Daily Check-In

[Mcgoldilocks]

Second doctor appointment to discuss corneal erosions

I went back to my doctor on Tuesday to say that despite following her advice to carry on using lacrilube every night and "be careful in dry atmospheres and on planes" I was still having bad mornings waking up in extreme pain. This time I came armed with a print-out of what I thought was the problem, namely corneal erosions.

http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40025337/

She said 'oh no, I don't think it's that, your eye would be very red and painful.' I replied that on the mornings when it happened, it was extremely red and agonisingly painful. She had a quick look at the print out and said 'hmm no this all looks a bit drastic... a bandage on your eye ha ha ha!'. I said 'but I've actually already had that treatment, I was off work for a week with a bandage over my eye after the ophthamologist scraped my cornea off with tweezers.' 'Oh,' she said.

I had told her this all already, of course.

Then she said she'll make me an appointment with a specialist and prescribed me some topical diclofenac for the pain if it happens again until then.

Christmas and my birthday has rolled into one and come early! At least now I feel more confident that if it happens again, hopefully this will help with the pain enough so that I can get myself to hospital instead of lying on my front in bed clutching a cold flannel hyperventilating. I'm slightly concerned about what I've read on diclofenac so far (the words 'corneal meltdown' are particularly uninspiring) but at least it's something. Here is the article if anyone is interested -
http://archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/con...20/1/51?ck=nck

Until the appointment, I've got myself a UK version of a 'rice baggy' - a lavendar and wheat velvet eye cushion which feels like heaven and I'm carrying on with taping down my eyes and drinking lots of water.

http://www.ease-pain.com/wheatbags/eye.html

[stella]

Hi Mc Goldilocks
Greetings from a fellow citizen of GB
Sympathies on how clueless GPs can be concerning DE -and in your case recurrent corneal errotions
I once asked Dr Latkany about the use of diclofenac eye drops for eye pain ---- You will find his reply in Q & A's p5 second post from the bottom
You sound like you are coping remarkably well all things considered
All the best

[Delilah]

My Surgery

Hello everyone, sorry it's been so long that I've posted. Last Friday I had my sinus surgery with septoplasty and turbinectomy, they fixed my crooked septum and took some turbinates out that were enlarged, they also removed two bones blocking my airways and mass tissue as well. The pain hasn't been that bad and Im hoping that this will definately help my breathing, smelling, less ear and sinus infections and maybe it will even help my eyes? I only had drainage for about 8 hours, now it's been a week and Im just sore on the left nostril, Im going back to work today and I feel pretty good I also bought a treadmill yesterday and Im on a path to getting healthy this year. I still have the stringy mucus in my eyes but it hasn't been that bad, hopefully it will go away someday and so will my dry eyes. Hope everyone is doing good. Thanks for always being here for me. Your Buddy Delilah

[dianat]

Hey there, Delilah...

Good to hear from you. Wow, it certainly seems like now is the time to take on a healthy approach to your lifestyle. Sounds like you unloaded some real baggage. This might be too personal, but have you quite smoking entirely? I know what a struggle this is and don't mean to apply any additional pressure.

Hope things continue to go well for you. Best of luck...

Diana

[liz56]

Delilah,

I'm so happy to hear that your surgery went well! May you have lots of healing and comfort this year!

--Liz

[Delilah]

Thankyou Everyone!!

I really do appreciate all of you so much, I have no clue what I would do without all of you. Hopefully when the next meeting is I can make it to meet all of you in person. I am still recovering from my surgery, the day's are getting better, my eyes are not But it will take about a month for it to really start showing the results. To be honest I smoke here and there, I can't lie, sorry Diana lol, okay you can kick my butt and I give you permission to scold the hell out of me. I quit for 9 days then smoke, quit for 11 days then smoke, I now only smoke when I go out on the weekends with friends, I know it's no excuse.

But I have bought a brand new treadmill, it's sitting in my living room and I've been on that thing non-stop since I got it, I work out an hour a day, sometimes 2 times a day and I've lost 5 pounds in one week Besides all of that I am going for my 5th time on taking my social work board exams, it sucks and Im sick of having a degree I can't use, my job now is laying us off next week as we are temps and the project will end. I have been working for an insurance company as a data entry clerk.

Besides all of that and me being too damn honest about my smoking as I know many of you are going to let me have it lol I am doing good, Idaho sucks right now, we are having wind storms that blow snow and the drifts have caused over 100 wrecks in the state, some have been fatal. I can't wait for Spring time, thanks for listening and I will keep in touch. God Bless Delilah

[Silverlady]

OK now...I'm gonna let you have it!

Delilah!
Stop that smoking! You just went thru surgery to correct all of this stuff. Tobacco will put you back where you were. My Grandpa told me one day that I "stunk purty". Little girl perfume. But that phrase has stuck with me for most of my life. My Mom smoked (got emphsema later in life). But I remember that she never "stunk purty". I smoked for a short while. I remember when I quit, smelling tobacco on peoples breath. (yes that's more than you wanted to know ) I also smelled it on their clothes. It was an awful smell.

Quit that stuff! I'm so glad your surgery turned out well. Hope it helps a lot.

