What to do, what to do

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A week that I thought would be stressless did not turn out that way. With the big house projects behind us it should be easy, right? Nope, nope, nope!

I returned to my new eye doc this week. It was a follow-up to the course of action she gave me a month ago. I have a moderate to severe case of dry eye which is better but there is still inflammation on the cornea. Not a good thing although it’s much less than it was.

But…they have a procedure for that. An amniotic band aid lens (like a contact lens) inserted on the eye for a few days will help heal it. I hate stuff on my eyes. I want to put an eye drop in and have a miracle happen. Better still how about a gummy bear? Some delicious flavored gummy bear that makes all the bad stuff go away. (Maybe even solve world peace?)

Anyhow I have been knee deep in googling which hasn’t been helpful. Although not new, it’s a relatively recent procedure and I was not able to find any reviews. All I found were a few reviews on the manufacturer’s website saying how wonderful it is.

I feel like a guinea pig. Marching forward. Right foot, left foot. Has anyone out there had this done?

62 thoughts on “What to do, what to do”

  1. Wow – I’d be apprehensive as well with this relatively new procedure. Is your new doc associated with an opthalmology institute so that she is able to offer such a modern treatment? Years ago when Radial Keratotomy (RK) first was available, my opthamologist, who was associated with the Kresge Eye Institute, told me this at routine eye exam: “You’ll hear about RK and consider it because I know you’re vain – wear the contact lenses for that vain streak, but please promise me you will not get RK surgery.” This was before LASIK – cuts were made on the eyeball to correct vision to 20/20. Dr. Barsky is long gone, but he put the fear of God in me to ever have people mess with my eyeballs. That said, if I needed cataract surgery, I would do that. It is a routine procedure as far as I know. As for this, wow – I’d get a second opinion I think … I did not ask my friend as she would have mentioned it as she posts result of any and all doc appointments on Facebook. She has other issues right now (upcoming hiatal hernia surgery) which takes precedence. Good luck on what you decide.

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    • I remember RK. It was too experimental for me. I had a correction procedure prior to lasik which was done with a laser. It corrected my vision and I was happy. This treatment has been around for a while. This is the second doc that recommended it. My problem is that I’m always more comfortable with something if I know someone who has had it. In this case I don’t. As it turned out I developed a sty over the weekend so I won’t do it until that’s gone. Then we have some visitors coming so it’s in the fall at the earliest. There are other treatments available and I’m surprised (and sorry) that she didn’t suggest one of those. Your early eye doc was wise to tell you that.

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      • That would raise my comfort level to speak with someone who had it done already too. Perhaps you could ask your doctor for some names of prior patients who had the procedure and they could contact you, or would that be violating HIPAA privacy laws? The idea of the eight cuts to the eyeball for RK would be scary. My boss was slated to undergo two cataract surgeries this year, one in April and one in May. He had measurements taken for the April surgery, dates for follow-up for both eyes booked, but could not go through with it. He has not rescheduled it and does not want to talk about his decision, but said “it is a little difficult to drive.”

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        • Truly cataract surgery is nothing. They do it with lasers these days which are very precise. The improved vision is huge. I know the idea of it is overwhelming but the surgery takes less than 15 minutes and down time is a day or two. It took about 24 hours for my pupils to undilate but I could see immediately. No patches although some docs recommend them when you sleep so you don’t poke it. I had it done because I was having a lot of difficulty driving at night.

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          • That’s good to know – I won’t worry about it for when my time comes. I don’t know why my boss cancelled because he told me he was having trouble driving at night and the eye doctor told him he needed to restrict his driving as his eyesight is so poor right now. My mom had laser surgery for glaucoma and the doctor used a machine that he sat on the floor and aimed it at her eye. She had milky-like drops for a day or so and was fine. He showed us before the surgery how he could shot a hole in President Lincoln’s eye on a penny.

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  3. I can only say that when Bruce had his cornea replaced it wasn’t painful. If that helps. Perhaps put it out on fb, fb in general and see if perhaps you will get better feedback. Good luck. We are here for you.

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  4. I am finding with this post that my dry eyes are not as serious as your eyes. I have never heard of this treatment. I find that my dry eyes are associated with stress, seems that everything is. But for sure my dry eyes are made worse by long hours or late night hours staring at my laptop to fight off anxiety… stay busy and occupied doing something else. And I don’t blink! I had no idea that dry eyes could cause an inflamed cornea. I of course googled AM for corneal disease and found it fascinating. I feel bad that you are having to wrestle with this decision. If you decide to go ahead I hope it does the job. I like Debra’s thoughts up there in her comment. But it isn’t my eye and I know you will choose what you are comfortable with. After Jerry’s ordeal with a macular hole three years ago in one eye, I am pretty sure if this would have been a treatment for his issue he would have given it a try. Fingers crossed for you, Kate.

