To work or not....?

[Mellie]

I was wondering if anyone else here has had to stop working completely or change professions due to their dry eye condition? Until May of this year I was working 12 hour shifts as a switchboard operator, which involved looking at a computer those 12 hours. I don't have vision in my right eye as it is, due to a childhood cancer, and after having radiation on my left eye....well, my tear ducts do not function at all now. You know the drill-drops all the time, blurry vision, etc. I had to stop working. I've been doing the hurry up and wait game with the disability insurance company. I'd like to go back to work if I can-at something. It's just a matter of what-everything seems to require staring! So....just wondering if anyone else is going thru this and how they are dealing with it. Thanks!

[kitty]

I have not had to stop working, but I have modified how I work, like having the vents blow air away from me rather than at me, using an anti-glare screen on my computer and putting a humidifier next to my workspace. Have you tried goggles? Have you considered scleral lenses?

[Mellie]

Thanks for the reply Kitty.If I am able to go back to something computer related, I'll definitely try what you do. I use an anti-glare filter at home the little I'm on the computer and have enlarged everything as much as possible. I haven't tried the goggles yet, as I would need prescription ones, but I'm keeping the Panoptx ones in mind for when cost isn't so much of an issue. And I sent an email to my doctors asking about scleral lenses-they sound like they could be a godsend!