A 39-year-old man named Groeschen woke up one morning with an irritated eye. Initially suspecting allergies, he didn’t think much of it. However, as the discomfort worsened over the next few days, he decided to seek medical help.
At the Cincinnati Eye Institute, Groeschen received alarming news. He had contracted a bacterial infection caused by Pseudomonas. Doctors determined the likely culprit: sleeping in his contact lenses. This habit allowed the bacteria to thrive under the lenses, leading to a serious infection.
Despite being treated with antibiotics that eradicated the bacteria, the damage was already done. Groeschen developed a corneal ulcer, and the resulting scar tissue left him partially blind in the affected eye.
“It’s like trying to see through frosted glass,” doctors explained. “The infection eroded part of the cornea, and the scarring significantly impairs vision, even after the infection clears.”
To restore his sight, Groeschen will require a corneal transplant, a procedure with a lengthy recovery time of about a year.
As the owner of a design and restoration company, the vision loss made it challenging for him to keep up with his work. Reflecting on his experience, Groeschen pointed out that his contact lenses were labeled as safe for overnight wear, but he believes this advice should be reconsidered.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology has long warned about the dangers of wearing any type of contact lenses overnight, stating that it significantly increases the risk of eye infections.
Dr. William Faulkner, who treated Groeschen, emphasized, “The safest approach for eye health is to avoid sleeping in contact lenses altogether. Daily-wear disposable lenses are the best option for reducing risks.”
Other risky behaviors among contact lens users include using old lens cases for too long and failing to completely replace the cleaning solution after each use.
This story serves as an important reminder: seemingly harmless habits, like sleeping in contact lenses, can have serious consequences.
Please share this article to raise awareness and help others avoid similar risks.
Parents say goodbye to their newborn as life support is switched off, then he starts breathing immediately
Most moms will agree pregnancy and labor can be a scary time and all you want is to deliver a healthy baby, kicking and screaming.
But one mom was faced with the unthinkable when her baby boy was born with medical issues that left him on a ventilator.
Lisa Hough shared an image of her sweet baby grandson born to her daughter Chelsea and also shared the unthinkable tough decision that her daughter had been faced with.
The mom of three and nana of two said her grandson Karson had been born with many medical complications.
“The only way to describe what has happened is that this beautiful baby boy has suffered two very rare traumatic conditions that are completely unrelated to one another,” Nana Lisa shared on her Facebook page.
She added her newborn baby grandson had suffered a “hemorrhage in the left temporal lobe” and had also been diagnosed with a rare, genetic, metabolic disorder called Non-ketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH).
“His case is presented as severe and would cause him to be severely neurologically impaired – functioning at a 2-3 month old level at best for his lifetime,” Lisa wrote.
His mom, given all the information from the medical staff around her, made the incredibly tough decision to take him off life support.
Lisa wrote of the heartbreaking moment they had to say goodbye to their sweet little one.
“While we weren’t ready to say goodbye to Karson, we had come to terms with the inevitable. We were given 10 minutes after withdrawing intensive care and the ventilator and told he would not breath on his own and to expect his heart to stop within those 10 minutes.
But, according to Lisa, it seemed “God had other plans” and said she and her daughter witnessed a miracle.
“He immediately started breathing on his own once the ventilator was removed, heart rate and oxygen stabilized, and here we are 5 hours later with this miracle baby that we were told would never breath, swallow, have gag reflexes, or even survive. He is breathing unassisted.
“He is swallowing. He is surviving. He even has slightly opened his eyes a couple times today.”
She said his doctors had no explanation for what happened saying no medical or science data supports this little fighter surviving; the only explanation they have is that it’s a miracle.
“I’m not sure why I ever thought we were so underserving of a miracle…and I’m not sure how long we have with him, but we have him now. And now we will take,” Lisa wrote.
Finally, on March 1, she and her family were given the joyous news that their tiny bundle of joy would be coming home that week.
“Every day, I am brought to my knees, and just when I think God is done, I am quickly reminded that he isn’t….I have no words for my gratitude and I will praise Him for as long as I have air in my lungs for giving Karson his,” Lisa wrote.
From her very first post, commenters were fully supportive of the journey, celebrating the survival of Karson with more than 30,000 reactions to the post announcing the wonderful news that Karson survived and is thriving
Leave a Reply