new member

[lizibet]

hi all

have just found this site and have been browsing for some days now reading all the DE stories and not sure if it is making me feel better or worse!! Have not yet found courage to dive in with my story as it is depressingly familiar. Will carry on reading posts and hope I can feel good enough to add comments/tips etc. but am in a dark place at the moment.

lizibet

[Lisa0825]

((((HUGS)))) I know how you feel. But at least by reading what other people are going through, I was more knowledgeable for when I went to the doc, and I knew I wasn't alone. Plus, there is a "Triumphs" section where people who are doing well have posted their stories. Maybe reading some of those would be helpful for you.

[fed up kate]

lizibet

just wanted to say that i was the exact same when i first joined,i was so happy i found it and everyone on here is great and have helped me loads which you will find out but i also made meself worse by reading the bad stories and worried me more but then i realised that there are so many diferent types of causes and everyone is different so you never know what will happen,but i still dont know what causes mine even after seeing a million eye specialists so if your new to this i would find out on here about specialists in your area that are actually good ones,i wish i did cuz i could saved myself alot of money.
but we are all here to help and when your ready to talk about yours you will feel loads better

[irish eyes]

Hi Lizibet

I will add my voice to Lisa and Kate - you can get discouraged if you read too many negative accounts but there again, it can make you so much better informed.

The internet didn't exist when my condition started; I felt that I must be the only person in the world who was experiencing these horrid debilitating symptoms. I paid fees to a variety of professionals and spent lots of money on various `remedies' - none of which provided any relief at all. What stands out in my memory the most is the dismissive attitude of some NHS doctors who made me feel like a `time waster'. Granted, they were not all like this but I still recall the way that they made me feel at the time. I think we all know what that dark place feels like.

What kinds of things are you using on your eyes at the minute? Are you attending an eye-department or seeing a consultant?

[SallyP]

Hello, and welcome!

This site has helped me no end. It's made me feel better knowing there are others the same, and in fact far worse than me, and I have found out so much useful information, and I know that whatever I ask, it will always be answered, however silly I may have thought the question was.

Sally

[ALK-O'd]

Hi there. First off, ditto on the advice not to get hung up on the overly negative stories here. We all suffer with DTS to varying degrees. Just because one person says they can't go out or enjoy doing the things they used to do anymore doesn't mean you're headed in that direction. Plus, many of the negative comments are written either when a person has had a particularly bad day or perhaps after a treatment failed to provide the results they had high hopes for. Most of us are able to manage our conditions and still lead fairly normal, productive lives by finding the right treatment routines through experimenting. Focus on the positive stories about solutions people have found that help their situation. This is where this website becomes tremendously helpful.

You should also use this site to educate yourself on the various common causes of dry eye and find a good doctor that can at least help you determine the root cause of your condition Finding the cause is the most important step in being able to hone in on proper treatment options.

For example, my doctor was able to show me a magnified digital photo of my clogged Meibo Glands and soapy-like tear reservoir. I clearly have seen with my own eyes that I have MGD. I take Omega 3s, use Restasis, do hot compresses w/ lid massages regularly to help keep the glands clear and sometimes sleep w/ Genteal Gel + moistened Tranquileyes foam goggles for night hydration. All of this is easy to do and relatively low cost. I will admit that here and there after a stretch of doing well, I sometimes begin to slack off on some of my routine and when I do my symptoms will flare up. That is always a reminder that my routine is in fact helping me.

[catlover]

hi all

have just found this site and have been browsing for some days now reading all the DE stories and not sure if it is making me feel better or worse!! Have not yet found courage to dive in with my story as it is depressingly familiar. Will carry on reading posts and hope I can feel good enough to add comments/tips etc. but am in a dark place at the moment.

lizibet

Hi Lizibet, I found this site about 2 months ago when my right eye started twitching and watering like crazy. Even though I've been to the eye dr., I have learned more from this site. And to make you feel better and encourage you, after 2 months of warm compresses, 40 mg doxy, eating stuff good for eyes, taking fish pills, I am having improvement. Today, for example, my eye didn't well up all afternoon. This is huge. I felt like my old self. Let us know how you are doing.