Glowstick trouble

I wish I had some pictures to post, alas, they would not be so flattering in the context of which I am to speak of anyway.

I have always had a little trouble with glowsticks. As a kid, I was disappointed when they stopped working. As a college age school girl, a glowstick exploded in my mouth during a comedy show (I guess I should not have been chewing on it). It tasted nasty and my mouth glowed green for several minutes. But, now I can add onto this list of trouble.

We went camping this past weekend with the ward. It was SO much fun. We did not stay the night because Jon Mark had an assignment due, but I was so glad that we could go for a few hours. The kids absolutely, positively, L.O.V.E.D. playing with the other children. And, in spite of the thick "rainforest" rich humidity that the Heavens bestowed upon us, I had fun playing football with Jon Mark and a few primary boys. We had a blast.

A friend of mine provided some glowsticks for all of the children once the sun went down. Let me tell you, they were such a hit that I'm thinking of giving each kid a huge box of 'em and forgetting about buying them any real presents this year at Christmastime :) . Rochelle was so nice to do that for them. Well, I warned my kids about chewing on them, and I warned them about the "glow stuff" not working forever. While I was thus warning, I was fiddling with a glowstick in my hands cracking it over and over to try to make it glow brighter. That's when the stupid thing cracked completely open on me and shot the glowstick guts into my eyes.

My vision went completely psychedelic on me with glowing streaks of light, blurred-yet glowing- figures in the distance, and a burning sensation unlike anything I had experienced in my eyes before. It hurt. I knew my eyes hurt, and I KNEW I was going to be blind (I'm kinda crazy people).

In my mind, I was secretly trying to think of all of the unique features of my children and husband's physical traits and committing them to memory--because again, I KNEW I was going to be blind.

Well, to make a story longer that should have been short, Jon Mark led me to the water and I flushed my face for about twenty minutes. At about that time, I courageously opened my eyes, half-way believing that they had a 50/50 chance of working. Thanks be to Heaven, they did. They still burned for another 20 minutes or so, but my vision was back (with the help of some nifty saline drops that another friend of mine had brought). I felt thankful that our ward has so many students with some sort of medical expertise. I had a doctor, a dentist, a surgeon (ha, and a lawyer) all there for support. Thankfully, the outcome was good (they didn't act surprised).

So, now you are schooled about not getting the glowstick guts in your eyes! Consider yourself warned!!!

By the way, in search of sympathy, I asked Jon Mark if he had ever had anything burn his eyes like that before (believing that he could possibly not have), and he told me about when Nick got mad at him a sprayed him in the eyes with Tabasco Sauce. I think he wins. :)