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    • Thanks. I’ve had dry eye since the mid-90s. It’s often associated with eye surgery and I’ve had a lot. I’ve had eye correction (3 times in one eye…don’t ask), cataracts, dropped eyelid, secondary cataracts. All contribute to it. I’ve managed it with a variety of DIY things along with a prescription drop (that I swear doesn’t do anything!). At the beginning of this summer I had a major flareup. I was so sensitive to light that I wore sunglasses inside. With the new doc, I got it stabilized but it still feels like sandpaper most of the time but the sun sensitivity is back to where it was before. I think my dry eye collided with allergies that exhibited in my eye. My frustration is that I haven’t found anyone who has done this although my doc had many in her practice (which is limited to specific cases of eye disease rather than general check ups). It may be uncomfortable. I may have my eye taped shut for 3 days (one eye at a time). So many unknowns. I remember Jerry’s hole. That was really scary. My case isn’t that critical but the inflammation can cause scarring which can limit my vision so for the long term it behooves (don’t you love that word?) me to address it while I have vision!

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  6. Totally understand your hesisitation ! Sorry that I can’t help you, but hoping it all turns out well! And after its done, treat yourself to some gummies’s, starbursts, latte’s and margarita. That should about do it, right? 🙂

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  8. I’ve never heard of this procedure. I think I’d be a little wary, too, just because it’s something new. But I’m always hearing of new treatment plans that are likely to solve a medical problem in a unique way, and this sounds like one of those. I hope this works well, Kate. Don’t think of yourself as a guinea pig; picture yourself as part of a ground breaking new procedure. 🙂

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  9. Sorry I have no words of wisdom as I have never had anything done to my eyes. I do think they sell gummy bears ( marijuana laced) that would make you feel pretty good. Just kidding, I have never even tried the stuff.

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  13. Dry eyes here as well, but I haven’t heard of that particular treatment. Apparently dry eyes is such a revenue stream, my eye doctor has set up an entire dry eye department/facility in the same space. I don’t have a clue what they do there, but I do know my Dr. assures me they could make a difference for me if I’d like to spend the $2,500 per treatment that is currently not in most insurance plans. For now, I’ll stick with the warm compresses and the moisturizing drops. Please let us know what you decide and how it goes. Good luck!

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    • The treatment I’m considering is covered by insurance but there are some things like scleral lenses that aren’t always. They are lenses that cover more of the eye than a regular contact lens and have a reservoir for liquid so your eye is always wet. I’ve never tried them as I didn’t want to go back to contact lenses. Then there are the IPLs and an eyeball massage that are not covered. As us boomers are aging, dry eye is becoming big business. I’d gladly pay more to get it resolved but so far nothing lasts more than 6 months to a year. Dry eye can’t be cured or reversed. Sometimes I’m ok and sometimes I have a painful flareup. Not sure what triggers it.

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  16. Hubby has dry eye but using drops. The ones he usually has are now difficult for the pharmacies to source so he rang the surgery for an alternative which he is trying now. When it is really bad, he has a steroid drop which helps, but he can only use that once a day whereas the others are as required. Good luck.

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  17. I have no experience with your dilemma, though I wore contacts on and off for many years and, while I didn’t like sticking fragile, easy-to-lose things in my eyes with my fingertip, being able to see when I woke up or wear sunglasses was worth the hassle. Like you, I’m hesitant to try out a new product OR procedure. I have mildly dry eyes and some allergies, but my eye doctor is okay with me just using drops once (or twice) a day and that works for me! Good luck with making your decision!

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    • I should have asked about that. This morning one of the techs spent some time with me on the phone answering my questions but a lot of the answers started with “depends on how your eye reacts.” I hate the unknown.

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  19. WOW…..well the special lens sounds really interesting but I know how you feel – there’s just “something” about sticking anything in your eye! I hope the new doc will be open and honest about other patients’ experience and give you some reassurance. I admit though it sounds like a great way to get medicine to the cornea without having to use drops or something else. Good luck!

    Hugs, Pam

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  21. we cross all fingers for a super result and for the miracle … I’m with you I’m the one who asks dr. google to find a hole in the bloody contract and I can discuss a surgery technique with a doc like a pro …

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