I wouldn't be able to handle it

[kimby2007]

A very nice gentleman at the office I work for, they know my eye history, came up to me and said he gave me credit for dealing with what I deal with. He said he couldn't handle it if it was him. It made me happy but sad at the same time. Just my two cents worth.

K

[autumnn]

I had something similar happen...the receptionist at my optometrist's office said that every time her eyes hurt a little bit she thinks of me and how bad mine hurt- then she doesn't feel so bad. She wondered how I handle it. I don't think she meant to hurt my feelings but the comment really made me feel worse.

[kitty]

I had something similar happen...the receptionist at my optometrist's office said that every time her eyes hurt a little bit she thinks of me and how bad mine hurt- then she doesn't feel so bad. She wondered how I handle it. I don't think she meant to hurt my feelings but the comment really made me feel worse.

Actually, I would appreciate the acknowledgment. Whenever I go to my eye doctor, uh, my now former eye doctor, I just got told "Your eyes are not that bad". Most of the world does not begin to comprehend how much pain I live with day to day.

[SallyP]

You all make me feel very humble. My eyes are only bad after about 7pm in the evening and first thing in the morning, and believe me, I know how lucky I am, reading that most of you have to deal with it all day.

[vicki1778]

I really get disgusted with myself sometimes (a lot) because this dry eye thing bothers me so much, but then I think of my neighbor who had poor sight due to retinopathy and now she has lost more sight due to this diabetic condition and can't read anything -- needs lots of help with everything. Yet she doesn't worry or complain about it, just feels it's a nuisance type of thing. I'd be climbing the walls if that happened to me. I wish I could take this more in my stride. They say there are ten million people in the US with this condition, yet I don't know of a single person with it! Also, I would like to join a support group, but even though I live in a fairly large city, there isn't a single support group for dry eye. Thank goodness for this website!

[vicki1778]

It's strange how this affects different people. The only relief I feel comes when it gets dark. When I'm lying in bed at night in the dark, my eyes feel perfectly normal! They feel normal also in the morning up until about 9 A.M., and then I am very uncomfortable all day. Thank goodness I'm retired. I don't know what I'd do if I were still working. I'm a retired executive secretary. Yes, I am under a doctor's care and have tried everything. Not long ago I posted on the merits of punctal plugs, and shortly thereafter, the discomfort (that's putting it mildly) started up again! Hopefully, someone can come up with something to help me. I guess most of this is due to light sensitivity. That's the only thing I can figure out. My doctor said I have a condition of the corneas that prevents the proper flow of tears. This all started right after a cataract surgery to one eye.