Hello everyone, today, we have a cautionary tale about a little mistake that led to significant trouble for a pregnant Texas mother, Rachel Prochnow, last year. Rachel, a lifestyle writer, experienced a series of unfortunate events after accidentally showering with her contact lenses still in—a simple error that many of us might have made.
Everything started to go downhill from there. Initially, her eye began to itch. But soon, the irritation escalated into excruciating pain, worse than childbirth itself. The culprit? A parasite from the water that entered her eye, resulting in acanthamoeba keratitis, a severe infection. According to the U.K. Daily Mail, 90% of those diagnosed with this condition are contact lens wearers.
The contact lenses caused tiny, seemingly harmless tears in Rachel’s eye. These small injuries provided a gateway for the parasite to enter, leading to devastating consequences. Rachel later discovered that exposing her eyes to water through activities like showering, swimming, or using hot tubs can significantly increase the risk of such infections.
Within two weeks, the infection had caused blindness in her affected eye. As her condition worsened, doctors decided that they needed to induce her pregnancy early. At only 27 weeks, this was a daunting prospect. However, Rachel’s son, Lachlan, was born in July 2023, defying the odds of such an early delivery.
Rachel expressed profound gratitude for the support of her family during this challenging time. “Had my parents and Cameron not been fully committed to getting me through this – I would have without a doubt lost it,” she told the Daily Mail.
Determined to raise awareness, Rachel shared her story on Instagram, where her post garnered over 742,000 likes. “PSA: DO NOT SHOWER, SWIM, OR HOT TUB IN YOUR CONTACTS,” she warned. She recounted her harrowing journey, which included 82 doctor visits, traveling over 12,000 miles for specialized medical care, spending thousands of dollars on compounded eye drops, and undergoing one surgery.
After two weeks of doctor visits, she was finally referred to a specialist in Austin who diagnosed her with the worst infection one can get in the eye, acanthamoeba keratitis. Despite wearing contacts since she was 12, Rachel had never been informed about the dangers of exposing her lenses to water.
Rachel’s story serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of proper contact lens hygiene. For contact lens wearers, it’s crucial to avoid exposing your lenses to water, whether in the shower, pool, or hot tub. This simple precaution can prevent a potentially life-changing infection.
Stay safe and take care of your eyes, folks. Let Rachel’s experience be a lesson to all of us about the small but vital steps we can take to protect our health.
