Wednesday, January 12, 2011

How dry eye am!

Yesterday I went to the eye doctor for a routine visit, but also because I've been having trouble reading and know that changes in vision can be a side effect of chemo. I've noticed a problem since I started chemo, but it seems to have gotten progressively worse lately. I find myself adjusting and re-adjusting my glasses up and down my nose, and finally just give it up and read until my eyes are too tired and blurry. Not a very pleasant experience for someone who loves to read as much as I do.

At my exam, I learned that one eye's vision hasn't changed but that the other eye has, and so the two of them have been fighting as to who the brain should be listening to when I'm reading. After choosing the best lens between choices "one or two, two or three, three or four", the right correction was determined and it was as if I had put 3-D glasses on...everything was clear again and popped right out at me. It was wonderful!

As we moved on to the "dilated eyes" part of my exam, my doctor asked me if my eyes felt dry, to which I answered, yes...all the time. She said that it looked like my tear ducts were clogged, and also that my oil glands were all dried up, which had caused scarring inside my eyelids...all compliments of chemo. I also had some crazy eyelashes on my lower lids that were turning upward, rather than down, and were poking me in the eyes. I told her that must be the reason I often feel like I have sand in my eyes, on top of their feeling dry. She said she would like to pull them out for me, so she numbed my lower lids and, using her magnifying machine to guide her, plucked out the crazy little eyelashes for me. Ahhhh, no more sand.

While on the subject of eyelashes, I asked her what she thought about the drops that are advertised to increase eyelash growth, and if they really work. She said just what I suspected she would...that they do increase growth on eyelashes that already exist, but don't cause new eyelashes to grow. Just like the hair growth products for your head, they only increase growth of hair that is already there. So, like the hair on my head, I guess my eyes will be "bald", as well. But thank goodness for eyeliner!

She prescribed a couple of kinds of drops for my eyes, to lubricate them and to help with my tear ducts. I told her that one of my most annoying side effects during chemo had been the constant tearing of my eyes, and now here I am having dry eyes...talk about opposite extremes! She smiled and then told me that actually they're one and the same...that my tearing eyes had been caused by my having dry eyes. Go figure.

1 comment:

  1. Poor lady who had to use eyelash growth product in order to increase her eyelashes and also some dryness in her eyes. This is worst part of these new eyelash growth enhancers that they seems to look works perfect, but somewhere they are harmful our body that is why I always stick with natural remedies that always helps and provide great effects also. thank you author to share your story with us.

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