I am going to graduate school!!

[MyDryEyes]

Hi All,

It has been more than awhile since I last posted.

I thought I would share the good news that despite my dry eyes, I have moved forward with my life and have recently been admitted to graduate school! Yay!

I am approaching my 3-year anniversary since laser surgery (PRK). This is when I began suffering from horribly dry eyes that were so painful. I became severely depressed and I thought my life was over. But, for those of you new to this condition, regardless of how you got it, please know that it gets better!! Even if it doesn’t go away, you learn to manage and re-adjust. Just hang in there!!

Some of you will gag when I say this, but there are a lot of things that I like better about my life with dry eyes. Definitely not the pain or the goggles or the endless maintenance and routine. What I like is that I have learned so much about myself, that I am strong in the face of despair and that this website is SO AWESOME. The Dry Eye Zone and the people I have met through it quite literally saved my life. For that I am grateful. I can quite honestly say that some of the best friends I currently have are people from this website!! And I suspect that they are friends for life. And thanks so much to Rebecca Petris for the amazing resources and help that she provides to people!

So, even though my eyes are still pretty rough most of the time, I decided I needed to move on with my life and do something that proves I am still able to live a pretty normal life. For me that next step is graduate school.

Now, there are definitely things I am nervous about. I am concerned about how my eyes will do with all the reading, writing papers and research. But I am determined to be resourceful and figure it out. P.S. If there is anybody out there with dry eyes that went to school with the condition, please send me your tips!!

This is definitely not good-bye – I will be around. Hey, I still have dry eyes!!

Cheers,

MDE

[Lucy]

MDE--Such a wonderful post! Thank you for letting us know of your accomplishment(s). This must have taken an extraordinaty amount of gutts and courage for you to finish! Hopefully your eyes will get better some day as most do.

Please stay around and pop in when you can. Again, congrats on graduation.
Lucy

[lboogie]

MDE is a wonderful friend to me......... Here, here -- I am proud and soooo happy for you. In fact, I too am considering a similar move toward grad school, and I have you for inspiration.

[liz56]

Thanks for the great news!

When I was in grad school, I was not diagnosed with dry eye. It was hard to do all of the reading, and I'm so glad that you know you have it going in. What felt like "tired eyes" was probably something that I could have helped doing some things I do now. So, it sounds like you are already ahead of the game.

Best wishes as you begin your program!

--Liz

[willwork4tears]

I, like Liz, didn't know the severity of my dry eye condition (or the underlying cause) until after grad school. At least you know and can manage the disease from the very beginning. Good luck! I'm sure you'll do just fine.

[Teri]

MDE-

Congratulations! I am so proud of you and the progress you have made. I remember your early posts and PMs, and you have grown and healed so much from those dark days.

I know you've wanted this graduate program for so long, and I'm so happy that you're doing it!

Bravo!
Teri

[mary kenny badami]

MDE --

You and your "dry eye buddy" lboogie have been remarkably loyal and strong in supporting one another through some rough times.
I am so proud of you for having taken the next step into the rest of your life, MDE.
And special thanks for letting us know that you are now ready to do so with such a positive attitude.

HOORAY!

[Lucy]

My above post was written as though you GRADUATED. I just reread the posts and noticed my mistake.

Same congrats though! Great thing to attempt--go get em. Lucy

[Arj]

Congratulations on getting in. I have no idea what the equivalent is in my country but it sounds good. What are you studying anyway?

I find that reading and completing assessments isn't too bad, as long as its paper based and not on the computer. Also watch out for air conditioning in classrooms, lecture theatres and libraries. I find this to be the main hurdle for and as such I don't spend alot of time on campus anymore.

It is also a mental boost now that you've got something to go to. Its a sign that NO, YOUR LIFE ISN'T OVER and that you can still go out and complete your goals.

Take care

[odydnas]

Congratulations!!!!! I am in the same boat as you...sent you a PM!

[Guest]

Congratulations! I wish you all the best!

[MyDryEyes]

Thank you!!!

Thank you all so much for the support!! The encouragement and support on this board is overwhelming and much needed. I am happy to see (no pun intended) so many others that are doing a master's degree with dry eyes. I am nervous about it, but also really happy to be moving forward. I figure if I can work 40+ hours a week at a very stressful job, that graduate school won't be to much worse?? And, I will be quitting my job to go to school, so I won't have to manage both. I figure with my eye problems it would be physically impossible to do both!!

[Arj]

And, I will be quitting my job to go to school, so I won't have to manage both. I figure with my eye problems it would be physically impossible to do both!!

Don't fret about it, I reckon most people would find it very hard to full time work and a masters degree at the same time.

Good luck with it all
Arj