What is your diagnosis (or diagnoses if you have more than one)?
I have dry eye symptoms without having any underlying medical conditions except for an autonomic system disorder that affects my vision, muscle control, blood pressure, and etc.
How long have you had it?
About 20 years.
What do you wish more people understood about dry eye (or eye pain if that's your main issue) and how it affects people's lives?
Light sensitivity and eye pain have changed my life. Light sensitivity forced me to stop watching fireworks and driving at night. I also limit my exposure to reflected sunlight to 30 minutes per day. I am unable to see cell phones unless they have settings significantly reducing glare. My work performance was severally degraded because of my vision problems. I was on the fast track to be promoted in Postal management until my autonomic disorder, and my vision problems stopped my career progression.
What has helped you the most?
PROSE and scleral lens helped the most; they increased my vision from dysfunctional to barely functional. These lenses helped me keep my job until retirement. Also, Eyeeco quartz hydrating sleep goggles prevent my CPAP from drying out my eyes.
Are there any dry eye resources you'd like to recommend?
1. Boston Sight's PROSE training program was extremely helpful.
2.The Dry Eye Shop is very helpful at selling dry eye supplies under one roof.