Emotional healing despite deterioration of eyes

[kimby2007]

Hi:

I saw a post about emotional healing in the context of improving eyes. I wanted to garner thoughts on emotional healing in the contxt of worsening eyes. I have had dry eyes for over a year and a half and despite many treatments my eyes have worsened. I currently have a 0 schirmer and 0 tbut. Understandably my eyes always hurt and it has taken a real toll on me emotionally and physically. WIthout going into too much detail I am no longer the same person I was and doubt there is a way back to my old self. I woulod love to hear from people who have not improved or even worse yet worsened like myself.

Kim

[kimby2007]

emotional healing

maybe it is impossible afterall. Not having a good dry eye day.

[jenny2008]

Kim,

Hang in there... I had a really rough day Thursday-I had to leave work after 3 hours as I couldnt' open my left eye-i finally realized late that night my upper plug fell out.. i got it put back in friday before work but it was a reminder of how 'bad 'i am... sucks i know.. its mostly my left eye... when i think back my left eye gave me troubles years ago... i just didnt know..

hang in there. i hope the day gets better for u.... just remember tomorrow is a new day..there is always hope-like u once told me..

[irish eyes]

Hi Kim

I can tell you have had a rough time recently. I'm having a bit of a horrid day today too and I am so glad that I didn't have to go into work because I would have found things very hard.

Jenny is right - let's hope that tomorrow will be better. You have provided many of us with the inspiration to keep going.

[LasikLady]

I think it is possible

I believe you can get to a place of peace and acceptance, but I think it takes time and in some cases, medication. If you cannot find this place on your own I would encourage you to get help with therapy and perhaps a good antidepressant. Nobody deserves to suffer without help and relief. And nobody has to.

It is also important to remember there will be good days as well. Sometimes it's "good weeks" and those are really something to look forward to.

When my eyes were at their hideous worse, I would try to find little things every day that could make me feel happiness. Sounds cheesy I know. But what is the alterative? Attitude can really make a difference but I think it's something you must practice. And I sure am no authority on this, but I do think if it can be mastered it can help. There are always others worse off and everyone can usually find something to be grateful for.

I believe in time you can find that emotional healing even if your eyes don't follow suit. You can reach peace and acceptance and the inner turmoil can dissipate. That frees you to concentrate on getting your symptoms under control most days and finding the things in life worth going on for.

Good luck, you are in my prayers.

[lboogie]

Hi Kim,
I understand how you're feeling. Imagine having the added guilt and remorse of lasik! No matter how we've come to our dry eyes -- it still sucks. I just turned 30 and should be bouncing of the walls with happiness, I have a great job, great boyfriend, family, you name it. BUT 11 months ago I chose to have lasik, and it's been a terrible journey since then.

I too feel like I am not the same person. Not the vibrant, atheletic, motivated person I was. But I am willing myself back there -- and I think that is important. Try little things that make you feel like your old self. For me it would be a rigorous workout, a long jog, tackling house projects. I left a lot of that behind during this dark emtional time, but I'm trying to get back there.......trying/ even when it doesn't always work.

I'm also going to start an 8 week meditation course soon. Something like that might be helpful to train you mind on the "present." I KNOW I need some help there, b/c it's far too easy to dwell on the past and the unknown future.

Hang in there --

[stella]

Hi Kim
I would like to say that i have improved and i think my improvement came in part because i accepted my condition
I refuse to obsess about it and have settled for less than perfect
If people ask how my eyes are now - and that includes ophthalmos - I always say that my blepharitis is "under control" which it is - but i doubt if my eyes will ever be normal again
Having said that - I have definately improved, so i can live a pretty normal life now
Having expectations of complete healing for this condition ,in my view is unrealistic, and causes all kinds of psychological problems due to frustration and anger
If you can have a goal to get it down to a manageable level and stop stiving for perfection - i think therein lies peace

[bostonlover]

