Basically I had blood vessels burst in one layer of my eye and it was OOGEY. I looked like something out of a horror movie:
Yeah. I could scare small children. Like mah own who kept asking, "Does it hurt? Can you see? Is everything red?"
I didn't feel anything, actually. I woke up on a typical weekday morning and Jase went, "Holy crap go look in the mirror!" To clarify, that is definitely different than his typical morning greeting. I was like, "EEEEWWWW!" and Jase agreed it was NOT really fun to look at. Gah!
I, of course, quickly Googled "gross bloody eye" (or something similar) and decided that since it wasn't painful, didn't affect my vision, and the blood wasn't coming out of my eye that it was a subjunctival hemorrhage, or a splorped blood vessel in me wee ickle eyeball.
All was fine and dandy (other than looking like a zombie) for a day or so.
There's a ginormous glare on it, but I woke up the following morning with part of my eye more swollen than the rest and I felt that little lump on my eyeball whenever I blinked (wicked gross!) so I had a freak out moment, threw up a time or two, and drove to the ER. "Look! It's swollen and gross! No it doesn't hurt, no I haven't had huge coughing fits, and I hadn't puked until I saw the big blurby thing this morning. What iiiiis iiiiiit?!?!?!"
Apparently, even with extra swelling, it's a subconjunctival hemorrhage and they saw no signs of scratches or anything on my eye, but I was given a $3.30 bottle of eye goo to squish into my eye in case of a scratch they couldn't see. Kinda like neosporin for your eyeball. Gloopy and unfun, but I applied it 3-4 times a day for a day or five (even though it was sposed to be for a week or two, but gah...)
Why didn't I keep applying the stuff?
As a TCT-esque kinda thing, I can tell you I am HORRIFIED of things near my eye. Like people poking around my eye or having to sploosh goo into my own eyeball. So imagine the joy of having a doctor not only poke and prod around my eye, but actually turn my eyelid inside out checking for things that might scratch my eyeball.
I wanted to die a lot.
"Wow, you've NEVER turned your eyelid inside out?"
"HELL NO, lady! That is unnatural and disgusting."
"Well, we're doing it today! Deep breath and here we go..."
I am proud to note that I did not pass out and there was nothing there that was scratching my eyeball and I put the gloopy crap in my eye all by myself.
I swear, I had too many thoughts and they just oozed out of my head and into my eyeball. That's the only explanation I can give you.
Amazingly, I found out that this five minute interaction with a very polite, exceptionally professional doctor (and a five hour wait in the ER) cost $486.85. The cost for my entire family to be covered on TriCare Prime (which is military insurance) was, I believe, $38 this month.
We have no co-pays, no deductible, no annual enrollment fee, nada, so the visit to the ER only cost me fuel and time. If we were using TriCare Standard or TriCare Extra, that would be a bit different, but for $38 a month, having TriCare Prime is BEYOND worth it to know I can go to any ER when I need to and be covered. No out of pocket expense other than $38/month for my entire family.
I cannot believe the number of people who fight with insurance companies for basic coverage in this country. I also can't imagine waking up with a gloob of tissue on my eyeball and freaking out about cost instead of thinking, "I am leaving for the ER RIGHT NOW!" Did I absolutely need to be there? Turns out the answer is no - but what if something had been truly wrong and I didn't go because I was scared of having to cough up $486.85 for what amounts to a doctor giving me a script for a $3 tube of antibacterial eye slime?
In the meantime, I've missed my opportunity to be a Zombie Star in a horror film, since my eye is no longer brilliant, bloody red.
But hey - at least everyone now knows I'll make a darn cute zombie someday!
As an added, somewhat related bonus for people who like homework:
If you wanna know more about military insurance cost info (including retirees still utilizing TriCare) check this link.
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