs antibiotics. I still didn’t agree with him. He also tells me it would probably be okay if my daughter attends her party. I smiled, nodded my head and look over to see the nurse narrowing her eyes.
When he leaves us, she leans in and whispers to me. “I have four kids. Trust me when I say, you don’t want to go to that party. You don’t want to forever be known as, “The Pink Eye Family.” The family who spread pink eye to the entire team.”
I took her advice, after all she has four kids. We missed the soccer party. That night, I slept deeply which is a rarity for me. I woke up to the sound of my husband showering. I started to open my eyes and I felt it! My eyelids are crusted together! They are gritty and sore! I have pink eye! Not that contagious, huh? Over-reacting, huh? I rolled over, pointed wildly at the room around me and yelled. “Liar!”
My husband poked his head out of the bathroom wondering why I just yelled at the wall.
“I have pink eye!” I exclaimed.
“Sorry babe! Well, it is extremely contagious.”
In my miserable state I called the clinic. I explained to them that I can’t afford another doctor visit. My daughter was just in. Everything is in her chart. I was assured she wasn’t that contagious and could you please call in some antibiotics. You have to understand, I’m a mom and life has to go on even when I’m sick. Kindergarten orientation is in three days and I have a meeting with the teacher. I can’t go out in public with oozing eyes.
They took pity on me and call in an antibiotic cream. I followed the directions and placed a tiny amount of the cream on the inside of my lower lid. Within seconds, my eye is on fire. The cream started stinging my eyes so painfully that I’m crying. I attempted to wash it out but it didn’t work. My eyelids and under eyes were greasy with a Vaseline like substance that I couldn’t remove.
I was forced to recover from the dreaded pink eye the natural way. I had to attend kindergarten orientation, meet other parents and have a meeting with the teacher, all with red eyes. Pink eye is uncomfortable and nasty feeling. I would never wish it on another soul. Despite all my precautions and the assurance of a young doctor, I still became infected. I wish I could say this was the last time our family faced it but my kids have gotten it twice since then and always associated with a cold. I am happy to say that I have never had it again.
