A WOMAN who woke up with an unusual ‘eye bag’ on holiday was told by doctors she had an unknown infection and couldn’t fly home.
Phoenix McPike was just two days into her holiday in Greece with a friend when she noticed a “heavy eye bag” had formed under her eye.
Phoenix McPike was on holiday in Greece when she noticed a strange eye bag on her face Credit: Jam Press/@phoenixmcpike_
She initially brushed it off, but when she woke up the next morning she was shocked to discover it was swollen Credit: Jam Press/@phoenixmcpike_
The drama student thought she was just tired, but when she woke up the next day it had swollen dramatically and she was struggling to see out of it.
A local pharmacy told Phoenix to rush to hospital, fearing she had experienced an allergic reaction from a mosquito bite.
But there, doctors said it wasn’t an allergic reaction but rather some sort of infection.
Doctors struggled to identify what the infection was and told Phoenix she wasn’t allowed to fly home until she recovered.
The drama student went to visit a local pharmacy for advice and they told her to go straight to hospital Credit: Jam Press/@phoenixmcpike_
The pharmacy initially thought Phoenix could be having an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite Credit: Jam Press/@phoenixmcpike_
Speaking about the experience, Phoenix, from Diss, Norfolk, said: “I was devastated. My friend was unable to stay in Greece, so I was very worried about being alone.
“It was nerve-wracking to be essentially stranded in an unfamiliar country – especially as it was my first time in Greece.”
Luckily, her partner was able to fly out and care for her throughout the extended stay.
As well as the strange eye bag, Phoenix also had red patches and swelling on her face.
She said: “I didn’t think much of it. I thought it could’ve been sun poisoning initially, but I felt well within myself and wasn’t concerned.
“I went to and the next morning noticed that I couldn’t see very well out of my left eye, so went to look in the bathroom mirror when I noticed it was severely swollen and was almost closed.
“I went to hotel staff to see if they had a medical team onsite and they were visibly concerned and told me to go to a pharmacy.”
From there, the ordeal progressed and Phoenix headed to hospital.
Doctors said it wasn’t an allergic reaction, it was an infection, but they couldn’t identify what caused it Credit: Jam Press/@phoenixmcpike_
Doctors also weren’t sure what the exact type of Phoenix’s infection was Credit: Jam Press/@phoenixmcpike_
Despite three steroid IVs and rounds of antihistamines, doctors were baffled by what triggered the infection.
They told her that she had a cheek, jaw, ear, chest, lip, sinus and lymph node infection.
After making a about her ordeal, Phoenix said many people believed her eyelash extensions were the cause of the infection.
But she added that “I don’t believe this and neither did the doctors.”
She explained that she removed her eyelash extensions and the infection continued to progress, with still only one eye affected.
Thankfully, Phoenix finally got the all-clear from doctors and was able to return home on June 14 – nine days after being admitted to hospital and five days later than planned.
Phoenix had to stay in Greece for five days longer than she intended due to the infection Credit: Jam Press/@phoenixmcpike_
She finally returned home on June 14 and is now fully recovered Credit: Jam Press/@phoenixmcpike_
She says she has recovered well and is now “fully healed”.
Phoenix, who had travel , added: “When I finally got the all-clear to fly, I was ecstatic.
“My face literally lit up with relief, as being in limbo and not knowing when I’d be cleared was one of the scariest parts of the ordeal.
“I’m gutted I missed so much of my holiday, but also very grateful that I was able to access medical care, and not have to worry about the costs that came with being treated.
“I will definitely visit Greece again – it’s a beautiful country and I don’t see what happened to me as being tied to having gone to Greece.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
