Childhood Fears and Misconceptions about Apollo Eye Disease

Many sicknesses and diseases have hit the world over the years, and each time we find a way to manage or curb them as a nation. Apollo eye disease was one of the most popular diseases during my childhood, loaded with many stories and misconceptions that got us scared, and today I'll love to share my experience with you.

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Before I dive into my experience and speculation about Apollo, it'll be great if we all get to know what Apollo is. It's a disease that affects the eyes in such a way that your eyes will be red, blurry, and unable to withstand much brightness. Aside from that, it's also speculated to be a disease that can be spread from one individual to another by merely staring into the eyes of someone who has the disease. Now, that may not be true, but it's what I grew up believing.

Apollo was so popular that we kids formed different speculations about its whereabouts and where it came from, even without any adult telling us, although it could be that an adult was the one who first said that, but personally, the speculation about it that I hear about was from a teen like me. Some of those stories were so scary and ridiculous at the same time.

Back then, I remember that among me and my childhood friends, we used to discuss how Apollo was a disease that emanated from the moon and that mankind wouldn't have had such a deadly disease had men not decided to explore the space of which the moon is a part. So our belief was that the first man who stepped on the moon was the one who came back with the disease because, at the time, it was alleged that he had bloodshot eyes when he came back to earth.

Like I said, the disease is said to be easily spreadable, and whenever we see someone who has it, we try as much as possible not to stare into their eyes in order not to catch it as well. A long time ago, during my junior secondary school days, I went to school healthy and hearty in the morning and even spent my transport fare with the mindset of walking home after school hour. Unfortunately, things went south.

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Yes, things went south because before I closed my eyes, I realized I was having an inching feeling in my eyes, and before I knew it, I couldn't see clearly any writing on the chalkboard. Not long after, my friends realized I had Apollo, and most of them quickly ditched me in order not to get the disease as well. That was still manageable, but what was scary was that I had to walk 13 kilometers home with blurry eyes in the busy streets of Lagos.

A walking distance that usually takes me about an hour consumed more than 2 hours due to how slow I was walking and how often I stopped along the way to relax my eyes after straining them to see properly. On several occasions while crossing, I was nearly hit by a vehicle driving by but was just fortunate. By the time I got home, my grandmother wasn't even home; I was told she went in search of me because it was usual for me to come home that late.

When she came back and saw the state of my eyes, she was moved with compassion, and then she took me to a pharmacy, where I was admitted with some drugs and an eye drop. From that experience, I learned never to eat up all my money until the school day is over because I don't know what the next minute holds. Although I didn't stop eating my transport money and waking home instead, I learned to wait until closing hour before I did some.

That's about all I have to say about my experience with Apollo Eye Disease. I hope you enjoyed the read and have a wonderful night's rest.