Gold Weight Removal

[Jeanlea]

NancyAnn, I don't even try to pull down my lower lid when putting in the ointment.  Since my eye won't blink I just put it in near the bottom of the eye.  Actually, my husband puts in the ointment.  It's his nightly task.  I put in the drops during the day.  No need to worry about blinking then either.  I also have the added advantage of not feeling any of it either.

Jean

[nancyann]

Jean:  If I don't pull the lower lid, the lubricant just sits ON the lower lid & doesn't do anything.
         How does it get onto the eyeball if it's not put IN the lid?

Hi Jean:  I just tried doing what you said with the lubricant - IT WORKED!!!!
             I just let the line go on the lower lid above the eyelashes,
             & with several blinks & a little help with my finger on the lower lid, the ointment got in.
             THANK YOU !!!!!!!!

[MCLARKE46319]

The visiting nurse told us that it was ok that Meagan's eye was watering a lot because that was nature's way of tearing up the eye since she couldn't.  What an idiot.  The eye doctor told us that those tears were not the same as blinking tears and eventually they would stop tearing up the eye because of being overworked. Which did happen. She is going in today to get the stitches in the outer corner of her eye and then some additional drops she can put in the eye.  She didn't need this extra problem since she already has gone through so many others and was making a little progress.  I watched her like a hawk and asked questions and drove the hospital staff nuts with my questions.  I wish I had asked about her eyes.

Maureen

[nancyann]

Hi Maureen:  I know, medical people aren't very forthcoming with info at times.  Is your daughter getting the 'moisture contact lens' I've heard about
                  instead of the internal eyelid weight ?   The stitches in the outer corner will help.  Does she have the facial paralysis, or is the eye issue
                  a single complication ?   I'm looking into Blinkeze external eye weight during the waiting period before the platinum inplant.
                  Wishing your daughter & you all the best today.   Nancy

      ps.   I get 'those tears' now, I didn't get them post op till maybe 6 months out.  No telling when they're coming on.  I'll be at work, home, anywhere,
             & all of a sudden the huge 'crocodile tears',  which I'm grateful for of course... I hate to think they may disappear at some point...

[cdd]

Nanyan, How far in to your recovery are you?  I can't be on here long and haven't read all the messages on this board.  I am 9 months post op of a 4.5 cm ana.  I'm just now getting those croc tears too. I do have the gold weight and outer stitches as well as two tear duct plugs. I was having terrible dry eyes. The best ointment were the sustane gel drops!  They have recently been recalled and I had to return all of my unsed bottles.  I have found that wearing goggles at night although not the most ideal way to go to bed, extremely helps during the day! I NEVER have to use drops anymore! I never go to bed w/o my lovely goggles. Do you think I will have my more improvement over the final 9 months of healing time? I've had very little so far. I am currently having craniosacral therapy done 3 times per week and it seems to be firming things up. Gotta run, Thanks! Carol

[nancyann]

Hi Carol:  I'm also almost 9 months out (surg. date 6/19/06).
             I've worn goggles in the past for swimming - they're usually tight on my head
             & leave a red rim around the eyes - I can't imagine sleeping with them, but if it helps...
              What brand goggles do you use ?

             I use Systane lubricant eye drops - are those the ones that were recalled ?? I hadn't heard anything about a recall !!!...
             Don't know about more improvement - I certainly wish that for all of us, but each case is individual..
             but if you don't have to use drops anymore - THAT'S AMAZING!!!! 

             Do you have facial paralysis also, or is the eye issue a single complication ? 
             Take care, write back when you can,  Nancy

[cdd]

Hi Nancyann,

The drops are called sustane gel drops.  They worked great! They came in a green bottle. I'm sure you can call the number on the bottle and ask to be sure. They found mold in several boxes.  I'm not sure if that was contributing to my eye infections and redness, dryness, etc.  I guess I will never know the cause. I highly recommend the disconinuance of all antihistamines and decongestion meds too!  benedryl, cold tabs, etc. Since I quit those products and wear the goggles at night, it has been wonderful! I did get the red circles around my eye as well at first. My skin was becoming allergic to the rubber. (small swimming goggles) I came up with a crazy idea to place cloth bandage tape all around the rubber that touches my skin. I have no problems now. I loosen up the band as well and I've gotten used to it with a few little adjustments. It is SO convenient though. I keep them right next to the bed in the nightstand. When I'm really tired, I don't have to go through the whole patch my eye thing, I just plop them on and go to sleep. Just give it a try. What is there to loose. The bandages must be cloth and buy the very large ones and cut the center out and use the sticky tape part to cover the rubber. I know it sounds crazy but as crazy as it is, it works great.

Carol

[nancyann]

Sounds like a plan Carol, I'll just have to wait since I'm 2 days post op gold weight removal & as you can geuss the whole eye area is pretty sensitive right now.
What's the brand name of the bandages you use ? 
Thanks, I will surely give it a try, probly in a week or 2 when my eye heals...if this will help decrease amount of lubricant I need,  WOW !!!!!!!

[chrissmom]

Nancyann,

I think Chris just didn't like the pirate look.  He wore it at night too and it came off center and bothered him.  Now he just uses the drops and the gold weight does the rest.

As for the jump graft.  We see movement !  After 4 months...we are so excited.

