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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

WTAF?? They GLUED MY EYE SHUT!

120 replies

BeatieBourke · 26/11/2022 15:27

Just recovering from the sheer madness of this.

I had to reattend a minor injuries clinic this morning because the butterfly stitches holding together a deep cut to my forehead had failed and the cut had reopened.

The nurse decided it needed glueing. She put a gauze over my eye (the cut is above my left eye) and we had a chuckle about how terrible it would be if she accidentally glued my eye closed.

When she'd done, she removed the gauze and I couldn't open my eye! The glue had run down into the corner of my eye and then along the lash line, sticking my eyelids together. GLUED SHUT!!!

I had to lay there for over an hour while they soaked my eye with saline and prised apart my eyelids. Then then tried to pull all the hardened glue out of my eyelashes with a pair of tweezers. In the end I had to do this myself with my fingers while they watched. I now have very few eyelashes on my left eye.

I felt pretty awful for the nurse. She was absolutely horrified at what had happened. She was obviously panicking. I found myself reassuring her it would all be fine while she stared at my face saying "Oh god! What have I done!" repeatedly.

We got it all off and my eye is now fine. I'm not going to make a complaint. It was an awful accident. But I'm quite scared of hospitals after a nightmare a few years ago left me with PTSD. I had to go for an x ray last week and the Dr was obviously harassed and stressed. He wouldn't listen to what I was trying to tell him and I ended up having a massive panicking attack. And now this.

AIBU to feel like stepping foot in a hospital is a game of roulette with a good chance of you coming out worse off than when you went in?

I'm still completely dumbfounded.

OP posts:
lovelilies · 26/11/2022 15:30

Heck 😳 she must've used a lot of glue. It's runny stuff, you should've been laid on your back so at least it would run away from the eye not into it!

RagzRebooted · 26/11/2022 15:30

As a nurse, I live in horror of doing something like this. Thankfully, no one let's me loose with surgical glue!
I'm sorry this happened, hopefully the eyelashes regrow quickly and it becomes just a funny story.

FamKeNekson · 26/11/2022 15:30

Could you not feel it running down? I think I'd have asked for more than just a piece of gauze to protect my eye of all things but hindsight is a wonderful. And to be honest I probably would sue in your situation but then I really am very precious about my eyes.

RagzRebooted · 26/11/2022 15:30

lovelilies · 26/11/2022 15:30

Heck 😳 she must've used a lot of glue. It's runny stuff, you should've been laid on your back so at least it would run away from the eye not into it!

*makes notes

DomesticShortHair · 26/11/2022 15:34

It’s not ideal, but well done for understanding that sometimes things happen, and not jumping aboard the complaint bus.

It sounds a really bad day both for you and the poor nurse too. I feel for you both.

BeatieBourke · 26/11/2022 15:38

@DomesticShortHair I really think her day was worse than mine to be honest. Poor woman.

@FamKeNekson I couldn't, no. Quite a long, deep, painful full cut,ots of swelling, and everything around the eye area feels pretty weird. I'm glad I didnt notice and kept my eye shut - imagine if I'd blinked and it had gone INTO my eye!!! 🤢😱

OP posts:
Keyansier · 26/11/2022 15:44

That sounds really funny OP. she stared at my face saying "Oh god! What have I done!" repeatedly. 😂

Glad you're feeling better now!

BeatieBourke · 26/11/2022 15:48

@Keyansier 🤣🤣 Not really what you want from a health care professional who's trying to fix your face!!

OP posts:
MetellaInHortoEst · 26/11/2022 15:50

Oh dear. 😆 Glad you got it open. Hopefully your lashes will come back quickly!

I wonder if she will read this?

Feef83 · 26/11/2022 15:51

What disturbs me is her response to a minor medical crisis

I found myself reassuring her it would all be fine while she stared at my face saying "Oh god! What have I done!" repeatedly.

id say she’s in the wrong profession

Feef83 · 26/11/2022 15:52

How did you sustain the Injury?!

Notanotherone6 · 26/11/2022 15:53

Feef83 · 26/11/2022 15:51

What disturbs me is her response to a minor medical crisis

I found myself reassuring her it would all be fine while she stared at my face saying "Oh god! What have I done!" repeatedly.

id say she’s in the wrong profession

I'd say you're being ridiculous.

BeatieBourke · 26/11/2022 15:54

@MetellaInHortoEst Ooh, I didn't think of that. Well if you are reading this, poor gluey nurse, please stop feeling terrible about it! I've had far, far worse happen in a hospital in my time.

And it looks like you've given me an amusing anecdote!! [blinks gratefully]

OP posts:
Tigertigertigertiger · 26/11/2022 15:55

Oh my , what a fright you must have got .
sounds like you handled it really well

LadyWithLapdog · 26/11/2022 15:57

You sound understanding, OP. I don’t know what you’d gain by suing. I don’t think it’s a mistake she’ll repeat again and that’s as much learning you can hope for. A couple of hundred £ for distress etc won’t change that; and I think you’d feel a bit grubby.

chikp · 26/11/2022 15:58

Keyansier · 26/11/2022 15:44

That sounds really funny OP. she stared at my face saying "Oh god! What have I done!" repeatedly. 😂

Glad you're feeling better now!

It doesn't sound funny it sounds bloody terrifying and like she had zero control over rectifying the situ

Feef83 · 26/11/2022 15:59

chikp · 26/11/2022 15:58

It doesn't sound funny it sounds bloody terrifying and like she had zero control over rectifying the situ

According to a PP we are being “ridiculous” by being abit 🤔 that a nurse seemingly lost it and conveyed her fear to the person she was treating

Feef83 · 26/11/2022 16:00

Accidents happen.

What marks a decent healthcare professional is how they respond

JolieJ · 26/11/2022 16:00

That sounds awful Flowers
Invest in a lash serum and your lashes will grow back quickly

Wisterical · 26/11/2022 16:01

I really admire your attitude to this OP, nothing really to add except I hope your cut heals well.

EmmaAgain22 · 26/11/2022 16:05

Wow OP
I am glad you are okay

but honestly, this is the kind of mistake that would make me wonder if she had a genuine qualification.

it's also the reason I don't like my elderly mother (and previously father) going to hospital without someone to help.

this doesn't sound like an accident but a problematic level of incompetence.

chikp · 26/11/2022 16:06

Feef83 · 26/11/2022 15:59

According to a PP we are being “ridiculous” by being abit 🤔 that a nurse seemingly lost it and conveyed her fear to the person she was treating

Well it's incredibly unprofessional

2bazookas · 26/11/2022 16:12

Congratulations for staying sane under huge stress and not trying to end several careers/claim compensation ; what a refreshing change.

I use superglue for craft work and despite constantly reminding myself to be ultra extra careful , its all too easy to slip.

thelobsterquadrille · 26/11/2022 16:13

Feef83 · 26/11/2022 15:59

According to a PP we are being “ridiculous” by being abit 🤔 that a nurse seemingly lost it and conveyed her fear to the person she was treating

Breaking news - nurses are human and make mistakes like everyone else!

MetellaInHortoEst · 26/11/2022 16:17

chikp · 26/11/2022 15:58

It doesn't sound funny it sounds bloody terrifying and like she had zero control over rectifying the situ

I had a horrible experience once when a HCP carried on pretending everything was absolutely fine despite my procedure very obviously spiralling into something quite unplanned. Blood everywhere, struggling to get a grip on the issue type situation. I think I’d have appreciated some kind of acknowledgement that this wasn’t an ideal set of events then. His determined “its all fine” professional aura irritated the hell out of me.

There’s such thing as a middle way, though!