Billye

[carabiner]

need to vent

Hello,
just want to vent my day, though it feels so strange talking to this screen.
I'm afraid just very little people will know me, the introduction is not even finished yet.
I just have to ventilate my fear at this moment, the fact that I'm afraid not being able to handle my situation. Partial flow in three weeks. It feels so much like a last solution. Don't know what will happen if it does'nt work. On my work, in the hospital as X-ray fotographer, I constantly feel the irritation on my eyes due to laser and lens-implant. Seem to lose the ability to focus myself and to feel happy. Fortunately, i'm stil capable of feeling joy at moments, with the simple things of life, and feel that good things wil also come. At other moments my life just collapses (in thoughts).
I'm especially afraid of losing my girlfriend, whom I know for around 10 months now. When I think of that I hardly feel the need to continue. But for now, that's only a fear, not a reality. She supports me. For now she can handle my problems - but what I can't share or don't dare to share with here, is what i'm sharing with you now. How intens my fears of losing this battle are, even though I know i'm a fighter.
This weekens we'll go on holiday for four days, together with her little girl (after devource). I'm clearly also afraid of being depressed the weekend, when we are together, looking up to the idea of being so close together for so long (no, were not living together yet).
So much fears, so much uncertainties. Thats just hard to handle at moments.

I'm happy to know a society of people exists that knows the struggles and the fears, and that is capable of going thru those moments. That gives me strenght, even though I don't really feel part of that community (yet).

Time for the hot shower and pleasent meal now. Thanks for your presence...!


addition:
after calling a good friend and my girlfriend the fears have been reduced substantially. Sharing these darkest fears really makes a difference. And experiencing the fact that people can handle your bad mood better than you thought they would. My girlfriend won't leave me, even if I want to work part-time if my body instructs me to do so. The future wil tell.

[stella]

Hi Carabiner - You WILL be OK !!
Try to live one day at a time and dont allow yourself to dwell on the future
As someone once told me - The past is finished ,the future is not under our control ,so we must just live for now - enjoy those simple things you talk about and play down the negative things - also enjoy that girl friend --
I am prone to anxiety so i know how you feel
Have you tried going into the forum on depression/emotional health and relationships - You will find lots of others who feel the same way and that should help you to feel less isolated.
Also there are a lot of tips on how to cope in there
I wish you all the best and will pray for you

[carabiner]

Thanks Stella,
I'll visit the suggested links and look forward to the weekend again after expressing what was needed.

[Delilah]

Hello Friends

Well I know someone would let me have it for the smoking lol, overall my nose is healing better but my eyes are still the same Thanks for all your support and I wish that all of you will soon feel some relief, I would give anything to have my eyes back to the way they use to be, without this stringy mucus and dry sandpaper eyes I have now Besides that everything seems to be okay. Love D

[Stanza]

Well I finished doing all my scans for my TMJ problems and they say it's quite severe, I need a permanent splint for 6 months and then crowns on my upper teeth as I basically have zero correct bite at all.

I'm quite gutted about the crowns but i will have 6 months with the splint to see if a pain-free life will change my mind They think my jaw is causing all my facial pain. Interestingly one of the guys at my appts, the technician, was asking me if I have pain under my eyes and I said, I've had pain around one of my eyes but I thought was connected to my DES, but he thinks the could be the TMD - and it is a 'muscular' ache so maybe. I will see. Thought I'd post it in case any others in the same boat one day look up TMJ on here.

We will see. Pretty sure my dry eyes are not going to change from all this but if I can get some kind of LESS pain in the face, then all the better

[Delilah]

Tmj

Hello just thought I'd tell Stanza Im sorry for all your pain, I also have severe TMJ, went to the specialist and they did all these x-ray's and measurements, my pain has almost completely stopped since I "quit" chewing gum. I was an avid gum chewer, I only now suck on mints. I also quit eating a lot of tough foods and it's helped wonders. I couldn't afford the $2000.00 splint he wanted to make for me so I just did what he said and now Im pain free.

Once in a great while I will get the jaw pain but since I quit chewing gum and eating tough foods everything has seemed to be going good. My eyes on the other hand are at their worst They are bone dry in the mornings and the mucus strings are still coming out like crazy, I have my good day's and bad day's and today has been a bad day. Spring is almost here in Idaho so that is one thing Im looking forward too. God Bless everyone. Delilah

[Podiatric Medicine Studen]

Hey People!

Hi, so this is my official first reply. I have been putting off getting involved with the whole support group for quite a while, mostly due to time constraints. I just finished a morning of lectures... eyes still holding in there- feeling a little dry though, and now I am studying Immunology in front of the computer (which sucks).

I have found that if I don't spread the Restasis drops out over a longer time period, they aren't as effective for me. For example, if I put them in last night at 11:00... I will take the vial to school with me the next morning (I just place a small piece of scotch clear tape over the end of it, and throw it in my pocket)- then put the drops in later... at about 10 or usually 11:00AM... just when I can start to feel the inflammatory process begin.

Hope that helps a few people. BY the way, What is everyone doing for pain management? I have been in sooooooooo much pain over the past 2 years with studying and all. Everytime I go to my corneal specialist, I tell him about my excruciating pain, and he says "just take a couple of Tylenol, and that should do it." WHAT!!! Whatever! I usually take like 10 tylenol a day, and it doesn't even touch the pain. (try to avoid ibuprophin, because of it's anti-muscarenic receptor effects... it will dry you out even more).


So, I am at the point of wondering if it wouldn't be so bad to be addicted to opiod drugs for the rest of my life, and having to deal with that versus the pain. So far, I haven't taken any codene or poppy derivative drug... Any ideas people???? Thanks, and I hope to share more of my experiences!!

John

-Life with DES is like Harry Melvin without Bluenotes...
You'll never go platinum

[Terri]

John: I used Doc Holly's drops (Dwelle primarily, but also Dakrina and NutraTear) to heal the surface of my eyes, which eliminated the pain. It took about nine days of using Dwelle at night before bed before I saw noticeable results, but they were dramatic. Once the ocular surface healed, tear film adhered better. Plus Dwelle and Dakrina last a really long time, which is great when you've got a busy schedule and don't want to be worrying about your next eye drop fix.

I don't know the cause of your dry eyes, but 10 Tylenol a day is a really bad idea. Much better to treat the cause of the pain than the symptoms. Good luck, and keep us posted when you have time.

Terri