Posts on my Dry Eye Support Group Site
July 25, 2014
Hi everyone. I wanted to post an update about my condition. I had been using hormone replacement therapy (pills) and a testosterone eyelid cream for three months. Well, it didn’t help my dry eyes and the doctor said I could stop. In fact, the eyelid cream burned my eyes all the time. I will soon be getting serum tears and pray they will give me relief.
But yesterday at my appointment, my cornea specialist did something else. She used a fine needle like tool to unclog the oil glands in my upper and lower lids. Then she squeezed my eyelids. It wasn’t pleasant. My eyes were sore after, but I think it did help a little. She said the oil that came out was very thick, too.
I’m still using Restasis, eyelid wipes and hot compress. Those things don’t seem to do much.
The worst thing about this condition for me is depression. I don’t want to live this way for the rest of my life and it gets me down. So I try to stay hopeful and will certainly share how those serum tears work once I get them.
November 29, 2014
Just last week, I had to go off Doxycycline. I was having terrible pain in one leg and it became so bad that for two weeks I could hardly walk at all. I had an MRI and went to a chiropractor, but am convinced it was a side effect from the Doxy. I stopped taking it and the pain went away. It’s one thing to try a remedy and have it not work – another thing to suffer from it. Unfortunately, when I used serum tears – my eyes were much worse. I am not going to list all the remedies I’ve tried, but you are all familiar with them on this site.
Ever look for something and later you realize it was right there in front of you but you didn’t see it? Well that’s the best way I can describe something simple that seems to really help me. I’ve been drinking 10-12 glasses of water everyday.
I haven’t stopped searching. Although my eyes are better, they are not completely “normal.” That is something I always dream of having again someday.
June, 2015
I basically have surrendered to my condition. Stress causes my eyes to worsen, so I strive to keep my environment comfortable. Every day, my goal is to maintain serenity. Recently, I tried a few new remedies for my eyes, but found it discouraging when every single one caused my eyes to worsen.
Even though I have continued to drink water, my eyes still bother me and have worsened again.
I get depressed when I long for the eyes I had in the past. Acceptance and appreciation for what I’m able to do despite this, is where I’ve put my focus. It is not easy, but familiar – it reminds me of how I coped with grief. I have a strong belief that healing is possible. I tell myself on bad days that things will get better.
I never want to give up hope.
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