[nancyann]

Hi Chrissmom - I read your post on the Chris update, but I'll say it again here, just cause I love saying
YEEEAAAAAAAHHHHH !!!!!!!  Gives me hope to do the graft if I have to, so
YEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

[nancyann]

Hi Carol:  Just wanted to say:  Early this morning I woke up & my eye was burning so bad, so I got out the swimming goggles
            & it worked great !!!!  Fell back asleep, woke up 3 hours later & there was moisture on the goggles, my eye felt great.
            Unfortunately, my eye was real swollen lower lid (probably b/c I just had the surgery), the other eye was fine.   Then the
            burn started up about 1/2 hour later, so in with the lubricant.   I will definitely use the goggles tonight, it was great,
            (Now if I only had a swimming pool in my bedroom I'd have something great going here...)
             Thanks again for the advice,  Nancy

[chrissmom]

Nancy,
The swimming goggles are similar to the moisture chamber so I think it would work.  I have a genetic cornea disease and I have bouts of severe tearing, scarring and dryness.  I know how painful that can all be.  If the cornea becomes centrally scarred, a transplant is necessary. So I quess we do what we have to do.  Can't you get a moisture chamber from your hospital pharmacy or local pharmacy, if you have a script.? I think that's how Chris got one.

I'm so glad his doctor took care of his eye while in the hospital.  I feel for Maureen's daughter.  I wear special moisture contact lenses but my cornea is becomiing intolerant of the lens.  I think the eye weight is a good idea.

I've heard of the external weight, that sounds like a good option for the interim  By the way, I didn't know that it was recommended to change the weight every 5 years.  I plan to ask Chris Dr. that question next time.  Amazing what you learn on this site.

[nancyann]

Hi Chrissmom ( what IS your name !!)  The fellow who works with Dr. Jewett did give me a script for the moisture chamber to take to ENT (you'd of thought they'd 
                                                     have told me about this sooner !!!!), I'll get them when I go to get the stitches out this Thursday !!
                                                      WOW, so you've been dealing with this cornea mess for awhile, you know exactly what we all go through even more than us !!
                                                       Yes, the weight has to be changed; Dr. Jewett showed me a picture of someone who didn't get it removed after 5 years,
                                                       the gold was breaking through the lid, not a pretty picture.
                                                       Chris will probably have the weight removed for good once the 12/7 jump takes full hold.
                                                       (though, now that I think about it, my neurologist said the eye area may not always come back, I don't know if that means after
                                                        a nerve graft too..  hhmmmmm........)
                                                       I'm going to ask Dr. Jewett about the external weight for temporary use pending the platinum implant.
                                                       You're right, I've learned so much from so many on this site, it IS incredible !!!
       Take care, Chrissmom, AKA ?        Your son sounds like such a great guy....   If I was only 30 something years younger...

[Jill Marie]

Hi Nancyann,

 Sorry to hear that the gold weight didn't work for you, or should I say it worked but then caused you pain and problems.  I was originally told I would need a gold weight but then my eye blinked and closed about 90% so they said it wasn't necessary or it wasn't worth going through it for what little it would do for me, but that was years ago so perhap I need to look into it and several other things.  The most important thing I have learned from this site so far is that I have lots to learn.  Even though I had my Facial Nerve Surgery 15 years ago I don't really know that much about it and of course almost nothing about AN.  I use to try and find out new info. from the net and from my doctor and eye doctor but it always seemed to be a waste of time so I finally decided to do the best I could from what I learned on a day to day basis. I think I need to take a month off of work so I can read as many posts as possible to try and catch up with everyone and learn as much as I can. 

I have often wondered what it would be like if I couldn't blink or close my eye as much as I can as I get frustrated when I put the ointment in then I blink and it ends up on my face, that means the eye is dry but the face is a mess.  From what your saying I gather that the not blinking and closing makes the eye extremely dry and the ointment doesn't cover your eye because you don't blink.  It looks like a case of your damned if you blink and your damned if you don't.  I hope you find a way to alleviate the dryness and pain while you wait for the platinum weight to be put in as despite the frustration from the ointment I will take it anyday over the pain of dryness.  I had a plug put in a few years ago and I couldn't put ointment in while it was being done, I was in EXTREME pain the rest of the day, to top it off it was a waste of time.  One of the things I need to look into is help with the lower lid, I read somewhere on the board the other night that they can do something with that as well, perhaps the ointment would stay in better then.

May the time go quickly tell you have your new weight, look forward to hearing it was a success, Jill Marie

 

[nancyann]

Hi Jill Marie:   With the lower lid I had what's called a 'lateral tarsal strip', basically the doc tightened the lower lid with stitches to the outer corner.  It makes all the difference i
                  in the world re:helping protect the cornea + appearance.   When he removed the gold weight he was able to tighten it even more b/c you could still see a little
                  of the white under the pupil.  Now it looks much better, even just 6 days post op (When he put the gold weight in I asked him NOT to pull too tight - I should 
                  have kept my mouth shut & let him do what he does best;  now it looks great !).
                 I can still blink b/c the swelling that's still in the upper lid post op is acting like a weight - once the sweling recedes I'll be in deep doodoo for awhile, so it will be
                  tape or Blinkeze external weight, moisture chamber at night until the platinum is put in.
                  Thank you for your words of support,   take care,  Nancy