Blind and alone in the Motorhome.

I want to make sure that everyone knows, living full-time in a motorhome does not mean you will have the same experiences as we do. We just happen to have some really exciting and sometimes scary times. We put ourselves into those situations, so that doesn’t mean full-time living in a motorhome means 24 hour excitement. I’m sure you can live worry free, as long as you don’t move. LOL

Anyway, we are loving our new location here in Bullard Texas. The park is high quality, and there are only high quality rigs here. Everyone is wonderfully nice and the facilities are first class. The only issue is, and It’s not really an issue, but wildlife is all around us. Woodpeckers wake us up, and raccoons love visiting and walking along the top of the rig early in the morning. Not to mention the cows in the pastures around us are always mooing. I guess it’s all really a positive, unless you want to sleep in. 😉

2 days ago, I started to get an infection in my right eye. I am notorious for not changing out my lenses as often as I should, so when my eyes start to get infected, I take my lenses out, add a drop or two of an antibiotic and I am good to go. Well…. Once I take the lenses out, I literally can’t see much not to mention I can’t read. There was a bottle of lens cleaner in the cabinet and I immediately filled my lens holders full of the cleaner, took my lenses out, put on my glasses and waited until morning to put my lenses in again.

Little did I know that the bottle of lens cleaner was for my glasses and the cleaner was essential hydrogen peroxide. The lenses soaked in Hydrogen peroxide for about 10 hours. As usual, I took the lenses out, washed them off, and placed them in my eyes. They stung pretty badly, but I figured it was because of the left over infection and they would stop burning soon and I would be fine.

5 hours later, everything began to get foggy. I had no idea why, but figured it would go away sooner than later. 10 hours into it and I was having a hard time reading from my computer. I was really frustrated. Jill convinced me to take the contacts out and relax my eyes again for the night. When I pulled the lenses out, evidently the hydrogen peroxide had burned my retina so badly that the skin came off with them. Immediately my eyes began to swell. Within 30 minutes my eyesight was gone and the pain was more than excruciating!

Jill was scheduled to leave the next morning at 3 am to go to Atlanta. What was I going to do? She needed a ride to the airport and I could not open my eyes, much less see anything! What was I going to do if I got her a ride to the airport? I was blind! 4 days without my sight and by myself was what was in front of me. I mean, I could do it, but it was really going to be a long 4 days.

Sammy, our 19-year-old son was to the rescue. He came to pick Jill up at 3am and took her to the airport. She kissed me and said she felt like she was abandoning me. I couldn’t let this keep her from going, so I kissed her back and said I’ll be fine. I have food, a bathroom, Fully functioning home, and I can get around without my sight if I have to. It’s just 4 days. I haven’t told her this, but I have never felt so alone. How the heck was I going to do this. I literally had no eyesight. Believe it or not, my biggest fear was taking our dog Lucy out to the bathroom. How would I know if she actually went? How would I be able to scoop the poop? LOL

Fortunately, the night before, Jill had contacted my old friend, who was an eye doctor. He immediately called in a prescription which Jill had picked up the evening all this started. I was praying that it would work and the issue would be a non issue within at least a day. Jill left at 3:00 am and it was time for another application of the antibiotic. I forced my eyes open and put the drops in. Stinging is not the best word for the pain. It was just plain bad!!

I was able to finally sleep and at 7:30 I woke up, peeled my eyes open and I was able to see a glimmer of light just for a second. I was excited!! Maybe they were getting better. I was determined to have a good day and get things accomplished, so I got up, took a shower, ate breakfast, got dressed and took Lucy out to go potty. I was able to see just enough to know that she went, but I was unable to find the poop to scoop. Sorry to anyone who might step in it. 😉

The day passed as I worked on the phone, I picked stuff up around the rig, I made lunch and I did it all blind. It was a good day. I was really tired around 1:00 so I decided to take a nap. But first my medicine. I woke up 2 hours later and without thinking I opened my right eye. It opened!!! I could see shapes!! I was elated!! Then I was able to open my left eye, it was really painful, but I could see shapes and light! Little by little, I was able to see more and more and by late afternoon, I could open both eyes at the same time, and I could see better than I ever expected. I went to bed around 8PM.

This morning I woke up with both eyes wide open!! I could see everything and without pain! My 4 day hell had only turned out to be a 2 day ordeal. However, I have a real understanding for those who do not have their sight. I know just a tad of what they have to go through on a daily basis, but hey, even they can live in a motorhome if they wish. It can be done, if only one day at a time.