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Hopefully I did not ruin my life with PRK.....

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  • Hopefully I did not ruin my life with PRK.....

    I remember the good old days....when I would wake up in the morning and not be able to see the clock. Or the days when I ran out of contact solution and had to make a mad dash to Wal-Mart before bed. Or the days when I needed to figure out exactly where I left that damn glasses case.

    The good old days ended for me on February 9th, 2005. That's when I decided to go through with my PRK surgery and rectify those issues which now seem rather trivial to me. I went to a respected doctor in NY for the surgery, one that even my sister had successfully recommended. I kept hearing from others how wonderful LASIK/PRK surgery was, the enhancement to their lives, and why anyone would choose to continue to wear glasses/contacts when other treatments were available.

    Fast forward to 2 1/2 years later. Yes, I have 20/20 vision, which unfortunately is not the only success criteria. I somehow acquired two irritating floaters out of my left eye, that my doctor insists is "coincidence" and is merely a vestige of age (although I was 33 when I had the surgery). I keep reading the experts and my doctor say that floaters can be "forgotten" and are not really a big deal if they are small in size and only show on the rare occassions when you are looking at a white background. Let me tell you first hand, as I am sure anyone with floaters knows, you just don't forget them and they are a big deal. In addition, whether it is called red eye or dry eye, I now have it in spades. The corners of my eyes are red almost 24/7. Yes, there is no pain, but that is a small consolation. Psychologically, to have to deal with family, friends, co-workers constantly saying, "are you tired?" or "did you get enough sleep?" or "what's wrong with your eyes?" is extremely difficult. I've tried a number of treatments for the dry eye. Restasis made things worse, the plugs had little impact, no change out of Omega 3, and now seeking other alternatives. For the floaters, I've been essentially told to shut up and deal with it.

    So Texaseyes, I am with you. I hope I did not ruin my life also. But know one thing that you did help me by sharing your story and getting me to talk about mine. While that may not necessarily help you cope with your pain, it did make a difference to me.

  • #2
    I know it can sound trite but it will only ruin your life if you let it. I have been in the same position for nearly 2 years and am now managing the condition whilst trying to remain positive at the same time.
    This site has been one of the main contributors to that and if you are new to it be assured that there is a wide variety of advice and support which you can tap into. Previously I was a sceptic regarding support groups but after this I will never scoff again. Some of the most helpful and supportive people I have ever met are on these pages and the feeling of not being alone is wonderful after floundering in confusion aand ignorance for some time.
    I am sure that you have tried most things but perhaps lid cleansing and compresses may help?
    Anyway, keep your chin up and remember, if you have a question, no matter how trivial it may seem, ask away.
    Barry

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    • #3
      Hi Dengosra,

      yeah, I remember those good old days as well, and for me they ended on 16 March 2007. There are days when I curse myself for having had EpiLasek, but in general I don't regret it ... not yet. Dry eyes are a problem, and of course I was told by the doctors, but at that time I worried more about blurred vision, halos, etc. Dry eyes sound quite harmless if you never had to deal with them. Now, of course, I think differently, but apparently, four 1/2 months isn't much time in terms of healing.

      There are good days and there are bad days. I can't even say whether my condition is getting worse, because when everything's alright, you don't notice it, it only comes to your mind when it isn't. And, on the other hand, there are thousands of options I haven't tried yet, which gives me hope, although as far as drops are concerned, I feel that they just kinda drain away as soon as I use them.

      By the way, I, too, have 20/20 vision, marvellous, innit? Well, I have no floaters, hey, but it's not the end of the day

      Murphy's law: If anything can go wrong, it will.
      Sod's law: Murphy was a bloody optimist.

      But, to lift up your mood, what I've learned in the past is that it really helps to talk to people who know how you're feeling and from what I've read up to now, people are really nice and understanding here!

      Have a nice day,

      Kate
      Semper in excretio - solum profundum variat.

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