Eyes Wide Shut (Third Eyelid Blind)

Sorry I haven't been able to blog in so long. A whole team of veterinarians - the very best ever! - are trying to help me right now. They're even consulting other vets to help diagnose what's ailing me. Right now I'm battling eye inflammation and infection that keeps me from opening my third eyelids like usual. But a daily round of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops are starting to help me open my peepers better. Believe me, I'm grateful for any help I can get. I'll see Dr. Johnson again this Saturday and, hopefully, he'll know what to do to perk me up again. Two weeks ago he gave me a Vitamin E/Selenium injection and I was a happy camper for two days although my eye problem had flared up again, and I can't see out of my right eye. But I had that last fall until anti-inflammatory medication made me "visual" again, so we're all hoping that happens again.


Meanwhile I'm also getting shredded grass and wildflowers mixed in Mazuri Tortoise Diet to try to jump start my immune system during early post-hibernation. I am liking that! It's really hard for me to bite and tear my food with so much loss of my bite muscles. The dip in the top of my head is worse than pre-hibernation. Not good. So Dr. Johnson will consult with a guru vet in Tucson to see if I need a steroid for a muscle wasting disease called myocitis or a possible autoimmune disorder. Oh and he'll check for a virus called mycoplasma too.

All I can say is it's a good thing I'm a good traveler in my little box as I go back and forth to see Dr. Johnson and also to visit a veterinary opthomologist. Dr. Reed is taking over my eye care since Dr. Church moved away. I am very good for my vision checks. No eye charts, but my Tortoise Mom tests my vision using food anyway. All agree I can't see out of my right eye, which is a hazard as I wander around the yard, plus I can't see my food.

So I'm sticking close to my burrow and sleeping a lot after basking a bit each morning. But I enjoyed the great weather on Easter (see photo above). The first time I came out of my winter burrow was for a giant drink of rainwater during a storm on March 8. Glug, glug, then back to sleep again. I know I'm in good hands so I sleep very well!