Rated "R"

Warning: The following blog entry contains a graphic image which may be unsuitable for some readers. Those under seventeen must be accompanied by an adult.

The past few days have been quite ordinary.

I am feeling well, no coughing, sneezing or vomiting.

I have not done any heavy lifting or straining.

I have not excessively or roughly rubbed my eyes (that I can recall).

The other night as I was brushing my teeth before bedtime, I was looking in the mirror and noticed that the inner corner of my right eye looked different. The color was off; it was no longer white, but a light yellow-orange.

"Hmmm", said The Colonel when I showed him my eye. My thoughts exactly.

I was not having any eye pain and it was my bedtime, so I hit the sack, not giving my eye another thought.

I woke up the next morning to this...


A bit shocking and just a little scary. I called to The Colonel and when he saw my eye, "Ewww", was what he said. Again, my thoughts exactly.

I have never had this happen to me before. I made an appointment to see my doctor that morning. He told me it was a Subconjunctival Hemorrhage, or more commonly known as a broken blood vessel of the eye. This can happen when one coughs, sneezes, vomits, strains or rubs one's eye and sometimes it happens for no apparent reason. The doctor said there was nothing to worry about and no specific treatment was required. Good news.

The Conjunctiva (the clear surface of the eye) cannot absorb the bright red blood quickly, so in about 10-14 days my eye should be back to normal and not rated "R", for red.