Back by popular demand. From the prestige thread:
Quote:
Originally posted by HotDamnImAPhiMu
Peaches, that's AWFUL. How did you figure out what was going on? Poor vision?
Is this something that's usually in pools, and just got out of control, or is the parasite usually killed by the stuff they put in there, or what?
Eesh.
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My eyes were initially itchy and red like an allergy attack. When they became painful, I went to the eye doctor and was diagnosed with and treated for conjunctivitis (pink eye) for a few days. When my vision started to change and my symptoms worsened, my doctor suggested that I go to the eye hospital and see a specialist. I was misdiagnosed again this time with HSV keratitis. (That's a common mistake.) When the three weeks of treatment didn't work and my symptoms and vision were still worsening, another cornea specialist realized that I probably had acanthamoeba keratitis.
The diagnosis was a pretty hideous experience involving various tests including taking cornea cultures and blood work. I remember over a dozen doctors examined me and even more were consulted over the phone. I was at the eye hospital for about 8 hours. I'm actually lucky that I was diagnosed as early as I was. Some people go for months without a diagnosis and wind up losing their vision and needing cornea transplants.
Acanthamoeba is found in soil and all sorts of fresh water: tap, pool, lake, etc. Chlorine doesn't kill it, but PHMB does. Most pools don't use PHMB because it's more expensive than chlorine and acanthamoeba is extremely rare. I would go swimming early in the day and wear my lenses for the next 8 to 12 hours. Unfortunately, it can grow on the cornea under the soft contact lenses which is what happened to me. I had been swimming and taking SCUBA diving lessons for two or three months before I started having problems. I think about 90% of people who have acanthamoeba keratitis wear soft contact lenses so contact lens care is a major factor.
According to the eye doctors and cornea specialists, in order to avoid this, don't wear contact lenses while swimming, showering, or sleeping. Wait a few hours after swimming before you wear your lenses. When you take them out, put them in a one step cleaning product like Renu for at least 6 hours to thoroughly disinfect them. Change your contact case monthly. Never store lenses in tap water or homemade saline solution.
As far as my case goes, I am still undergoing treatment. I see a cornea specialist every month. I use two drops specially compounded for me and one drop and an ointment that I can buy at a normal pharmacy. I bought cute new glasses, but my vision has changed so much that I will probably need new prescription lenses when this is all over. If the parasite didn't damage my corneas, the eye drops probably did. I won't know the full extent of the damage until June at the earliest. My vision is still blurry, but it has improved so much since the summer. It doesn't look foggy so I'm grateful.