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  • connypie
      Post count: 68

      Hello everybody, I havent been on here in a while.I ve been treated these last two years for doublevision.Wich the dr,s insist is not caused by my TED.??????? (sarcastic questionmarks)Neither health nor eye insurance covers this.So ive been paying out hundreds of dollars for treatments that were suppossed to cure me in 6 to 9 month,wich then became a year,then two.in january the one eyedr told me i had to keep doing the excercises for the rest of my life(what?).one month later my other eyedr told me “another year and itll be fixed”.SO WICH IS IT? I asked about surgery to correct it and was told,even if i had surgery i would have to do the excersises anyways or the muscle would go back to the original???(ugghh insert brainfart here).yeah my mind isnt the best right now,having symptoms again.But back to the eyes,my right eye sticks out further than the left,a leftover from a hot phase.So if the eyes are uneven from TED,does that not mean its from the graves? Sorry about this little rant,but it is frustrating and confusing to me.Oh and JOY,now i have cataracts too.$1000 in glasses in 18 month. diagnosed 1994,RAI same year.
      connypie

      Liz1967
        Post count: 305

        TED causes double vision. It is due to swelling and stiffness of the eye muscles. There are no exercises to fix this. It should be covered under insurance as it is a direct result of thyroid orbitopathy. If you have one bulging eye, it probably needs orbital decompression surgery, also covered by insurance, before any strabismus ( double vision) surgery, which cannot be undertaken until your thyroid levels are stable and no changes in your eye disease. I have had bilateral decompression as well as strabismus surgery, which corrected my double vision. No exercises were required at any time. You need to see an oculoplastic surgeon and a strabismus surgeon (actually a pediatric surgeon as they do all double vision surgery). I used press on Fresnel prisms at a cost of about $40 until double vision stopped changing and I could have surgery. This was covered also under insurance. I have Medicare and a supplement and I had no out of pocket costs for any of the surgeries. You need new docs.

        Kimberly
        Online Facilitator
          Post count: 4288

          Agree with Liz1967. Some insurers will deny decompression surgery as cosmetic, but it is NOT cosmetic. A good surgeon will be able to fight for you to get it covered.

          I cannot think of ANY reason why an insurer would deny surgery for double vision!

          connypie
            Post count: 68

            Thanks for the Feedback guys,actually i only asked the dr,s about the surgery.not the insurance.but did ask for treatment and office visits and insurance said it wasnt covered.my graves symptoms are mostly in my head according to some dr,s.i actually had an endocronoligist pat my knee and tell me =yuore alright.im in range for labwork,but godda…..t i have days and months i feel like horsepoop.everything gets blamed on my anxiety.i have alot of neurological symptomsin the last year.i know theres an article in ,here somewhere titled:this is not me or something.about higher brain function.as you can see im having a bad day.all the misspellings and ramblings are part of it.bad memory,ect ect.its gotten alot worse since i had breastcancer seven years ago.i thought i had brainfog from the chemo,but i seem to go through phases where it gets worse and then eases off a bit.it feels like im getting dummer every year.pretty frustrating for somebody that speaks two languages and was a master knitter ect ect.

            connypie
              Post count: 68

              sorry forgot all about the decompression surgery.my eye doesnt look really bad,most people dont notice it until i take my glasses off.my eyes protruded 3 times i think.once both and two more times my right eye.it was bad for a few years.no insurance,so surgery wasnt an option back then.oh and i have dry eyes.tearduct plugs in the bottom.oh and i have doublevision closeup.12 inches and closer straight ahead.outer vision goes double too.

              Kimberly
              Online Facilitator
                Post count: 4288

                Hello – I think this is the article you were looking for:

                (Note on links: if you click directly on the following link, you will need to use your browser’s “back” button to return to the boards after viewing, or you will have to log back in to the forum. As an alternative, you can right-click the link and open it in a new tab or new window).

                http://gdatf.org/about/about-graves-disease/patient-education/whats-wrong-with-me/

                Please do NOT settle for someone telling you that your symptoms are all in your head! Maybe it will take a second (or third or fourth) opinion, but don’t forget that YOU are the customer in this situation – and work to find a provider who will take your concerns seriously!

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