Blinded by a Panera Straw
As dictated to Shaunti’s staff director Linda Crews since Shaunti can’t read or write…
Blinded by a Panera Straw
I have to let you all know about the freakiest accident that happened on Sunday night. I was at Panera Bread near my church, sipping on a drink while getting into my van to pick up my daughter from her youth group, and as I got into the car I somehow stumbled and managed to jab my plastic straw straight into my eyeball.
Excruciating pain. Like stick a needle in my eye kind of pain. Who knew the eyeball had that many nerve endings?
Thank God I knew some folks sitting in Panera Bread that night as well, and I went stumbling back in to speak to my new heroes of the week, Dan Case, who is a pastor at my church, and his wife Sandy. They were magnificent. First, they made me sit down to look at my eye, and when they did, I saw them flinch and look at each other. (Why is that when you see someone else flinch when they look at your injury it just compounds your pain?) They said carefully, “I think we should take you to the Emergency room.”
So they both drove me to the local emergency room. Then Dan went to get Jeff to come pick up the van while Sandy sat with me for several hours in the ER while they did their tests. (As an aside: Boy, am I grateful I try to live a relatively transparent life. When your pastor’s wife is sitting with you in the ER while they ask all those awkward intake questions like, “Any recreational drug use?” It is a relief to be able to answer “no.”)
So back to the painful tests… The bottom line is: I tore a strip off my cornea. (Note from Linda: Ewwww. Does it make your eyeball hurt just to hear that?) They say thankfully eye injuries heal more quickly than expected, and this should heal okay, but it will be really painful for a while. (I’m thinking ‘no duh’.)
Unfortunately, the injury is severe enough that I not only have to have a patch over the bad eye, but I cannot open the good eye at all. Because if I do the bad eye tracks with the good eye, and hurts just as much as that original stick-a-needle-in-my-eye pain. I am basically unable to read or write. (Another note from Linda: Shaunti is the only Harvard grad I know who is illiterate.)
All joking aside, I‘ve been spending the last couple of days trying to rest my eye in a darkened room; with pain killers, antibiotic eye drops, ophthalmologist visits, praying that there is no permanent damage and that I don’t have to cancel too many speaking engagements as a result of this. Already had to cancel one since the doctor wouldn’t allow me to drive to Chattanooga today with an eye patch on. Spoilsport. And thankfully, this morning, I’m regaining the use of my good eye. I can open it without wanting to knock myself out to stop the pain.
So hopefully I’ll be okay for my event this weekend. And I’m going to see a corneal specialist this morning, since the ophthalmologist couldn’t see how deep the injury went and wants a specialist to look at it.
I just wanted to let you guys all know what had happened so you could be praying for no permanent damage and that I can meet all of my commitments. I’ll let you know what happens from here.
Oh no! Ouch, ouch, ouch! I’ll be praying! My son works at Panera. I need to talk to him about the hazards of his work. Lots of prayers going up!
I will be praying for you Shaunti .. I know God is a great awesome healer ,
Oh my goodness, ow! Dear lord, please be with Shaunti and keep her spirits high while she heals, and please get her 100% healthy again so she can continue your good work! Amen!
Wow, bless you…prayers for a fast recovery! My cousin recently put nail glue in her eye thinking it was her eye drops…burned tbe cornea and could have done major permanent damage but thank God her eye is fine and healed quickly! Be encouraged!
Oh no sister! Prayers going out in Nebraska on your behalf!
Owie! Father, please heal completely, and use this time to strengthen Shaunti’s ministry.
Just think of the insight you’re gaining into the life of the sight impaired…Romans 8:28 at work!
ohhhhh my goodness. I am praying for you and hope that you heal quickly and completely. What a story. Later it will be funny…maybe. Yikes. This is a new one for me…so I give you credit for the first time I have ever heard of anyone getting a straw in their eye. Gives new meaning to “you could put your eye out with that!” Take care of you and make everyone else take care of you too. The time will be short lived and you will be taking care of lots of others soon enough, so let them care for you. 🙂
Praying for total and complete healing! (Hey, that staff director of yours is pretty witty…! )
Oh my goodness! How awful. I will pray for you! My husband is an eye doctor so I’ve heard many stories over the years regarding painful eye injuries but you my friend top them all! He and I will BOTH pray for a quick and complete recovery.
How very awful. You make the excruciatingly painful and scary sound almost amusing – at least you haven’t lost your sense of humor. Praying it will heal miraculously and quickly
How terrible! Eyesight is so precious. Praying, praying!
So sorry. I was shot, in the eye, with a BB gun, at the age of 9. I did not really have pain, but lots of fears and lifelong scars. I was in the hospital with both eyes bandaged, for 9 days, and ended up having cataract surgery, from the trauma. I was playing with the preacher’s son next door. Lesson learned…lol…I had 7 surgeries and wear prosthetic contacts. Eye injuries are very real to me and I pray for your complete healing. If you need further treatment, Duke Eye Center is fantastic. I have been to a cornea specialist there and was very pleased.
Dear Shaunti
God bless you with patience and a speedy recovery! I’m sure you’ll be super grateful for little things like eyesight…..driving..reading and writing when you are healed!
Oh my goodness! I am so sorry, Shaunti! How horrible! Praying for a speedy recovery!
So sorry to hear of your accident and will be praying for your recovery.
Praying for a full recovery for you! I know how quickly accidents happen. I was cutting my toenails one time WITHOUT my glasses on, the clippers slipped, the end broke off and hit me in the eye,blade side first! I didn’t rupture the eye but have a permanent scar! God bless you! Let HIM heal you as only he can!
Oh that is TERRIBLE! I am so sorry! Praying for a quick recovery and that God’s grace will find you with each need!
Drinking straws are an under recognized safety hazard. Just this month we offered our first product, Snip-n-Sip. It can’t prevent all eye injuries but will reduce the risk of freak accidents from drinking straws such as you experienced. Best of luck in your continued recovery.
I hope everything is SO much better now, years later. I used this example in a guest post I wrote for Spin Sucks (although I didn’t link to you). http://spinsucks.com/entrepreneur/solopreneur-pros-cons/