Pink Eye v. Melaleuca

Growing up, my friends always had pink eye.  I never did.  But my memories consisted of seeing gross red eyes and being told that they couldn't play because it was highly contagious.

Jump ahead 10-15 years.  I'm in Hungary as a missionary.  I wake up one morning and my eye is sealed shut with disgusting gunk.  Doctors thought I might have cancer and wanted to run a million tests.  What?!  It's only pink eye!  But, I don't know how to say "conjunctivitis" and so I use my best Hungarian and say, quite literally, "rosza szem" -- Pink Eye.  They have no idea what I'm talking about.  After blood tests, an investigator of ours who also happened to be a pharmacist, tells me what to buy and where to get it.  Nice.  After a week, it's gone.

Since then, I seem to get pink eye all the time.  And I hate it.  I hate wearing glasses and it's all together inconvenient.  

On Saturday I woke up with a little gunk in my right eye.  I didn't think much of it.  As the day progressed, I noticed my right eye was looking gradually more and more pink and was starting to get scratchy.  I knew exactly where this was headed.  It was quickly getting worse.  By the end of the day, I was looking bad.  I had taken out my contacts and was rockin' for the 4 eyes, but still, I really did NOT want pink eye while I'm doing intensive therapy with Samantha. 

This isn't my eye, just a googled picture, but mine looked similar to this (maybe a little pinker) with gunk in the corner...constantly having to clean it out. 

doTERRA.  hm  The thought crossed my mind.  I looked up what the suggested protocol would be.  I had brought some of my oils with me and thought I'd give it a try.

For the rest of the night, I'd use lavender and melaleuca and put it around my eye socket.  Melaleuca has natural disinfectant and anti-viral properties while lavender has natural antibiotic, antiseptic qualities.  Melaleuca is stronger, so I just used that around my eye socket...under my eye, just below the eyebrow, etc.  The lavender, however, is more gentle, and so in addition to putting it around my eye socket, but put it on my eye lid and through my eye lashes.  I applied this over and over again: before and after dinner, throughout watching the Olympics, etc.

No joke.  Next morning.  So. Much. Better.  It still looked like my eye was pink, but it was a "you-had-a-long-night-huh?" kind of pink...in only the right eye.  By the end of the church, it was back to normal.  

I talked to Marcus on the phone and he doesn't believe me.  He doesn't believe that an oil can be stronger and better than eye drops you get from a doctor.  And as much as I want him to believe me, he doesn't believe it.  But let me just tell you something....it worked.  And now, the next time I get pink eye (because I will again...), I know exactly what I'm going to do.