StemCell Therapy

TORONTO Celtics guard Marcus Smart said the eye infections that have sidelined him since Dec. 9 have been hell, and that the condition was so severe there were some concerns he could permanently lose some of his vision.

It was the worst pain that Ive been through in a very long time, Smart said before Wednesdays 118-102 victory over the Raptors, speaking to the media for the first time since he was sidelined. I dont wish it on anybody. But Im here. My eyes feel better.

Smart said doctors initially thought he was having some kind of allergic reaction, but that was ruled out after the issue spread to from his left eye to his right eye, and he was diagnosed with viral conjunctivitis. He said doctors told him it was the worst case they had ever seen.

The greatest concern, Smart said, was that the virus could spread to the back of his corneas, which could possibly cause permanent damage to his vision.

It was painful, it was burning, it was really hard, Smart said. I couldnt see. I had outdoor sunglasses everywhere. Even in the dark, I was wearing sunglasses. It was that bad.

Smart said his eyes were sealed shut with discharge every morning and doctors had to pry the mucus out just so he could open them.

I was bleeding tears every time they did it, for like a day, he said. They did that for about four days straight. The first day was probably the worst, just because it built up so much that it started to scab under my eyelids, and they had to open the scab and then pull it out. It felt like they were putting needles in my eyes.

Smart, whose eyes appeared sleepy Sunday but no longer as puffy as they did earlier this month, said he is still undergoing daily checkups to ensure that there is no issue with his corneas. He is using two kinds of eye drops each day, which is a small sign of progress, because previously he was using three.

He is still adjusting to light he said he could not even watch television initially and that he has lost about six pounds since he contracted the virus. He said if there is a silver lining to this ordeal, its that the time off has allowed his other bumps and bruises to heal.

Smart was scheduled to complete an on-court workout prior to the Celtics game against the Raptors on Wednesday. He said he feels like he is about 80 percent ready to return. He does not expect to play against the Cavaliers on Friday, but could be back soon after that.

Its definitely a process, Smart said. Its an annoying process. But Im just blessed to be able to come back and get through this.

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I dont wish it on anybody: Marcus Smart details pain, severity of his eye infections - Boston.com

This entry was posted on December 30, 2019 at 4:13 am and is filed under Eye Sight & Vision. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |