Travel and Dry Eyes (Yes, You Can Even Go to Developing Countries and Survive!)

[tealeaf]

SAAG,
one thing to check with you. After being plugged/cauterized for the past 6 years, have your tear amount stayed relatively the same ?

[tealeaf]

SAAG,
I suppose our eyes are dry and sensitive to register even such little and gradual change.

By the way, I remember you lost one of your plugs while you were in Penang. I have lost mine few days ago too after I rubbed my eye and the overflow just stopped suddenly! How can we be sure the plug came out and not into the tear duct. Did you see the plug?

I notice that whenever I have sore throat, the eyes tend to flare up. Not sure if you experience the same.

I can usually figure it out these days... I just really have to watch out for air quality issues.

[tealeaf]

SAAG,
The haze has reduced quite a fair bit in Singapore and my eyes are less irritated.
Having said that, my eyes are not in a consistent state. At times, they are good for 2 whole weeks and then, they become worse again. I can't seem to figure out what is causing the problem and my routine has stayed the same. Do you experience such?

[Ericska]

Hmmm... that's interesting, I've never heard that. I'd love to hear from whoever said that why a thin layer will build up less than a thick layer... You'd think all that matters is the ointment molecules actually touching the cornea, and that doesn't change whether you have a thick or thin layer as long as you've spread it out well.

I don't think it's the thin or thick that matters, it's the ointment itself. HOwever, I won't stop using it because it's the only thing that helps me at night. It did start to burn my eyes so I started putting one regular drop in each eye and then apply the lacrilube. I'm actually going to try the Ocunox ointment that's within the Hylo family. I'm also going to try your suggestion of square pieces of saran wrap under my eye mask to hold my eyes shut.

Figured I'd add an observation...smog is definitely an issue in many places.

I know many situations far worse than mine but I can't get past the jealousy when I see my friends, colleagues and how "perfect" their eyes are. Stupid I know, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this ..

It's not stupid to do that, it's just being human. But, you can train yourself to stop. Just decide to never compare yourself to anyone who is better off than you (it gets easier with practice!)... comparing yourself to people who are better off is a one-way ticket to being bummed out/depressed etc. Instead, train yourself to only compare yourself to people (fictional or real) who are way worse off then you are - THAT makes it much easier to enjoy what's working in your life.

I was told to only use 1/2cm worth or it will build up on my cornea

Hmmm... that's interesting, I've never heard that. I'd love to hear from whoever said that why a thin layer will build up less than a thick layer... You'd think all that matters is the ointment molecules actually touching the cornea, and that doesn't change whether you have a thick or thin layer as long as you've spread it out well.

[Ericska]

OH my gosh! Thank you for the smiles and laughs about the TV shows and audio books. You are a wealth of hope. I know many situations far worse than mine but I can't get past the jealousy when I see my friends, colleagues and how "perfect" their eyes are. Stupid I know, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this .. I will certainly keep this in mind and it will always make me laugh. Thank you.

I have heard about the saran wrap but didn't think it was actually feasible. It sounded strange but thank you because if I just use an eye mask, my eyes open underneath and it's actually worse. I will now try the saran wrap as well as the eye mask. Going shopping tonight!! I use Lacrilube at night and I used to gob it in my eyes too as you said but it never "stuck" and then I was told to only use 1/2cm worth or it will build up on my cornea so I do this 3-5 times a night. I know what you mean about the little tubes only lasting a couple days. I'm the exact same way and it's all out of pocket. My insurance doesn't cover this or my drops since they are OTC. It's a fortune! But the alternative of sore super dry eyes is not an option.

When I wake up, I do the same. I use my drops to flush out what I can and then when I shower I was the rest off. I still need to use drops every 30 minutes to an hour during the day though. That's what I'm finding tough. My friend came over last night and she had to leave early because I just couldn't last and going out is not an option right now. How do you last the day?

I've recently tried the HYLO eye drops and with this I can last 1 - 2 hours and on a really good day even 3!! Today is a bad day so I barely make the hour but I guess that's the way it is.

Thank you for the response! It's the first smile i have had in a long while.

Thanks so much!

[Ericska]

Hi SAAG, I love your post about enjoying things like ice cream. How simple but true. I've had dry eyes for a long time now but this past summer it took a huge down turn and I have been suffering terribly. Almost quit my job - my social life has come to a halt and I am just trying to figure out what works for me. My insurance doesn't cover any of it because it's non-prescription since I can't tolerate preservatives. I am on Restasis so I hope this will also help a little.

I do many of what you say like "listen" to the TV if I can't watch, I close my eyes while on the computer (as much as possible of course) but it's so depressing. I need to find something for the night time. My eyes open during sleep but since I can't sleep on my back, only my sides, I can't use the goggles and tape doesn't hold.

Anyway, I just wanted to say, thanks for reminding us of the simple things and how important they are.

No worries - your English is just fine

If I ever have a really, really, crazy bad relapse, I expect 2-4 weeks to recover and get back to normal. However, it's been a loooong time since that's happened.
These days, I'll sense things going downhill and know to back off and give me eyes a rest for a few days... that way, things bounce back within days, not weeks.

Odds are you won't go back to square one... the longer you deal with this, the better you get at avoiding that and stopping the downhill slide before it gets that bad. Hang in there - it'll be ok

[dominorose]

Saag I tried to send you a message but it doesnt seem to work on the iphone

Hi Saag,

Ive been reading your posts for a long time now and wanted to contact you because I feel our symptoms are really similar.

I tried to go off doxy while my eyes felt better (100mg x1) and after a month I had a sudden relapse. Apparently you had the same experience? How long did it take for your eyes to get better after taking it again? I'm so scared to go back to square one after 2 months free of horrible pain ...

Sorry for my english I'm french

re: comfort -depends - right now there's a tiny bit of smoke in the air here, so my eyes are dry (no blotting needed now!) - if the air is clear and humid, my eyes feel great.

I'm sure the haze is affecting your eyes, so avoiding the outdoors when it's there is a good idea - smoke in the air is super irritating!

[tealeaf]

SAAG, great post from you ... indeed, is to be thankful that we can still see, can still spend time and take care of our loved ones, etc I still have lots to learn to focus on the things that bring me joy. When the eyes are uncomfortable for consistently few days, my positivity starts to fade off

Do your eyes feel comfortable most of the time? as in whole day, they feel ok?
Mine not consistent, there will be good and bad days within a week. Sometimes, they feel irritated and keep tearing, at times, they feel so comfortable. I still cannot find out what is causing the irritation / discomfort.

I am not sure if haze is the cause of the problem so, trying to stay indoors as much as I can.

Ask you something minor - since you are dabbing the whole day, do you change tissue paper each time you dab or tear it into smaller pieces or use different sides of the same paper? Reason for asking is to nail down what is causing the irritation on my eyes, wonder is it due to the way I handle my tissue paper.

No, will never do that as things stand now. Because while my eyes overflow much of the time, there are other times when I "use up" whatever tears I have and am dry... don't want to make those dry times worse. Plus, from past experience I know that if my puncta are not 100% sealed and there is even the tiniest gap, I feel much more uncomfortable overall.