A viral TikTok video has shed light on a shocking mix-up that left a Florida woman in a state of panic.
Brianne Shipley was half-asleep when she mistakenly used nail glue instead of her prescribed eye drops. The harrowing experience sent her to the hospital with agonizing pain.
It all started on Halloween night, October 31, when the mother received a reminder from her Amazon Alexa to apply her medicated eye drops.
Highlights
- Brianne Shipley accidentally used nail glue instead of eye drops in a sleepy mix-up.
- Her screams for help woke her 17-year-old son, who assisted her until she reached the hospital.
- “That drive to the hospital was the worst pain—it was just burning, on fire, it felt like rocks in my eye," she said.
- Doctors removed hardened glue shards and examined her eye for tears and abrasions.
A simple task became a nightmare for Brianne Shipley due to a grave mix-up on Halloween night
Image credits: breezybre416
Image credits: breezybre416
The central Florida resident was prescribed the medication after a recent bacterial infection and noted that she was a first-time eye drop user.
She had diligently kept the small bottle of eye drops on her nightstand so she could apply it every few hours. But in her groggy state, she accidentally reached out for the wrong bottle.
"After I got the notification, I blindly reached over, grabbed the bottle, opened my eye with one hand and put the drops in," she told People.
Half-asleep and unaware, the Florida woman grabbed what she thought was her medicated eye drops—only to realize too late it was nail glue
Image credits: breezybre416
"As the drop was falling I realized the consistency of the plastic bottle felt wrong. As soon as it hit my eye, I started screaming,” she continued.
Panic quickly set in as Brianne realized it was nail glue—used for arts and crafts—that she had applied in her eyes.
Her screams jolted her 17-year-old son awake, who rushed in to help. Meanwhile, Brianne yelled, “Siri, call 911!” in desperation.
After realizing her mistake, the mother’s screams woke her 17-year-old son, who sprang into action to help
Image credits: breezybre416
After a quick online search, her son instructed her to flush her eye with water, which provided some relief and helped open her "shut" eye.
"That first 10 minutes was just huge panic — I didn't know what was going to happen," she told the outlet.
"Flushing it with water did provide a little relief and did release the eye — it had initially been glued shut," she added.
The car ride to the hospital was a blur of pain, as she said: "That drive to the hospital was the worst pain—it was just burning, on fire, it felt like rocks in my eye.”
"I was so embarrassed when I got to the hospital but the doctor told me this happens a lot more than you think," she said
Upon arrival, medical staff swiftly took her into an exam room, where doctors assessed the damage. They numbed her eye, examined it for tears and abrasions, and managed to remove the hardened glue shards.
"The acid in the nail glue had altered the pH level of my eye, so they had to get all that out," the patient shared. "That flush took 30 to 45 minutes."
Despite the initial embarrassment of her mishap, the woman’s experience served as a vital warning for others.
"I was so embarrassed when I got to the hospital but the doctor told me this happens a lot more than you think," she said.
Brianne decided to share her story online so people understand the importance of keeping their medical supplies properly organized
She also said she was determined to raise awareness about such incidents. Hence, she took to TikTok to share her story, emphasizing the importance of keeping medical products organized and separate from everyday items.
"I knew I would be embarrassed and there would be stupid comments, but it was more about letting people know: keep this stuff separate," she told the outlet. "I was a first time eye drop user so I didn’t think about it but now, I keep all my medications separate."