Bad news update

[Hangus]

Its been a while since I posted and I just haven't wanted to come back on and tell you the bad news. Its back! With a vengeance! The dryness has come back and no amount of compresses and Dwelle seem to be shaking it off.
Coupled to the soreness and dryness are the most excruciating headaches and as usual I can find no rhyme or reason why it has suddenly re appeared. I am just hanging in there and on Friday I am off to Tenerife on Friday for a week and usually that lovely mediterranean air sorts it out for a while. Anyway i am trying to keep positive but one thing does occur to me; I am so used to the headaches and associated pain that if ever i had something else wrong with me I would not go to the doctor because i would simply think its the same old problem. By then it might be too late!
On that cheery note I will love you all and leave you!

Barry

[rhad]

Barry, That is bad news. for how long were your eyes feeling better, until now? also what condition do you have? lack of tears or mgd/blepharitis?

rhad

[Mika]

poor u hangus!
hang on man!
well, its so damn bad that we all experience up and down... we would like more up than down..

Me too, once before i though i was ok with that "spirulina episode" (a post i made long before)..
but i now realised that My island was facing a cyclonic weather at that time, which was continuing for 4 weeks!!! and dats y i experience total bliss for 4 weeks..

did ur improvement came from environmental conditions like mine?

[lboogie]

Oh, this makes me so very sad.....I felt so down this weekend -- emtionally dealing with this all. And feeling so tired from the pain and worry. I CLING to every post here about laser surgery patients who keep healing. I just don't know what to do anymore.

Drops, compress, restasis, lower plugs...........I'm 8.5 months out from lasik and just sooooo worried that I'll never feel any better than this.

[Hangus]

My condition was from lasik nearly 3 years ago and I had about 4 solid months of virtually symptom free existence from february to june this year when it started to edge back. I am not really sure what type of dry eye I have I have never really had it diagnosed after bad experienmces with NHS and Optimax.

Regardless my chin is definitely up and, as Scarlett once said, tomorrow is another day!
Thanks for all your kind thoughts.
Barry

[kkahthesea]

Wow, I really feel for you. I understand totally what you're going through. I have a different type of eye problem (ocular rocesea, bleph, AND eyelid dermatitis). It was all finally settling down (after 7 months of severe burning and pain) and I was starting to feel pretty good, and optimistic. I usually just wash my hair bending over the tub so I don't get any shampoo near my eye. But I tried shampooing in the shower and I accidently got a little shampoo in my eye (or maybe just on top of the eyelid) and had to rinse my open eye with water. That whole process irritated my eye and eyelid and set everything off (the dermatitis reacts that strongly to the slightest chemical stimulus)....my eyelid is all swelled up, burning, sore and re inflammed, and it's been over a week. Now I'm searching for a chemical free shampoo. I'm so depressed and feel like I can't stand even one more day of this and I don't know how long I'll pay for this mistake. I'm so tired of hurting. I really need some kind of hope to hang on to. Like all of us, I JUST WANT TO FEEL GOOD! You sound optimistic about things...even in the event of a relapse.....that's admirable.
Wish you the best.

[Guest]

Barry

I am so sorry to hear that you are back (you know what I mean).

I was really holding out hope that if you lead, I would follow in your footsteps.

I have not been doing too bad of late, my eyes are a whiter than they have been for months and they feel relatively comfortable most of the time, late at night they are prety rough and early mornings are still horrific.

I did have a follow up abrasion the other morning in both eyes, however as you have pointed indicated previously they don't seem to be as toe curling anymore, and an icepack seems to help bring things back under control.

Like you, I am heading for my 3 year lasek anniversay.

I am thankful that every day these days are 1000 times better than they were in the early days post op and I honestly think that is what gives me hope that one day this will all be a distant memory, lets hope that day is coming soon.

Warm regards

Ian

[brd888]

Diagnose it

Barry,
I think it is highly important to get a diagnosis - finding out if your problem is aqueous or lipid deficiency is key to treating the problem correctly.
It would also have been interesting if you had had an exam during the good period to see if your tear film was healthy. Maybe your tear film was still poor but you just weren't feeling symptoms.

[autumnn]

Hangus- I hate giving advice that I myself havent taken- but, would it help to start journalling every day what you are doing for your eyes, how the envoronmental conditions are, etc...? That way maybe you can see a pattern as to what might have caused the changes.
I was the same way- really bad for 5 months and then it totally went away for a year and a half (no thoughts about eyes, travelled, worked in AC, the whole 9 yards) then dry eye came back with a vengence for 2 and a half years. Finally, I am doing pretty well now- I feel like I am getting back to "normal" but this "normal" isnt spontaneous like the first time dry eye went away. Now I think I am going to start writing everything down- meds, routines, supplements, etc- so that when I need to look back it is there....the change has been slower this time but I firmly believe that if it went away before it can go away again- FOR GOOD! Keep your chin up

[stella]

Hi Hangus
Sorry to hear its back
If it went away before, it will go away again - just hang on to that and take a day at a time
I agree with Bruce - do try to get a diagnosis Is it aqueous deficiency or MGD leading to evapoative dryness ?
Any good optician can tell you if the glands are blocked and if you have an intact tear film or have you "holes" in the tear film.
Meanwhile getting away to Tenarife might help you
All that smoke and heat from the fire fighting must affect your eyes - protective eyeware would help that would'nt it
Anyway all the best and let us know how things are when you return