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I've had dry eye in only the left eye since facial surgery after a fall (sleepwalking IS dangerous!) in 2012. I have been hesitant to post in this thread because I didn't want to tempt fate, and I'm not 100% healed by any means. But I've come to a point where I DO often feel normal, and I've found sometimes I actually feel "happy", which is enormous accomplishment for someone with chronic depression and all kinds of medical issues... And for someone who was on the verge of getting an eye sewn shut permanently just for the relief of the pain. So I think it is time for me to finally add a post here.
My adventures are really well document among various threads here, so I won't go into the gory details, but here are the highlights:
The doctors think that the nerves that signal my lacrimal gland to produce tears were severed or damaged. My schirmers is 0 with numbing drops, 2 without. Emotional tears actually work fine, strangely enough. My lower lid has little muscle tone, and drooped. The surgeon did a lower lid lift (ugh worst surgery experience ever - I was awake and it wasn't numbed while being cut!!!). He also cauterized my upper and lower puncta. I think both were very necessary, although gave me barely any relief at the time (because no tears still = no tears. and drops are just NOT tears).
After years of trial and error, including everything from trying every drop known to man, to trying a tens unit and acupuncture, to making my own homemade devices when stuff on the market was not just good enough to live with, i feel like I'm on a definite upswing. I forget about my eye a lot. Meaning it doesn't distract me from everything I do. And it isn't in excruciating pain anymore. It still doesn't tear. But any annoying sensations I have are of coolness in the outer sclera, which is just annoying. And this summer that has been very minimal. I haven't worn a moisture chamber since I got my latest lens (which was just as it started to get warmer in spring). I can't go without a scleral lens in or patch on for any amount of time. But with those options, I can go all day - even outside.
Here is what is working for me the best. ALL of these things are absolutely "can't live without":
Scleral Lens (LaserFit). I prefer a non-symetrical custom fitted one with vision correction, but do have a second larger symmetrical one I may try more in winter. I wear all day every day, and take out only when I sleep or shower.
Nexcare Knee and Elbow Absolute Waterproof bandages. I use these as sealed nighttime bandages. They make a nice rounded air pocket over my eye, and I wet the pad with sterile saline every night to make a fresh steamy cup for my eye to stew in each night.
Blink Contacts drops. I use these over my sclerals. I try to remember to do it every 20-30 minutes, to make sure my scleras never dry out. But admittedly I forget a lot and get sloppy about it. Especially when I'm doing so well.
Humidity. In summer, this is just in the air. In the winter I assume I'll struggle a lot more and have to run humidifiers on full strength 24-7 just in an effort to keep the house above 35%. Still working on this one. Spray bottles, and non-electric humidifiers and bowls of water in front of space heaters help. As does time in baths. I'm also highly considering snowbirding or moving to a nicer climate (I live in Wisconsin) to avoid the dry months. I had a whole house auto-fill humidifier, but it started to leak and they don't make them anymore (because eventually they leak and that is a liability). So I may hack together some inventions next winter again
. I worry about winter. Although not nearly as much as when I was in pain, or saw the condition of my eye degrading over time (before discovering a scleral and other fully sealed patches). But I've always hated winter, and I still dread it.
Moisture Chamber. I'm not using any now, but I think in winter I may need to use them over my lens, when not in public, to avoid the cooling sensation. I have found making my own out of dura-lar, sometimes with nexcare bandages, is far superior to using commercial ones. Homemade ones have a much better seal, and can be worn under my sunglasses. Plus they are cheap and easy to sanitize/wash.
Plugs or cauterization (I get plugs if my cauterization opens up, but it's been good for a while now so hopefully I'm done with those).
Here are things I wouldn't want to live without, but could if I had to:
Scleral lens in the other eye. I think it does make the 2 eyes feel similar, which helps with remaining discomfort in the left eye. And a regular soft lens was a real pita for me with no astigmatism correction, so the scleral is just worlds better. But I do feel guilty for getting it (they aren't cheap), and changed my mind a few times before I did because of the cost.
Warm house. I've been trying to acclimate us to a warmer climate by greatly reducing the amount of air conditioner we use. I try to keep us between 72 and 78 now (verses before was 70-72). I'm excited how well my eye has done this whole season so far. I think this really helps.
See through eye patch (Erickson Labs). When I couldn't wear my lens for some reason, and I needed to go in public, this worked great over a moisture chamber. Invites fewer questions from passers-by, and gave me a lot more confidence. I haven't worn it since I've gotten my new lens, but I'm glad to have it around.
Things I hope for in the future:
I'd like to try serum drops. Blink drops are very helpful, but being able to put something on there that is a bit thicker/oilier and doesn't evaporate as quickly sounds interesting.
I'm hopeful they will come out with an electronic device to stimulate the lacrimal gland. I'm excite to read that research has just started on this.
