simple self surgery

Today, I removed a sty from the outer corner of my right lower eyelid.

I made sure to have a quiet area, and a sterilized, VERY sharp hobby knife. (I build plastic models as a favourite pass-time, and I well know how sharp they are!)

Watching my breathing, and telling my housemate to not jostle me(!), I flipped my eyelid over a Q-tip, exposing the sty. A bit of a nick started the bugger out, a bit of pressure with another Q-tip, and voila, out came a little amber orb, solid to the touch (not fluid filled), about 1.5mm in diameter and a bit of blood, which I rinsed away with a tube of saline solution. (I am a mountain bike guide in another house of my life, and have quite the first aid kit.) In order to prevent any kind of further irritation (ie, conjunctivitis) I well irrigated my eye with another vial of saline.

It was so easy! Of course, it required a lot of focus and an appropriate setting (ie, on a city bus, I don't think so. And I am reminded of the baseball player who, while cleaning his ear with a Q-tip in the dugout, lost his hearing on that side when jostled by a team mate... OUCH!!!)

But, would this have been something to take to a doctor? Maybe... but then, what would people have done a time long ago? "You could have poked out/cut your eye!" some might say... but I have a steady hand, which I trust. And with my hobby, I know I can focus on fine detail work.

If one was pressed, I believe one could even pull their own tooth, but I'd rather pay for that service (& the anesthetic).

I have some history of self-care. Once, after having been bitten by a dog, I, assisted by the owner of the mutt (concerned as she well should have been), cleaned out the wounds. In a similar vein, after crashes off my bike, I seem to be able to get myself to a place of safety (ie, off the road, or back to the car, depending on the situation) before taking the time to check myself out. I have a well-developed sense of preservation, methinks.

Once, I had a slight stab wound in my wrist. I waited in Emergency for quite a while
for professional attention, which amounted to surgical tape to close the cut (8mm long, 8mm deep about). Tape for geez sakes!

My knee surgery was another example of simple mechanics. A ligament was 'harvested' and placed so as to keep my knee from moving inappropriately. Now, the operation was WELL beyond me of course, but the theory was dead-simple; reinstall a component of the body in order to prevent excess movement in another. Simple mechanical sense it makes. At an elevated level, I allow.

As for what I did to ameliorate my eyelid's discomfort? Not for all, but fine by me.