What is your diagnosis (or diagnoses if you have more than one)?
Dry eye disease (severe)
How long have you had it?
Diagnosed 5 years ago. Have had dry eye issues for many years before Dc
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?
Although “dry eyes” may not sound like a big deal it hurts physically, it interferes with sleep, and can cause serious vision problems. At one point I had to rely solely on audio books and to some degree extra large print publications, and could only watch TV by sitting only a few inches away. Couldn’t go to sporting events, movies, theaters, etc because of dry eyes.
What has helped you the most?
Surgical intervention was needed; still need prescription eye drops (Restasis), OTC lubricating drops (Oasis Theradrops+) and moisture goggles overnight.
Are there any dry eye resources you'd like to recommend?
Dry Eye Shop has been an excellent resource. Dr Samantha Watson (Wilmington Eye) made me aware of you. The Wilmington Eye practice, in and around Wilmington, NC has an overall excellent group of surgeons, ophthalmologists, optometrists, all of whom are well-trained and experienced. It took numerous specialists, all of whom worked cooperatively, to get my dry eyes under good control. Having all them in the same practice made coordinating things much easier than if I had to go to several different places to access all the needed specialists.