Daily Check-In

[Lucy]

Hi Delilah-
Sorry to hear you are feeling poorly! This too shall pass. I enjoyed fireworks last night after a night at the stock car races and I inhaled about 10lbs of burnt rubber! I was wearing my goggles, which kept my eyes safe.
Lucy

[calli66]

Hey Delilah,

Sorry to hear you are having these things going bad all at once!

Sounds like you are making some major decisions right now---hopefully you'll sort things out and get better. I support you, and it's OK to vent here anytime. Holidays are so hard because we have all the expectations about wanting to relax and have a good time. But it's hard when you have to work all the time---a long weekend is just not enough time.

I am in a different stage of my life than you---I spent the 4th visiting my 94 year old Mom. The pace very slow---no "action" at all, just pats and hugs. We watched the fireworks from her balcony.

I'm out of town, away from my home, and it's a bit lonely.

Calli

[Rebecca Petris]

I was out of town for a few days... Then last night I had a bit of a fall and landed really, really hard right on my sacrum... at a time when I was already seeing the chiro 3x weekly for a flare-up of some SI problems. Ow. Ice, ice, ice. Might be a bit scarce on the board for awhile but I'll get caught up sometime.

Sorry for being so whiny about the emails... I did see some of the responses in my thread. You guys are so incredibly sweet and supportive - you are the best.

On the bright side, this is a good time of year for eyes out here in the Pacific NW....

[Delilah]

Thanks Friends!

Just wanted to say Thank-you for listening to me, wow Calli your mom is 94, your lucky to still have her in your life! Mine has been passed on for 10 years now, that also is a long sad story but I'll wait for another time. Sorry Rebecca to hear you fell! I have a really bad back to and it has gone out on me tons of times, makes it hard for me to find work as I use to have many hard physical labor jobs which I can't do anymore on the account of me lifting to much and a slight curvature of my lower back.

Massages always help but they are so expensive, I understand about back trouble and when you fall on it OMG it can be the worst pain ever! Today has been a shocking good day for me as the mucus strings are not to bad, I've been applying on-line for jobs and doing tons of housework. Seems I always pass on the dusting lol, I've got to dust soon or it's going to get really gross

Anyway's hope all of you are doing okay and it's always nice to hear from you. I will keep in touch and let you know what the gyno says on the surgery, I might have to take another birth control until I can have the procedure done? I just hate being on birth control as it makes me so sick and I can only have certain ones. God Bless and again Thank-you all for always being here for me. Your Buddy D in Idaho.

[liz56]

Rebecca,

I'm so sorry to hear that you fell. Take it easy, and rest up. We're doing okay here. :-)

--Liz

[Delilah]

Collagen and Riboflavin eye drops?

Hello Friends,
I thought this information would be of some use. I have been doing some research and found this new treatment, collagen eye drops themselves seem to not be available only in animal drops and I only came across collagen punctum plugs that are dissolvable. I am wondering if this new treatment would help us dry eye sufferers as well as people that have Keratoconus? Also would it be safe to use those animal collagen eye drops? Let me know if this information is of any help or if any of you already know about it and can give me some more information on this whole procedure. Thanks Delilah

Corneal Collagen Crosslinking with Riboflavin or (C3-R) is a relatively new treatment. The Treatment Application-

C3-R is directed under the epithelial cell layer. Located on the surface of the cornea. The surgeon will apply anesthesia drops on the surface of the eye. Then disrupt the epithelial cell layer. So the Riboflavin eye drops will penetrate the stromal portion of the cornea, which is the layer under the epithelium. The Riboflavin drops are then placed on the surface of the cornea.

A small UVA light is shone over the eye for about 30 minutes to activate the solution. The procedure is relatively comfortable if the epithelium layer is only disrupted rather than removed. Some surgeons removed the layer, which makes the first week of the procedure uncomfortable. Be sure to check with your doctor to see if they perform the epi-on or epi-off technique.

There are several benefits of Corneal Collagen Crosslinking below are a few:

Strengthens the cornea with less evasive procedures- The solution will improve the strength of the cornea over 3-6 months after treatment. It only requires a one time application. And there are less risks associated with C3-R as appose to corneal transplant.

Can be combined with INTACS to reverse damage to the cornea- C3-R treatment can be mixed with INTACS reduce the cone shape of the cornea. After the 3 year follow up doctors found that it stopped the increase of cornea curvature values and flattened the mean cone.

C3-R Stabilizes Progressive Ectasia- C3-R can give some relief from Progressive Ectasia. It has been proven to stabilize progressive Ectasia. While it is not a complete cure there are high hopes for further treatments of Ectasia.

The benefits of C3-R many. Surgeons are further studying and researching C3-R and INTACS. Without question medical sciences are growing rapidly. And each day we are improving the treatments for Keratoconus and other troubling diseases. There is no need to suffer with Keratoconus. Patients now have a wide array of treatments to help them with the progression of this condition.

