Accident-I was really lucky today

[ppkheat]

I was cleaning out my storeroom today and moving some old stuff out. I was carrying a plastic bottle with liquid contents and it dropped. The bottle busted splashed some drops up on my face and a drop or so (?) went in my left eye. The contents of the bottle was drain cleaner !!! BTW someone had given it to me, I don't use drain cleaner, I guess that's why it has been here so long.

As soon as that drop hit, I knew I was in big trouble. Both of my eyes instantly clamped shut, I groped my way outside to where I knew I had a nearby water faucet and immediately started flushing my eye. It was cold this morning and that water was COLD, but I didn't let up. I kept flushing it, and flushing it, and flushing it. I took a couple of peeks to see if I had vision in that eye and I did, then I flushed it some more.

I rushed home, about a one minute drive, got in the shower with lukewarm water and flushed it some more. The drain cleaner was in my eye maybe 10 seconds, and even after all the flushing it still was irritated from the 10 second chemical burn. I dressed and drove myself to town, holding a ice pack near my eye. It's about a 30 minute drive and I drove straight to the eye doc. The staff there was great, they quickly tested my vision and put some numbing drops (paracaine?) in my eye so I could endure an exam.

The doc had a thorough look, made a video, and said I did have some very minor damage on my inner eyelid, sclera and cornea but he said that the flushing I did minimized the damage so well I'd be fine with no after-effects at all. He gave me some eye lubes, and an Rx steroid/antibiotic drops. He said I'd be in some pain today and tomorrow and only come back if I have any problems.

I'm extra thankful I was within a few feet of water when this happened, I wouldn't want to permanently look like my avatar.

Actually it's scratchy/burning right now as I type this. I'm looking forward to a better tomorrow.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[gasmitty]

Wow - that's scary stuff. Good reactions on your part, but boy, I know the scare of peeking out from a damaged eye and hoping you can still see. Glad there's a happy ending for you!

[SIXTO]

Nothing like a old fashioned wake up call to keep you sharp. Glad it turned out OK.

[Hiram25]

Glad you are ok! During a riot in Newark, DE back in the 70's I had a bottle of acid thrown at me, it struck a tree and hit my face and eyes. College kids in a Dorm started passing water out to flush my eyes and did so until the ambulance arrived. It melted my contact lenses. I received about the same treatment you did, and all worked out ok. I can't wear contacts anymore as I can't stand anything in my eye anymore.

Be careful, you only have one set of eyes.

[RevolvingMag]

Glad to hear you're ok.

From now on, you'll be more careful with unlabeled bottles wont you?

[ctr]

You did the right thing by flushing the eye so much, and by going to the eye doctor. Well done.

Keep up with the drops as directed. Eyes heal quickly and within a few days all should be well.

Glad it worked out for you.

[Mattmann]

Man glad to hear your okay man! Now next step lets trash what we don't use or need.....the right way I might add. Lol

[yankeeman]

Hope it all turns out well. I happened to get some on my finger for about 15 seconds back in March (before I knew the crap doesn't work). I rinsed and kept under running water for about 20 min. To this day it will peel every couple weeks and it feels different from the rest of my fingers when I touch something. Nasty stuff.

[JerryMac]

Is that why ya got the patch on your eye in profile ? lol...jk,,, glad all is well, and sounds like you did the right thing and not panic.... I am a chief on a riverboat, had a deckhand get a little paint in his eye, he tried to get it out with paint thinner.... flush flush n flush some more.

[DefConGun]

Very scary event. I had an accident involving my eye when I was a kid and am very fortunate to have kept my vision. To this day, it freaks me out to watch someone work on someone else's eye. I for one can appreciate your situation. You never really realize how precious your eyes are to you until you come close to loosing your sight.

Also, very good job on your reaction and doing what you did to minimize damage. There's a lot to be said for keeping your cool and using your whits to get you out of of bad situations.

So glad it worked out for you and hope you get to feeling better soon.

God bless,
DCG

[mp45fan]

Wow scary stuff. Glad you doing ok now!

[msgt/ret]

Nice job of self aid and hope you heal soon.

[Eaglebeak]

Wow, I'm glad to hear you had the knowledge and quick presence of mind to immediately do all the right things because you probably saved your sight when many others would have went into shock or panic and not been so fortunate. Except for a little accident with pepper spray, I've been lucky in the eye injury area; but your bad experience reminded me of one that wasn't serious - yet close to being as painful.

Back in the stone age as a young man, I had just gotten out of the shower and quickly shaved before getting dressed. Opening the medicine cabinet to finish up with my trusty Mennen's "Skin Bracer" caused the fumble of a full bottle that hit on the edge of a cast iron sink, shattered, and blew the bottle's entire contents onto a very sensitive area that was at sink level. All the fire departments in the world couldn't have cooled the burning, and I could have set a record in the 100-meter dash

[retsupt99]

Could have been a much more dangerous result...glad you're OK...your quick actions appear to have made a BIG difference.

[miklcolt45]

Ppk, glad all will be well! Good thinking.