I'm hoping that someday there will be new technologies that can help stimulate nerve regrowth, so my eye can heal permanently
I want to move to someplace more humid, at least for the most miserable winter months. I'm loving spending every day outside right now, more than I could even explain. I want to feel this way all year.
My adventures are really well document among various threads here, so I won't go into the gory details, but here are the highlights:
The doctors think that the nerves that signal my lacrimal gland to produce tears were severed or damaged. My schirmers is 0 with numbing drops, 2 without. Emotional tears actually work fine, strangely enough. My lower lid has little muscle tone, and drooped. The surgeon did a lower lid lift (ugh worst surgery experience ever - I was awake and it wasn't numbed while being cut!!!). He also cauterized my upper and lower puncta. I think both were very necessary, although gave me barely any relief at the time (because no tears still = no tears. and drops are just NOT tears).
After years of trial and error, including everything from trying every drop known to man, to trying a tens unit and acupuncture, to making my own homemade devices when stuff on the market was not just good enough to live with, i feel like I'm on a definite upswing. I forget about my eye a lot. Meaning it doesn't distract me from everything I do. And it isn't in excruciating pain anymore. It still doesn't tear. But any annoying sensations I have are of coolness in the outer sclera, which is just annoying. And this summer that has been very minimal. I haven't worn a moisture chamber since I got my latest lens (which was just as it started to get warmer in spring). I can't go without a scleral lens in or patch on for any amount of time. But with those options, I can go all day - even outside.
Here is what is working for me the best. ALL of these things are absolutely "can't live without":
Scleral Lens (LaserFit). I prefer a non-symetrical custom fitted one with vision correction, but do have a second larger symmetrical one I may try more in winter. I wear all day every day, and take out only when I sleep or shower.
Nexcare Knee and Elbow Absolute Waterproof bandages. I use these as sealed nighttime bandages. They make a nice rounded air pocket over my eye, and I wet the pad with sterile saline every night to make a fresh steamy cup for my eye to stew in each night.
Blink Contacts drops. I use these over my sclerals. I try to remember to do it every 20-30 minutes, to make sure my scleras never dry out. But admittedly I forget a lot and get sloppy about it. Especially when I'm doing so well.
Humidity. In summer, this is just in the air. In the winter I assume I'll struggle a lot more and have to run humidifiers on full strength 24-7 just in an effort to keep the house above 35%. Still working on this one. Spray bottles, and non-electric humidifiers and bowls of water in front of space heaters help. As does time in baths. I'm also highly considering snowbirding or moving to a nicer climate (I live in Wisconsin) to avoid the dry months. I had a whole house auto-fill humidifier, but it started to leak and they don't make them anymore (because eventually they leak and that is a liability). So I may hack together some inventions next winter again
. I worry about winter. Although not nearly as much as when I was in pain, or saw the condition of my eye degrading over time (before discovering a scleral and other fully sealed patches). But I've always hated winter, and I still dread it.Moisture Chamber. I'm not using any now, but I think in winter I may need to use them over my lens, when not in public, to avoid the cooling sensation. I have found making my own out of dura-lar, sometimes with nexcare bandages, is far superior to using commercial ones. Homemade ones have a much better seal, and can be worn under my sunglasses. Plus they are cheap and easy to sanitize/wash.
Plugs or cauterization (I get plugs if my cauterization opens up, but it's been good for a while now so hopefully I'm done with those).
Here are things I wouldn't want to live without, but could if I had to:
Scleral lens in the other eye. I think it does make the 2 eyes feel similar, which helps with remaining discomfort in the left eye. And a regular soft lens was a real pita for me with no astigmatism correction, so the scleral is just worlds better. But I do feel guilty for getting it (they aren't cheap), and changed my mind a few times before I did because of the cost.
Warm house. I've been trying to acclimate us to a warmer climate by greatly reducing the amount of air conditioner we use. I try to keep us between 72 and 78 now (verses before was 70-72). I'm excited how well my eye has done this whole season so far. I think this really helps.
See through eye patch (Erickson Labs). When I couldn't wear my lens for some reason, and I needed to go in public, this worked great over a moisture chamber. Invites fewer questions from passers-by, and gave me a lot more confidence. I haven't worn it since I've gotten my new lens, but I'm glad to have it around.
Things I hope for in the future:
I'd like to try serum drops. Blink drops are very helpful, but being able to put something on there that is a bit thicker/oilier and doesn't evaporate as quickly sounds interesting.
I'm hopeful they will come out with an electronic device to stimulate the lacrimal gland. I'm excite to read that research has just started on this.
I'm hoping that someday there will be new technologies that can help stimulate nerve regrowth, so my eye can heal permanently
I want to move to someplace more humid, at least for the most miserable winter months. I'm loving spending every day outside right now, more than I could even explain. I want to feel this way all year.
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