‘A new cornea? Scary, but it couldn't get any worse’

In the spring of 2019, Harmien started having a lot of trouble with her right eye. ‘As if there was a grain of sand under my contact lens.’ She went to the optician. They saw damage and sent her to the GP. ‘I was given an ointment for an infection, but it didn't work. I was referred to the ophthalmologist. I was given eye drops there, but the pain only got worse.’

A parasite in the eye

The ophthalmologist suspected the parasite Acanthamoeba. ‘Don't Google it, he said. But of course, I did. I was terrified. The parasite lives in water, among other places, and can enter the eye through small wounds or damage to the cornea. People who wear contact lenses are at higher risk. The parasite causes a lot of damage to the eye.’

Tests showed that Harmien indeed had the parasite. The doctors predicted a long recovery. By then, Harmien could barely see anything with her right eye. She had to use various strong eye drops every hour. ‘The damaged cornea and the drops caused indescribable pain. On a scale of zero to ten? Twenty. I couldn't eat, drink, or tolerate light. I lay on the couch or in bed like a dead bird. I lost ten kilos in three weeks.’

It can't get worse

Things kept getting worse. Harmien had to go back to the hospital for a check-up. ‘Even the car ride was too much. Once at the hospital, I said: Just take my eye out! It hurt that much.’ Harmien was eventually admitted to the hospital. She was given an IV and strong medication.

Her eye didn't recover and her vision remained poor. ‘As if you were looking through a foggy mirror. I couldn't tolerate light. The doctors had tried everything. I had to think about a corneal transplant. At first, I found that scary. But I soon thought: it can't get worse than this. Let's do it.’

A new cornea and a new lens

Harmien was put on the waiting list for a donor cornea. Then the corona pandemic began. Transplants were cancelled or postponed. ‘Luckily, I didn't have anything life-threatening, so that was a relief.’ A few months later, she finally received a donor cornea and a new lens. Because of the many drops, she had also developed cataracts. After the surgery, Harmien could immediately see a bit more clearly again. The pain was also gone. ‘The donor cornea was secured with sixteen stitches. They removed them in stages. It wasn't until two years later that all the stitches were out.’

Pay close attention

The transplant was five years ago now. Harmien still has to use eye drops every day to prevent rejection. Her vision has improved; she sees about fifty to sixty percent. Harmien is cautious and has to be careful about rejection, damage, and depth perception. ‘When walking down stairs, I look extra carefully. At the train station, I'm happy with the white line on the last step.’ Harmien is happy that she can see better again and can go out a lot with family and friends. For example, she likes going to museums. One of her favorites is the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. ‘Thanks to the cornea donor, I can now admire all the beautiful works of art again. I am very grateful for that.’

Harmien doesn't know how the parasite got into her eye. ‘I didn't go swimming. Maybe I rinsed my lenses with tap water or showered with them. I want to warn others about the risks so it doesn't happen to them.’

Eye-opener

Harmien is very happy with the donor cornea and looks back on the whole process positively. But it also feels bittersweet. ‘Someone had passed away. A family was in mourning, and I had received a beautiful cornea. I could get quite emotional about that. Sometimes I wonder what this cornea has seen. And how old is it? It's very special that such a small piece of tissue can do so much and has improved my quality of life so much. People often hesitate about whether they want to become a donor. But they forget that they themselves or a loved one might need something someday. That was an eye-opener for me, and I try to make people aware of that.’