[Delilah]

Surgery On Monday Friends!

Hello Friends,
Well I told ya'll I'd keep you updated on my female troubles and all the trouble I've been having with birth control, so I seen my gyno today, wonderful woman! She knows how much trouble I've been going through with the birth control and I told her that I had made the decision a long time ago to have the tubal ligation surgery. It will save me money in the long run and save my health from these birth control pills causing me to vomit every day, causing me to have 2 periods a month and worst of all causing my hair to fall out!

I already have thin hair and it's getting thinner in the front from the birth control pills as I have to take the progesterone pills and they cause your hair to fall out, not on every woman but Im of course the lucky one to have all the worst side effects to them So I will be having my surgery next Monday, she is doing the Filshie Clip method, gold clips that clip on each side of your Fallopian tubes.

It's the safest way and most effective she said as if she were to cut and tie or cut and cautrize them they have a chance of growing back together and I could become pregnant or even worse get an infection. I had no idea that your tubes could grow back together after that but she said your body is an amazing thing and she wants it to be effective for me. She will do it laparoscopic, since I've already had a laparoscopic surgery when I had to have my gallbladder removed I am fully aware of the pain afterwards.

The pain isn't as bad for people who are in shape and don't have fat on their stomachs as they don't have to cut as deep through the layers of fat and you heal quicker, but being slightly over weight I won't be getting 6 minute abs by Monday LOL, a bit of humor friends I've lost a total of 40 pounds from my stomach disorder so maybe it will be a bit better?

I highly doubt it though, the pain is very bad it hurts to even move or lay down, any position your in is very painful and lasts about 2 weeks. It's worth it in the long run for me and my health and I am to sickly of a woman to have children, if even in my life I find I want children and I am financially capable of taking care of them then I will adopt as there are so many "unwanted" children in this world and I would love to adopt if in my life I find I want children.

I want you all to know that it's not that I don't love children as I do very much I am just in no position in my life to ever bare them and I want to be a responsible woman so that is why I've chosen to have this surgery, I wouldn't be having it if my body wasn't so out of whack and I could take birth control pills, but it's not the case so I will be having it next Monday.

My eyes are still the same, to bad I couldn't get a pair of new fresh eyes to lol. Iam looking into a Collagen supplement to help my skin and eyes, my skin is very dry and Im not looking forward to menopause as I will not be able to take estrogen, who knows what I will do but for now I will take each day at a time. Thanks for listening to me and I just wanted to give ya'll the update on what's going on. God Bless your friend in Idaho, Delilah.

[calli66]

Delilah,

Sounds like you're making a good decision, and I'll be thinking of you next Monday. Hope everything goes smoothly, and do the daily check-in with us whenever you can.

Calli

[lboogie]

Beach trip

Hi Folks,
I played in a beach ultimate frisbee tournament this weekend. WINDY, WINDY.... in Seaside, OR. I kept my sunglasses on the whole time of course, and I did okay. My eyes really didn't hurt until Saturday night.

BUT I wanted to give a shout to my sunglasses -- not foam lined, but a really nice, very close fit. And they are sporty, but attractive. Bolle -- Recoil.

Hope all is well -- I going to try temp upper plugs soon.

[Lucy]

lboogie.......sounds like a good time for you~! Better yet, during that time you didn't have time to think about your eyes! Those "timeouts" are really important to your recovery. Lucy

[lboogie]

6 hours

Might sound silly -- but I went 6 hours today without drops and felt okay! Baby steps right?

[Delilah]

Surgery went well Friends!

Hello everyone just thought I'd let ya'll know that my surgery went very well and I am still a bit sore and recovering. My boyfriend has been taking care of me and has been an angel. I am thank-ful for all of you who listen to me! God bless and I'll keep in touch. Your Dry Eye Buddy in Idaho Delilah

[liz56]

Hi, Delilah.

I'm glad to hear that things went well and that you are being well cared for.

It must be nice to be off of the hormones. I never took the pill, but I had to go on progesterone for about five months, due to a dangerous experience with anemia, caused by a heavy menstrual period. And, I did not like its affect. In fact, that is when my dry eyes started to turn into RCE's.

I hope that things continue to get better for you. Thanks for letting us know how you are doing.

--Liz

[calli66]

Delilah,

Glad to hear everything went well for you!

C

[Delilah]

Thanks Friends!

Just wanted to thank everyone for being so supportive I am feeling much better, I will keep ya'll informed and hope that ya'll are doing good as well. Today is a bad eye day for me, like I said I have good day's and bad day's, the mucus strings are at their worst today and it's driving me bonkers! Anywhoot God Bless and take care, your Dry Eye Buddy in Idaho Delilah.