Eye at Night/Eye Closure

[mimoore]

Hello Gang,
I have a couple of quick questions. What is working best for you at night to protect your eye?
I put a line of lacilube (lots) and then paper tape it (tried plastic, didn't like it) and then a bandaid sticky patch and smooth it down. I can still see light and this concerns me. I also find it hard to get the tape to stick because of the lacilube - but want to put lots to protect my eye...

One more thing... at first my eye wouldn't close 5mm now 8 weeks post op it is more - has this happened to anyone else? Should I be concerned that it is going to get worse. I think my eye ball rolls up when I try to close it. I took a picture with my camera to look closely.

Thanks for all of your help.
Michelle 

[Jeanlea]

Hi Michelle,

Dealing with the eye is a frustrating experience, especially in the beginning.  Early on I put in a line of lubricant, put a clear plastic shield that I got in the hospital over than and then taped plastic (saran wrap) over that.  I used the white medical tape.  Actually I didn't do any of of.  My  husband did.  One night I had a friend do it when I was out with the girls.  :-) 

I'm sure others will have good suggestions as to what they did.

Jean

[Debbi]

Hi Michelle-

Well, first of all, you are probably right about the eye rolling back - it is a fairly common condition called "palsy phenomenum".   You can read up on it a bit on the bells palsy website.  If you force yourself to look down while trying to close your eye, this will help.  I have the same problem and make it a point to "exercise" my eyeball several times a day. 

The eternal problem of what to do at night...  before the eye weight, I think I tried everything.  I developed an allergy to the adhesive in both the tape and the occlusor "band aids" so then went to Glad Press 'n' Seal and plastic wrap - neither of which I could get to stay on all night without tape.  Finally, I got one of those cheapie sleep masks and lined the inside with Glad Press 'n' Seal, then lubed the heck out of my eye (I used Puralube because Refresh PM wasn't enough for all night) and slept with that on.  It seems to work quite well and was easy to pull away from my eye if I needed a "potty break" in the middle of the night.

I used to literally line the entire lower lid with puralube to keep my eye lubed all night.  I still use a small amount of gel at night even with the BlinkEze, so it is less messy. In the morning, I use an eye wash to get it all out of my eye, then I use Refresh Celluvisc as needed during the day. 

Eye care is definitely a challenge.  Before I got the blinkeze, my eye never closed all the way, so protecting it at night was critical.  Same as you, I could always see some light coming through, which meant the eye was partially open.  I think that if you can keep it covered and protected so that nothing scratches the surface of your eye, and can keep it lubed up, you will be fine. 

As for the closing less now - not sure about that.  Although, when I was in the hospital immediately followign surgery, I could close the eye - by the time I got home, I couldn't.  I don't think that this is uncommon.  Without the weight, my eye still stays open about a quarter of an inch.

I'll be interested to hear what others have tried - hopefully you'll get some good ideas.

Have you tried the eye-shaped "occlusor" bandaids?  Those worked very well for me until I got the adhesive rash.  I used those for about 6 or 7 weeks. If you find that you can use them, I still have quite a few and would be happy to put them in an envelope and mail them to you if you'd like?  Cheryl actually sent me some of hers that she didn't need anymore, so I'd be glad to "pay it forward."

Good luck!

Debbi, I'd wink at you if I could!

[nancyann]

Hi Michelle:  I responded to you on AN Issues about this also.     I use the NIteye Bubble Comforter at night.    I've been dealing with this for over 2 years.  The worst I've dealt with is corneal dryness & an infection when I stopped using the bubble for 2 weeks.    The cornea needs to be protected from dryness, which can bring on an infection, & corneal ulcers, you can lose your sight if not treated.    I've been using Refresh lubricant for the whole time.   My doc recently suggested Bion Tears as an adjunct, & to decrease the 'blurry' vision I have.  I haven't been able to find it yet in pharmacies...  so I keep looking, in the meantime, I bought Refresh gel drops to use along with the lubricant......

Best wishes,   &  always good thoughts,   Nancy

[mimoore]

Thanks Gals,
Deb I am using tape and those eye bandaids, I feel like I am stretching my lids when I pull it off and ow it hurts my skin. The press and seal is a good idea too.
Nancy I need to call them and try those bubble ones. Do you tape under it or leave your eye open?
Thanks for helping my on my journey.
Michelle 

[nancyann]

Hi Michelle:   I've never been able to 'tape' my eye closed - tried everything,  just doesn't work.  So I just put the 'bubble' on.

Always good thoughts,  Nancy

[lori67]

I've never been able to tape my eye shut either.  I would just manually close it with my finger after I put the lacrilube or other gel in it and it stayed closed pretty much.  I also had some of those eye bubbles that I got from my eye surgeon, but I just didn't like them.  I just don't like things stuck to my face.  But they do work.

Like Debbi said, the Bell's Phenomena is normal.  It's your eye's way of protecting the cornea when your eye will not close, so it's actually a good thing - although it sounds a little weird.  I know some therapists, including my own, will try to get you to get that to stop, but it's a reflex and eye exercises won't change it - it's just hard wired into your brain to do that.  I just go along with my therapist when she talks about it, but I just don't agree with her on that point.

Have you seen an eye doctor?  They might have some good suggestions for you.

Lori

[Debbi]

One other thought on tape, occlusion pads, etc - They really do pull at that sensitive skin around your eyes (which women my age really don't need!)  What Willie (my wonderful husband) did was "de-sticky" the pads or tape before putting them on my skin.  This is a highly scientific process which involves ticking the adhesive part against your (clean) thumb until much of the stickiness is gone!     Sounds a little weird, but it was the only way I cluld tolerate the adhesive near my eyes. 

As an aside, I can't believe how much I've learned about eye care in the lst 3 months - or how much I've invested in it!   

Debbi - here's winking at you, kid!

[lori67]

Debbi - do you think your husband would be willing to de-stickify the tape for Michelle?  Or should we add this service to the garage business?  $$$$$$$

Speaking of eye product investment - my supermarket just had a sale on night time eye goop- and I had a few coupons.  I bought all 5 tubes they had on the shelf.  The cashier looked at me a little funny, but hey, I know I'm going to need it, might as well stock up when it's cheap!  Leaves me more money to buy important things - like chocolate.   

Lori

[Pol]

Hi Michelle
My ophtho told me to pull the upper lid down and over the lower lid and then tape it shut. I think that is the only way to get it to stay closed.

I haven't had to try that but I agree with the recommendation to see an eye doc. He or she should be able to tell you how to do this safely!!

Polly

[saralynn143]

I guess I'm pretty lucky in that my eye does not close when I am upright, but closes all the way when I lie down to go to sleep. At night I put on a fresh application of Refresh PM and put on a pirate patch. I taped it for the first few nights after surgery, not across the top but at the outside corner, but the tape was tearing up my eyelid when I took it off.

Sara

[lori67]

Sara -

I used to have a doll like that - her eyes would stay open when you held her upright and they'd close when you put her down!   

Lori

[saralynn143]

I've been called a doll before (not lately though).

Sara