how i nearly get blinded

this is day 3 after my accident. the swelling had greatly reduced now but of course there are still blue-black patches. here’s how i look today.

ok now a long story (not! hopefully. haha) about how i suddenly turned into a one-eye-jack… er… jill.

it was the new bus system in penang that was to be blemed! really! although it was supposed to start on 1 april, on 31 march evening, it was already started (trial run so said a driver).

it was about 9.30pm that i walked to my usual komtar bus terminal to board the ‘milan’ no. 25 bus back home. when i reached komtar, i saw no crowd standing there and was wondering what happened to the buses. then some persons there told me that the bus stop is now at prangin mall. so i quickly walked over there. from a far, i spy a ‘milan’ bus (but don’t know what number) about to move, so i hurry to try to catch it. walking on the road, i need to step on the pavement (where we use to wait for buses). i don;t know what happened… just as one of my legs lifted up i suddenly fell..plop!… hard!… on my left side. immediately i can feel the sting on my left face.

a passer=by, a man heard the thud and saw me falling. he came over to pick my shoes for me and asked if i was ok. i mumbled, “my face. i hit my face”. then he told me yes there is a swelling on my left forehead, just above the eye. he advised me to go back, use an egg (hot egg?) to rub over it.

i can feel the bump and taking out the mirror, i saw a big bump but it was not at the eye area, it was at the tail-end of the eyebrow area. 5 mins after, i can feel great pain on the bump area.. and damn! no bus came yet.

with the new bus sytem running, everyone and everything seems to be in confusion. i was not sure whether a bus will be coming or not (it’s already near 10.00pm – last bus time), or was it that place that the bus will come. finally i spy a no. 25 bus but it stops furhter down… in front of ‘active lifestyle’ dept. store! that is suppose to be the place where buses from the opposite directoin stop. why eh stop there. so i and the others had to run over there to catch the bus. you see, no proper stop! grrr! i wouldn’t be suprised if someone, old people esp. fall while running to catch the bus, because the bus does not stop at where we wait for the bus.

ok back to my story. what terrible luck i was in that day. as i got down from the bus, i need to walk some short distance in front of a row of terrace houses to reach my flat. while i was walking, a dog barked at me and followed me! damn! in front of me were 2 persons, why the dog didn’t want to bark at them? why me? i quickly crossed over the other side, and you know what, this stupid dog also crossed over and continue barking at me and following me, and i see that the dog iwas sort of quickening his step. i was scared. what if the dog pounce one me and bite me? i try to stamp my feet and uttered “shoo!” and yet the dog barked and followed me. suddenly, thank go, another dog inside one of the house barked, and this dog suddenly stop barking and folowing me. phew!! what a relief. if not, who knows i might get bitten! and double trouble! my fall and dog bite!

when i reached home, my mum and sis were shocked to see the bump. at that time, the swelling had grown and slowly spreading to my eyes. my mum insisted that i went to see the doctor, though i’d rather not. well, thank god for mothers… i listend to her and went to see the doctor at a nearby 24hrs clinic (it was already near midnight that time).

funny. after i told the lady doc that i tripped and fell on the road, thus received this bump, she asked me “are you sure you were not beaten?” she said my injury looked like i was beaten up. though i told her no, i fell, she asked me again and a few times – “sure or not you were not beaten up? or you dare not tell me you were beaten?”. haha. sound as though she thought i might be an abused wife – beaten by my hubby… though when i registered, the clerk did asked my marital status and i told her single.

the doc gave me 3 types of medication. antibiotic, a tablet for relieving pain and an eye-drop for infection. i became poorer by RM41 for these medication.

after returning from the clinic, i quickly make a short post, as you see below, then only went to bed. wow! the next day when i woke up, the swelling had grown so big that it almost completely covers my eyes. there was a tiny slit below, where i can see only if i lower my eyes to the floor (picture as i posted earlier).

throughout the day i felt so uncomfortable, esp. with the left side lid sort of turned under the eye and my eyelashes getting in the way. every hour or so, i had to take a mirror, look at it and use a tissue to push it up. my mum scolded me that i am not suppose to touch it but i can’t help it as it made me so uncomfortable.

thank god, the next day, on sunday, the swelling had reduced a little. i did take a picture of day 2 (sunday) but accidentally delete it off. oh it happened on 31 march, friday late night, so i did not take into account 31 march as day 1, but 1 april, saturday as day 1.

today, day 3, it is really much better. i can see now without having to lower my head. the eyelid is still blackened. heh. like i’m wearing an eye-shadow. the bump by the side, between my eyebrow and eye is still big, and there is sort of a tiny cut just afte the tail-end of the eyebrow.

i guess in time slowly all these will heal. it’s terrible having injury to the eye. i had been reprimanded not to use my eyes, to rest my eyes and all that… but what am i suppose to do then? ok if they said don’t stare at computer, so what to do but stare at tv. then stare at tv, also means i’m straining my eyes. what to do? read paper or book. huh? but reading also uses the eyes! what am i suppose to do then if i have to rest eyes whole day? sleep whole day? close eyes and do nothing? i realise now how important our eyes are.

oh, this experience had also taught me a lesson – to be extra careful when i’m on the road walking, or for that matter, anywhere, within the house, the office. this saturday when i’ll be out taking the bus at the same place again, i will go and take a look at the place where i tripped. i am curious as to what made me tripped!