Eye Lubricant

[Kaybo]

OK...here is the much awaited (?) eye story!!

I always had HORRIBLE vision in both my eyes -- my right eye was 20/400 and my left was 20/300 (legally blind w/o correction) and I could not really see anything, even up close, but blobs w/o contacts or glasses.  After my surgery and SO much trouble, the opthomologist & I decided to just use Refresh PM all the time in my RIGHT eye.  Like we have said before, since it really is a night-time lubricant, it distorted my vision totally.  It really didn't matter if I wore my glasses or 1 contact so since I saw better out of my contacts, I just wore the left one.  When I finally had the weight put in (SEVEN YEARS after my surgery!), I immediately saw a change in my vision, even though the weight was just topical.  I was so excited to go back to the Dr. and was willing to wear glasses again if it would make my vision better.  In my mind, there was NO question that I would need something since I had had to wear correction since 6th grade.  When I did go back, he wanted to wait -- and as an aside, that was when I had the WORST attitude during this whole ordeal (I think I have maintained a good attitude about the whole AN thing until then!).  As the weeks went by & I would go back for tests, I could tell that it was better, but not for sustained periods of tiime and not so we could get a good test.  I would see clearly for a fraction of a second and then it would blur again -- & my attitude was getting worse & worse!  One day, the Dr. said. "But the best reading we're getting is 20/30.." to which I replied, "...but I can't see! <voiced raised>" and then it hit me like a ton of bricks-- I was seeing 20/30 (in a good second) WITHOUT CORRECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This Dr. wasn't really aware of what my vsion had been before b/c I had moved away and then back here and couldn't go to the Doc I had seen all of my life since he was an optometrist instead of an opthomolgist (SP?) -- needless to say, he was a bit surprised and started thumbing thru my chart.  I couldn't see how an eyelid surgery could improve my vision THAT drastically and he agreed with me that the only answer was that it truly was a miracle (who says they don't happen anymore?) -- there is ABSOLUTELY no medical reason/response for this.  My SIL said maybe when they were in there so long for the AN surgery that they unknowingly "wiggled" my optic nerve!!!  Whatever the cause, I am enjoying VERY brief seconds of clear vision out of that eye!!!  The Dr. said that the clear/unclearness is probably caused by the fact that my lid sometimes distributes the tears better than others depending on how my lids functions/shuts.

OK...so that is my happy, little story.  Kind of neat, huh?

K

[lori67]

Well, whatever it was that caused it - good for you!  Maybe you found another option to Lasik surgery!

I think there may be something to the optic nerve wiggling though, because I had 20/20 vision going into surgery - it's 20/30 now, which I can't complain about, but when I went to the eye doctor for my routine exam, he said my AN side pupil reacts a lot slower than the other side.  That explains why going out into the sun feels like a spotlight is being held directly in front of me!

You just never know what fun things are going to happen after this surgery, do you?  A surprise around every corner!

David, I'm going to look for you on those shows and movies you mentioned!  If you ever come to Nashville to visit Reba, let me know!   
Lori

[LADavid]

Lori
I'll definitely let you know if I'm in Nashville.  I also want to mention that of all the people I've worked with in the business, Reba was the sweetest.  She set the tone for that show that was obvious in everyone that worked on it.  I was only there for two days but I felt a part of the family.  There are soooo many bad things said about Hollywood, I always like to say something good when I can.  And the episode to look for is the last of the next to last season.  When I worked on it, they still weren't sure that they would be picked up for the next season.  It was their "jumping the shark" episode with Reba collapsing at the alter. Have a great Sunday.
David

[nancyann]

I saw the opthalmologist today & asked about the contact for use with lubricant - he felt it would 'dry' my eye.

In 2 weeks I see the eye surgeon - I'm going to ask again about the contact - I don't like the lubricant going all over
the eye, on the eyelashes, & ending up all over my lower lid area - it seems to me keeping the lubricant in place over the
cornea with a contact makes sense......

[LADavid]

Nancyann -- please keep me posted on what the doctor has to say about the contact.  I'd like to have another opinion.
Thanks
David

[JDaner]

hello,
I'm new to this forum, well sort of, I used to chat years ago.  Anyway, I've used the refresh pm gel for about 5 years.  I use it all day as my facial nerve was traumatized but not severed.  Yet I still cannot blink.  I have a very large weight, and it helps at night.  I put a ton of lubricant in and my eye almost closes.  I tried for about a year to use only drops during the day after I had an eye lift to correct some drooping.  But now I just clear my eye for tennis (it's a bit hard to make contact with the ball with one eye!!!).  I've heard about the contact thing, but my opthamologist mentioned as an option to "black out" my vision because that eye is so blurry because of the lubricant.  A side benefit she did say was that it would keep the eye lubricated longer. 
Jeanette

[vjw1218]

For what it is worth, I have partial facial paralysis - going on 9 months post middle fossa - and my uncle, who is an eye surgeon, recommended GenTeal Severe Dry Eye Relief Gel. I use it all the time during the day. I use its nighttime counterpart while sleeping. (Although my eye closes completely while asleep)

I was advised NOT to use Lacrilube because it is not preservative-free and can be more irritating. I have seen slow but sure progression with my eye since my surgery, so hopefully I won't have to rely on these gels much longer.

[lori67]

I like the GenTeal daytime stuff, but I didn't have much luck with the night time variety.  It seemed to be too watery for me and I'd have to keep getting up in the middle of the night to put more in.

Imagine a day (or night) with no eye drops or goop.....how nice would that be?
Lori

[Kaybo]

Lore~
I couldn't even begin to imagine...
K

[nancyann]

Lori:  I think about that everyday:  Isn't there something the docs can do to make the eye blink enough so we don't need to continuously put in
lubricant?   Plus, I KNOW it's not helping my lower lid stay tight every time I pull it to open & drop the lubricant in - geez louise, it's 2008 already,
I want relief from this!!   (Well, that said, I see my eye surgeon Monday, 3/3 - going to put the question to him!)

Always good thoughts,  Nancy

ps:  GenTeal didn't work for me at all, I exclusively use Refresh PM lubricant