Hi Kim
I would like to say that i have improved and i think my improvement came in part because i accepted my condition
I refuse to obsess about it and have settled for less than perfect
If people ask how my eyes are now - and that includes ophthalmos - I always say that my blepharitis is "under control" which it is - but i doubt if my eyes will ever be normal again
Having said that - I have definately improved, so i can live a pretty normal life now
Having expectations of complete healing for this condition ,in my view is unrealistic, and causes all kinds of psychological problems due to frustration and anger
If you can have a goal to get it down to a manageable level and stop stiving for perfection - i think therein lies peace

I had Lasik about 2 1/2 years ago and I double second everything Stella just said! I still have a lot of hassle with my eyes, but they are manageable so I try not to dwell on thinking about a cure. I live my life very normally (unless you think wearing onion goggles to work on my computer or watch TV is abnormal ) I have just learned to accept that I have a chronic condition that has to be managed. My Mother has fibromayalsia that she has to deal with and manage and it can be quite painful at times. I've just learned I think that in life most of us will deal with something like this.

[stella]

I've just come home with a new very expensive pair of designer specs
They really are so cool !
They are square and sort of bronze with a diamante sparkle feature on each leg ,and i feel a sooo good in them
They are my husbands birthday present to me
Now there is therapy - find yourself some really classy glasses and flaunt them
Now i dont care about my crappy eyes 'cos i look so good in these glasses
Sarah Palin eat your heart out !!
If I did digital photography i would send a picture
That will be my next project - a digital camera
Who cares about this credit crunch !!!

[HOSADOS]

my experience

hi more sympathetic I can't be. I to have zero schrimer scorte in both eyes, and very very low TBUT, I have MGD and Blepharitis since I could remember myself. I don't know what you experience but I also exprerience a physical pain originate from my eyes spreading through my whole body. This helped me a lot way before I started all the 4 steps illustrated below.

if you search older post of mine or go the depression pain forum you might find my posts on that issue. on the physical and emotion pain, after trying almost everyting -drugs, medical treatments and alternative medicine and treatments, the only things that really helped me was Vipassana meditation.

Although I'm still suffering, over the last few months I saw a significant improvment due to the following steps:

1) rigorous hygiene with Lidcare, hot compress and squeezing meibomian glands for oil expression in a way that I think is similar to what Dr. Latkany describes in his book. This was in particular effective with treating my Blepharitis and MGD

2) The wonderful Dr. Holly's drops. In particular, I found Freshkote very effective and I use it exclusively together with Nutratear and Dakriana (which is not availble for quite some times for some mysterious reasons)
This is very good with treating my Dry Eyes and keeping it wet.

I also use Tears Again Advance Liposome Spray (Clarymist in the u.k) for my MGD, to improve the quality of the lipid oil

3) During the night and sometimes during the day I found TranquilEye (see in the dry eye shop) very effective, it also keep my eyes shut at night which was another problem for me, and that made my life much more tolerable

4) other things that should help are: use a humidifier, wrap-around glasses like 7eye (pantOpx,Wiley, etc)

**5) Finally, I am now looking into scleral lenses as a last resort since although I'm doing better I am still have more to go...I hope this would solve my problem on a much broader extent


--> Feel free to PM for more details or if you have any questions. I beleive I could have some understanding to your suffering as I had and still have my share for many many years and I could say I never had a life....so learning to accept the reality as it is, is a essential and this exactly what I've learned in practicing Vipassana and that is to say not as an idea but in a much deeper level, that made a huge different on how I perceive my life and my situation, and how I deal with.

This is a long and hard fight and must be attacked from different aspects in order to win.

I wish you all the best and I hope this help.

Hi:

I saw a post about emotional healing in the context of improving eyes. I wanted to garner thoughts on emotional healing in the contxt of worsening eyes. I have had dry eyes for over a year and a half and despite many treatments my eyes have worsened. I currently have a 0 schirmer and 0 tbut. Understandably my eyes always hurt and it has taken a real toll on me emotionally and physically. WIthout going into too much detail I am no longer the same person I was and doubt there is a way back to my old self. I woulod love to hear from people who have not improved or even worse yet worsened like myself.

Kim