One Day at a Time

How my dry eye started

My dry eye is from a botched cataract surgery. I was in horrible pain for four months doing nothing other than useless OTC drops. My ophthalmologist minimized my complaints.

How it progressed and what I did

I finally saw a corneal specialist who put plugs in my eye. From then on, it became tolerable. I read two books about dry eye which I ordered from Amazon. They helped me understand which circumstances to avoid and why. Now I have a new normal. There are days and places with discomfort, but overall the situation is what it is and I just carry on.

The hardest part

The hardest part is my eyes look normal but don't feel normal and people don't get that. My advice is to just soldier on. More importantly, trust your gut and get help from a doctor who listens. I could have spared myself a summer of agony.

Turning a corner

After exhausting all efforts, mentally accepting the condition helps. It's the new normal whether you like it or not.

Where I’m at now

Because of dry eye, I avoid air conditioning and heat when possible. I can't watch more than hour if TV at a time. Swiveling and sweeping my eyes is uncomfortable. It's the new me, but I remind myself of other conditions other people endure that are far worse. If you take it one day at a time, one hour at a time or better yet, one minute at a time, you can do it!

Ellen

Northern California