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Hi everyone.
I was diagnosed with Primary Sjogren's Syndrome 15 years ago and have been treated with the gamut of dry eye solutions, punctal cautery, serum tears, etc. In November of 2014, my doctor at Wills Eye Hospital referred me to the Boston Foundation for Sight, where I spent 2 enlightening weeks with an amazing staff of practitioners who spend every day helping patients to reclaim their lives. I am adjusting to my new divices, which, if you are not familiar are PROSE devices. This stands for prosthetic replacement of the ocular surface eco-system. My only regret is that I did not got to BFS sooner...so much needless suffering and angst could have been prevented. AND, if you do consider this treatment, DO NOT wait till you are on Medicare, as they will not pay anything toward this, whicih means your secondary insurance will not pay either. This leaves the patient owing a considerable amount - $10,000 for the treatment which I know sounds like a lot, but represents their global costs. The BFS is an amazing place with wonderful, caring practitioners who work very hard to fulfill all of the patients needs, right down to feeding the patients breakfast and lunch every day. I learned a lot from other patients while there, who had totally different diseases, some of which I was unaware even existed. I highly recommend to anyone suffering with the daily torture of dry eyes to seek out the BFS or one of their providers. Though they are the ONLY fabricater of these devices (which look like gigantic hard lenses) there are providers in different locations, like Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Bascom Palmer, Long Island Jewish Hospital, Brooke Army Medical Center and more. BFS is a non-profit organization and does not look to "cash in" on patients misery, only to help people get their lives back. I wish I'd known sooner, so I am telling you now that this is a wonderful solution for many people with dry eyes. These devices, filled with sterile saline, bathe the ocular surface all day and can be worn for up to 16 hours. You must learn how to clean and insert them properly and there is an adjustment, but it's very worthwhile. I feel almost "normal" again, and it's been a very long time since I have felt this way.
I was diagnosed with Primary Sjogren's Syndrome 15 years ago and have been treated with the gamut of dry eye solutions, punctal cautery, serum tears, etc. In November of 2014, my doctor at Wills Eye Hospital referred me to the Boston Foundation for Sight, where I spent 2 enlightening weeks with an amazing staff of practitioners who spend every day helping patients to reclaim their lives. I am adjusting to my new divices, which, if you are not familiar are PROSE devices. This stands for prosthetic replacement of the ocular surface eco-system. My only regret is that I did not got to BFS sooner...so much needless suffering and angst could have been prevented. AND, if you do consider this treatment, DO NOT wait till you are on Medicare, as they will not pay anything toward this, whicih means your secondary insurance will not pay either. This leaves the patient owing a considerable amount - $10,000 for the treatment which I know sounds like a lot, but represents their global costs. The BFS is an amazing place with wonderful, caring practitioners who work very hard to fulfill all of the patients needs, right down to feeding the patients breakfast and lunch every day. I learned a lot from other patients while there, who had totally different diseases, some of which I was unaware even existed. I highly recommend to anyone suffering with the daily torture of dry eyes to seek out the BFS or one of their providers. Though they are the ONLY fabricater of these devices (which look like gigantic hard lenses) there are providers in different locations, like Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Bascom Palmer, Long Island Jewish Hospital, Brooke Army Medical Center and more. BFS is a non-profit organization and does not look to "cash in" on patients misery, only to help people get their lives back. I wish I'd known sooner, so I am telling you now that this is a wonderful solution for many people with dry eyes. These devices, filled with sterile saline, bathe the ocular surface all day and can be worn for up to 16 hours. You must learn how to clean and insert them properly and there is an adjustment, but it's very worthwhile. I feel almost "normal" again, and it's been a very long time since I have felt this way.
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