eye weight

[Karen]

Here's a question for all thoses with facial paralysis and eye troubles.  I have a weight in my eye, no feeling in the cornea.  I can shut it at night without doing anything.  In fact the weight is so heavy that I can't hardly keep it open alot. So I go around with it shut.  I would like to have the weight taken out or a less heavy one put in, but which would be worse not being able to shut my eye all the way or the way it is now shut most of the time.  The eye doctor says he doesn't think its a good adea to open it up more.  It is only half the size of the other one.  He also has a stitch in both corners to help.  Naturaly I use ointment      every couple of hours.  He says it is the fact that I have no feeling in it that is so bad.  Any input?  The facial therapist had me hang my head upside down and shut my eye which I could do, she thinks I have enough strength to shut it with a lighter weight.  Karen

[nancyann]

Hi Karen:  Hmmmm....it sounds to me like your eye weight IS too heavy - I'm surprised the doc doesn't think so.  I can feel it when my eye gets too dry, like you I use lubricant every couple of hours also.   When I had my weight in I could keep my eye open, it didn't feel heavy.  I'd ask him again about it, let him know you're uncomfortable with it that heavy. 
Always good thoughts,  Nancy

[TP]

Sounds like your eye weight is too heavy. I would check with your Dr. My eye is starting to be a little lower than the good eye due to the eye weight and I see a new Dr in a few weeks about my double vision, curious to see what he/she has to say!

[SMC]

it sounds to me like the weight is too heavy also.  the whole idea of the weight is to help you close the eye not keep it closed all the time.  I haven't put the weight I am just relying on the ointment.  It is strange that you all are saying that you still use ointment even with the weight.  I thought the weight is supposed to help you blink more so that way you can keep your eyes moist and don't need the ointment.
Hope you get right weight put in, I know how annoying the eye prblems can be.  When you are busy during the day you forget about the face paralysis but the eye hurting and redness just keeps reminding you of the problem.

[nancyann]

SMC:  Even with the weight, I don't think the eyelid closes all the way, + when you lay down the weight automatically falls back, leaving the eye open  (sleeping on your side helps a little).  I still end up needing lubricant for the dry eye because it never gets the 'full relief' of a normal eye blinking;  even so for me having the weight is much better than no weight .

[er]

I also seem to think your eye weight is to heavy. I only had mine for about 8 months and i was glad to have it taken out. My eye lid, I think was to thin so it hurt when I touched it. But my eye did open and closed with  the gold weight, with out it I couldn't close my eye lid. I still have to use the eye drops because of no tears since surgery in the left eye. For some reson it gets dryer at night,  when I use the computer, or I'm outside in the air. You should check with your doctor if you don't mine going through the process again.
eve