Is this a setback?

[patbiedermann]

I went to the eye doctor today for him to check my glaucoma, which I had prior to my CPA tumor.  I had laser surgery 6 years ago for it and have been doing fine.  My my glaucoma is fine, However on my visual field I had done prior to todays checkup showed the bottom half of my right eye isn't very good.  Right after my surgery I had a corneal ulceration and was treated with a protective contact lens and antibiotics.  that healed fine.  I had a gold weight put in in  January because my eyelid wasn't closing completely.  I have been putting in eye drops continously and use lacrilube gel at night.  The eye doctor today put a protective contact lens (which I hate) in and gave me antibiotic drops and I am to use the eye drops that I am using every hour.  I will go back in 2 weeks.  He is trying to protect my cornea.  He says I have come a
long way.  If this doesn't work, he may have to do surgery to raise my lower lid.  I don't want anymore surgery.  This is so frustrating... I just want everthing to get back to as much normal as it can be.  I don't want to see anymore doctors!!!  I have my second followup MRI on Thursday and see my neurosurgeon on the 16th.  If what he had to leave in (about 5%) has grown, he wants to do Gamma Knife.  On the first MRI postsurgery, neither the radiologist or he could tell if this was residual tumor or postop change.  I hope it is postop change.  I feel frustrated. I just want to cry and no one seems to understand.   It seems whenever I feel as if I am making progress, I take 2 steps back.  Will things ever be "normal" again?

[saralynn143]

I'm so sorry that you are going through this. While I did not have an AN, I had another rare neurological condition (hemifacial spasm) with post-surgical facial paralysis and of course eye issues.

I vote go ahead and cry. Sometimes it's just a relief to get the pent-up emotions out of your system for a while. Even if nobody immediately around you understands, there are plenty here who do. I also join you in your hope that your second follow-up MRI shows no problems.

Can you tell me what kind of protective contact lens your doctor prescribed you? I am interested in finding an alternative to using Refresh PM gel 24/7. I had LASIK in 2000 and really miss the sharp vision.

Take care and hang in there.

Sara

[patbiedermann]

sara,
He didn't prescribe the contact.  He put it in in the office.  He said if it falls out before I see him in 2 weeks, it's ok.  Just resume using the lacrilube.  He would like the cornea to heal as much as it can on its own.  He put the contact in to help protect it.