Kara was leggy and tan, with a long, tawny mane. Her smile was as warm as the summer sun. But, oh, her right eye! Where it should have shone snowy white, my patient’s sclera — the tough, fibrous coating near her iris — glowed neon red.
Plus, something else about Kara’s appearance was not quite right. Despite her slim limbs, her face was puffy and round.
To anyone trained in medicine, the evidence spoke for itself. While battling her angry eye, the 28-year-old fashion designer had downed lots of prednisone. Now her body showed telltale signs of the heavy-duty steroids, including a “moon face,” a layer of fat over the back of her neck, and elevated blood pressure. No matter how they might be helping her, they were also taking a toll. To top it off, her eye still throbbed.
Nonetheless, Kara hadn’t spent two hours on crowded Southern California freeways to bemoan her looks or pain. She scheduled our visit because my longtime colleague — a noted ophthalmologist — was concerned about Kara’s side effects.
