waaaaaahhhhh... I hate my eyes

[HIU8]

I'm sitting here right now only able to see out of my left eye. My right eye has gook in it. This is a usual thing for me. I wear contacts and after several hours my eyes cannot handle it. I'm in my glasses-----I HATE wearing glasses. I've worn contacts since I was 12--which is probably why my eyes are revolting against me now. I have drops etc.. and I use them. Doesn't matter though. I WISH I was a candidate for ANY of the eye surgeries, but I am not (I have a better chance of loosing my sight completely than any type of a permanent correction). Plus, add to that I am developing cataracts at 40.

This is petty in the grand scheme of things, but still annoying.

[sarahsthreads]

I'm so sorry, that sounds like no fun. :hug: Is there anything they can do for the cataracts, even if laser correction isn't an option?

I currently have a majorly swollen eyelid that the eye doctor *thinks* is a stye but he couldn't make a definitive diagnosis. He recommended hot compresses several times a day and said that as long as it didn't get worse, he wanted to hear from me if it wasn't improving in a week and a half to two weeks. Um. Great. So this lovely awful feeling is going to last for weeks?!?

Luckily, I do wear glasses (and love them - could never get the hang of contacts) so it's not quite so obvious to the random person looking at me that I have a balloon for an eyelid. Sigh.

Eye stuff sucks.

Sarah :)

[niccig]

Can you wear your glasses at home when not going out of the house for a few days - it might give your eyes a bit of a rest.

I've had glasses since I was 12 too and used to them. Contacts never gives as good a corrections, so I don't wear them much

[HIU8]

I've worn glasses since 8 yrs old and contacts since 12. I've had my share of eye issues b/c of the contacts. I even exclusively wore my glasses for 5 years when DS was born. I simply hate wearing glasses. I have never felt I see properly out of them. My prescription is pretty up there also, and I'm so sensitive that I can tell when I need a 1/4 adjustment in the strength. I have some sensory issues and have never really gotten used to glasses sitting on my face (no matter how light weight they could be made). Plus, now my astigmatism (which I had outgrown) has returned. I'm so sensitive to light that I wear sunglasses even on overcast days.

As for the cataracts, they are not bad enough yet to warrant surgery. When I finally do have to have the surgery I will be getting corrective lenses as replacements anyway and probably only have to wear my reading glasses (I was told I would be having the surgery by the time I am 50). Yes, I already have reading glasses (and my main glasses are progressive lenses).

All I want is to be able to see clearly (I'm correctible to 20/40 and I can tell that things are no longer crisp and it really bothers me--not to be able to read a street sign until I'm about on top of it and such....)

[crayonblue]

Heather! I totally feel your pain. Totally.

I don't know if you were on the boards when I went through all of my eye problems and eventual surgery.

The short version...like you I started wearing glasses and contacts young. I got glasses at age 8 and contacts at 9. I wore gas permeable contacts until 27 when I developed a hideous case of blepharitis (basically dry eye lids which results in all sorts of eye irritation). I couldn't wear my contacts at all! I went from wearing them every waking second to not ever. My prescription was -11 and -10.75 so you can imagine how thick and heavy my glasses wear! I hated them!

I had to wear my glasses through my whole pregnancy with DD1 and the whole time I was nursing her. As soon as I weaned her, I set up an appointment with Dr. Mark Whitten at TLC in Rockville (Tiger Wood's doc). I figured that a doctor who has performed 100,000 lasik surgeries ought to be able to help me!

I went in for consultations and had my lasik date set. I was ecstatic!!!! Went in for the surgery and the tech said they needed to do one last test. Dr. Whitten reviewed the test and said that he couldn't do lasik on me or I was in danger of losing my corneas. Basically, I have sloping corneas. I cried all the way home.

Dr. Whitten sent me to Dr. Roy Rubinfeld in Chevy Chase. After months and months of tests and visits, Dr. Rubinfeld cleared me for PRK. He warned me that I would most likely have side effects (halos, light sensitivity) and that I would most likely need more than one PRK procedure. And he said that PRK was not FDA approved for my prescription but that he could put some steroid drops on my eyes while performing the surgery that would make the surgery successful. I was willing to try anything.

I had PRK and it was the best thing I have ever done for myself. It changed my life! Up until DD3 was born, I saw 20/20 (pregnancy changed my vision a little but I get by without glasses). And I never had any side effects.

Wow, not sure why I typed this all up! I guess because I know the pain of eye problems and I hope you can find a solution.

If you need a miracle eye doctor, go see Dr. Rubinfeld. He is slightly nuts and pompous as all get out but he is amazing.

[HIU8]

Lana,

Thanks for the rec. 10 years ago I was told that my cornea's are to thin. Recently, I was told that the procedures still were not good for me. I know there are several different procedures also. My eyes are not as bad as yours were (almost but they have fluctuated up that high and settled a little below). I'm going to call the doc and see if anything can be done b/c it would be an absolutely wonderful thing to just be able to see and only need reading glasses. I'm finding that my eyes have a hard time adjusting to using the reading glasses on and off.

[crayonblue]

Lana,

Thanks for the rec. 10 years ago I was told that my cornea's are to thin. Recently, I was told that the procedures still were not good for me. I know there are several different procedures also. My eyes are not as bad as yours were (almost but they have fluctuated up that high and settled a little below). I'm going to call the doc and see if anything can be done b/c it would be an absolutely wonderful thing to just be able to see and only need reading glasses. I'm finding that my eyes have a hard time adjusting to using the reading glasses on and off.

I hope he can help!!!! A friend of mine recently had PRK with Dr. Rubinfeld (after a botched Lasik experience) and is thrilled. Just expect the unexpected. The first time I met Dr. R he came strutting into the exam room in a pink shirt with diamond cuff links, looked at my eyes and said, "Wow, your eyes look like sh$t!" Gee thanks. :)

[Kymberley]

My eye doc told me to apply a warm washcloth to the closed eye when this happens. You can even run a hair dryer on low while pointing at your closed eyes (don't burn your face!). He said the heat/warmth causes your tear ducts to produce tears in order to clean the contacts. It's worked for me when I have horrible allergies and my contacts gunk up. I hope this helps at least a little!