Thursday, Mar. 31, 2005
Bloody landing, posted at 5:48 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com I really don't fly well.I'm no veteran yet, but I've now landed and taken off about five times, including the two layovers I've had in my life. Taking off isn't so bad, but landing is pure hell. I can't believe the pain in my head, in my ears, and in my eyes. I thought I was being tough yesterday. However, when we had the layover in Atlanta, after we landed, the 17-year old girl who was sitting next to me asked if I was alright. She said it looked like someone had hit me in the eye.
When I got out into the airport, I checked the bathroom mirror. She was right. My left eye was a horror movie red, not just bloodshot but bloody. It scared me, since I'm still only a year and a half away from retinal detachment that destroyed part of my vision. I didn't think to bring my contact case in my overhead, so I had to settle for taking out my contact and putting it in a plastic cup that I held the rest of the trip. The flight attendant in Atlanta was unsure if I should make the flight to Baltimore, my eye looked so bad. But we did, and it was okay, until the landing. Again, horrible pain everywhere above the neck, particular in my ears and eyes.
I still can't wear my contacts, having to settle for my bent glasses that make me dizzy because my eyes are so bad that the distance from eye to eyeglass gives me vertigo. My left eye is still a bloody mess, although it's gotten a bit better. I think the air pressure changes while landing made my weak blood vessels break, or something. If it's not better tomorrow, I'm going to call my eye surgeon.
And how did I spend this Thursday of spring break? I went to school and graded papers. It felt really, really good. I'm doing the same thing tomorrow. I have this dream of being caught up when the kids come back on Monday.