Please, help! I don’t want to go blind

This letter is real. It was sent in by an avid reader of this page. Because of its personal nature, it has been edited and his name replaced to protect his identity and maintain confidentiality. Please, read on.

“Good morning, Dr Ajayi. I am Moses Africanus, a regular reader of your column. I have decided to reach out to you concerning my case. I have had severe itching in my eyes for quite some time and there seems to be something foreign, like sandy, particles pricking me in both eyes. I constantly rub my eyes, sometimes, vigorously and I seem to enjoy it.

“To dislodge the sandy particles, I blink more frequently and move my eyes about. It has really become quite distressing. I wake up in the morning often with stringy discharge at the corner of my eyes. I think they call it ípin’(mote). I am often not spared during the day as friends call my attention to it and pass some tissue paper to me to remove the ipin (mote). My eyes are usually red and I have been embarrassed by friends and family who have braved it to tell me to stop using hard drugs. I could see they did not believe me when I told them I had never taken any in my life.

“In September 2015, it became so bad that I went to a pharmacy to seek advice on what to do. The attendant recommended an eye drop he said was a combination of antibiotics and steroids and would give me a great deal of relief. True to his words, I used it and within a few days, I had tremendous relief. My eyes became very comfortable and for the first time in several years, they were white. After a month, I found that except I used it at least twice a day, my eyes were uncomfortable. I made sure that I always had an extra bottle as a reserve. Every time I forgot to use it, the discomfort and redness became more intense and now I am worried. I have used it non-stop for over a year.

“I decided to read the leaflet in the package of the eye drops a few days ago, I was alarmed! Dr Ben, am I going to lose my sight? What alternative eye drops can I use to prevent the consequences of the side effects mentioned in the leaflet? Please, help me before I go blind. Sir, please, do not be angry with me for resorting to self-medication. I would have seen an ophthalmologist, but I do not have money. I hold a Masters degree, but have no job. Since I finished over two years ago, I have continued to live on my younger brother who is finding it difficult to cope. Please, help me, I don’t want to go blind.”

This is an interesting letter. It elicits two reactions from me. First, I am filled with disgust! If I were headmaster and Moses were my pupil, I would cane him every day for the length of time he had used the eye drops. Caning was accepted in my time, for erring and disobedient students, but nowadays, it would be considered child abuse! But even then, Moses is not a child; he is an intelligent, supposedly educated adult with a rare privilege of a Masters degree!

He is jobless and depends on charity. So my emotions are tempered. I feel pity for him. Now, I as a doctor, an ophthalmologist, who knows what could have happened or is probably happening to Moses’ eyes, I am frightfully afraid for him. I am anxious to see him and find out if he is not already on his way to blindness.

Patients don’t understand what agony we doctors go through when they do things they are not supposed to do or ignore our warnings. Moses should have seen an ophthalmologist to examine his eyes first. He didn’t and instead went to a pharmacy shop. The attendant should not have given him the eye drops without a prescription. He did! Moses ought to have read the leaflet before he started using the eye drops. He didn’t! He only read the leaflet after a long period after he had commenced using the medication, thereby denying himself the wealth of information on the package.

Don’t lie to yourself. How many times have you used any medicine just because a friend recommended it to you? How many times have you had the patience to read the leaflets in the package of your medicine? And how many times do you follow strictly the instructions by your doctor? I told Moses to very quickly visit an ophthalmologist and have a full eye examination. He promised to do so and tell me the outcome. From his reply, I can see that he is now afraid and as anxious as I have been since I read his first letter. Is this a case of ‘Medicine after Death’? He has an appointment to see an ophthalmologist tomorrow. I can hardly wait to know the findings. I promise to share them with you next week.

Until then, be of good cheer.