On July 15, 2024, I woke up to excruciating pain and redness that blanketed my right eye. I tried over-the-counter eyedrops to no avail for two days before going to urgent care. The urgent care nurse practitioner thought I had a severe case of conjunctivitis and prescribed eyedrops to help with the pain and redness; however, after three days, my symptoms had not improved. I secured an appointment with a primary care nurse practitioner who thought I had conjunctivitis and told me to stop taking the eyedrops and prescribed another type of eye drops that was supposed to alleviate my symptoms. Another three days passed, and I started having blurry vision in my right eye. What I was experiencing was not conjunctivitis, it was something more serious.

When I was completing the last semester of my graduate degree program in chemistry, I experienced redness in one corner of my right eye. The ophthalmologist told me that I had scleritis. Scleritis is a condition that causes redness in the sclera, the white part of the eye. An injury, fungus, or an underlying inflammatory disease can induce scleritis. If left untreated, it can cause permanent damage to the eye and vision loss. I was prescribed anti-inflammatory eyedrops and my symptoms cleared within a week.

Since the most recent symptoms produced redness that covered my entire eye instead of a portion of it, I hadn’t thought about my symptoms being attributed to scleritis.  As a result of the ongoing pain, redness, and blurry vision, I obtained an emergency appointment to see an ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist concluded that I had scleritis and prescribed two types of eyedrops and pain medication for the symptoms. After a week, the redness, subsided in my right eye. The following week, I woke up to pain and redness in my left eye in which received the treatment that was effective for the right eye. The ophthalmologist then referred me to another specialist to determine if I have any underlying conditions that caused the condition to occur in both eyes.

After seven weeks of pain and discomfort, I’m pleased to report that I’m able to resume work on professional and personal activities. Instead of lamenting about the time I had lost, I had to evaluate what I should work on first. I decided to prioritize writing as it has helped me focus on my priorities, organize my thoughts, and generate solutions to challenges. Below is a list of other ways and quotes that can help you get back on track after a long illness.

1.       Let go of regrets.

Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can't build on it it's only good for wallowing in. – Katherine Mansfield

You can’t dictate how long you are ill.  Focus your energy on things that you can control that includes your attitude and perspective about your circumstances.

2.       Develop an action plan.

Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do

something about it now. – Alan Lakein

An effective action plan to get you back on track has five steps.

·       Step 1: Identify your goal

·       Step 2: Create a list of actions to accomplish your goal

·       Step 3: Set a deadline

·       Step 4: Write down the resources needed to complete your goal

·       Step 5: Specify how you will monitor the progress of your plan

3.       Execute your plan.

The secret of success is execution, not merely knowledge. – Eike Batista

You can research and plan for eternity. However, you will not have a chance of becoming successful until you execute your plan and make changes to it depending on your results.

A long illness can leave you feeling hopeless, helpless, and uncertain if you don’t have the proper mindset and plan. Executing the plan can give you the momentum you need to move forward, accomplish your goals, and even inspire others who are battling illnesses.