I didn’t think my everyday routine was wrong, but it nearly cost me my vision

“The pain makes giving birth look like a walk in the freaking park. The pain was absolutely unreal,” Rachel said.

A mother has shared the horrifying moment she nearly lost her eye after taking a post-workout wash.

Rachel Prochnow, an influencer from Texas, was 34 weeks pregnant when she hit the gym; wearing her contacts and grabbing her gym bag, she made her way to work out.

Suddenly, her right eye started to feel a little scratchy and uncomfortable.

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Rachel was returning from the gym when her eye started to feel scratchy. Picture: rachelprochnow/Instagram

Mum nearly loses eye from rare infection

Considering she wasn’t wearing glasses, Rachel “figured my contact had ripped” and went home to get it swapped out with a fresh replacement. 

Taking to Instagram, the American woman explained that her eye wasn’t feeling any better the next day. 

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Rachel attended her mum’s birthday party when she began feeling “pain and photosensitivity” in her right eye. 

“The next day, I went to my optometrist, who had no idea [what] was wrong but prescribed me some steroids,” she said. 

Turns out, this was the “worst thing she could’ve done for the disease I contracted.” 

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Weeks passed, and Rachel’s eyes were only getting worse. Left without many options, she returned to the doctor and underwent several tests. But they didn’t have any answers for her either, so she was referred to “the most incredible” eye specialist in Austin, Texas, to see what the issue was. 

“He diagnosed me with the worst infection you can get in your eye,” she said. “Acanthamoeba Keratitis.” 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Acanthamoeba Keratitis (also known as AK) is a rare eye infection caused by microscopic amoebas (similar to bacteria). 

The infection is typically caused by exposure to contaminated water, usually in a pool, bath or hot tub, and eye injuries. Or, in Rachel’s case, “from letting your contacts come in contact with tap water”.

She explained that while washing her contacts with tap water, an amoeba “latched” on the micro fissures that can develop on the contacts, “get trapped underneath your contacts and burrow their way into your eye”.

If left untreated, it can lead to permanent vision loss. 

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Rachel will likely undergo surgery to restore her vision. Picture: rachelprochnow/Instagram

“Contact lenses and water do not go together”

For the next three months, Rachel couldn’t sleep; the infection was taking over her eye, and she was in excruciating pain. 

It was so distressing that Rachel said she’d rather face labour all over again. 

“The pain that comes with AK makes giving birth look like a walk in the freaking park,” she said online. “The pain was absolutely unreal.” 

Rachel has been a big fan of wearing contacts, opting for them over glasses from the age of 12. “[I] was never told not to swim, shower, or hot tub in them,” she said. 

While doctors worked to restore her vision, which was rapidly failing, they started giving her medication to treat the infection. 

“I had to take a cancer drug and get blood work done every two weeks to make sure I wouldn’t go into renal failure,” she recalled. “In addition, I had to put chlorohexidine/PHMB into my eye every hour around the clock for three months.”

Over this time, Rachel gave birth to her son, meaning she had to focus on her newborn rather than her ever-painful eye infection. 

“My parents moved in with us to help with the drops and our precious Lochlan since he was just born,” she said. “Had my parents and [my husband] Cameron not been fully committed to getting me through this, I would have, without a doubt, lost [my eye].” 

It’s been a year since she learned of the infection, which has since developed into a disease, and now Rachel is considering undergoing a cornea transplant. 

“The year after my transplant, my vision should slowly return,” she said. 

Speaking to Yahoo News, Audrey Molloy from Optometry NSW explained that AK is a mighty strong amoeba and can withstand a barrage of treatments.

“It can survive freezing; it can survive boiling; even kinds of disinfectants, it can survive,” said Molloy. 

She issued an important piece of advice for others who rely on eyewear to see: “Contact lenses and water do not go together.” 

Originally published as I didn’t think my everyday routine was wrong, but it nearly cost me my vision