Hi feline,
Thanks for contributing to our forum. Based on what you have described, it sounds like eBay is displaying the HTML version of the description editor by default when you are visiting the Revise your Item page. Assuming this is the case, just click the "Standard" tab along the top of the editor and you should then be able to edit your description without using code.
I hope this helps. If you need any further assistance with your account, please feel free to contact us by mousing over the “Help” tab and selecting the “File Support Case” option.
-Mike