[Anonymous February 16, 1998 at 6:33 pm Post count: 93172]

#1051886

As a smoker for 32 years I quit four weeks ago. The doctors over the last six years of treating my gd and eye problems (radiation, decompression, the whole nine yards) never made an issue of my smoking. The optho used to make a remark about quitting was good in general but never pushed it. After my third round with pneumonia in the last few years I decided to quit, but gd and my eyes had nothing to do with that decision. Yesterday was my birthday, and I spent it with cold compresses on my eyes as they are swelling and tearing. It’s enough to make you light up.

[Anonymous February 17, 1998 at 12:52 pm Post count: 93172]

#1152717

Dear Joanne
you said in your post you have gone the whole 9 yards,with all the treatments you had ,well I can’t help but wonder why the tears?Ihthought after all you have been through that all that would be gone,is it not and if its not (the GD)why hasn’t it?You know Joanne it really makes me wonder why people are having all these treatments done if they don’t stop the GD?If you could e-mail me and tell me how you are doing now,it might relly help me in my decisions on if I should have the decompression done or not,I’d really appreciate if you would do this for me and take care of yourself Barb muffe@nexicom.net
and thanks again Joanne

[Anonymous February 17, 1998 at 4:56 pm Post count: 93172]

#1152718

Barb, everyone finds their own way through this disease. After being on ATDs for about seven months, my eyes started to go. I was feeling pretty much improved by then, but started on prednisone for the eye swelling, double vision. The eyes got worse for months and I was losing my vision. Radiation treatments were tried, didn’t work. I was on 80 mg of prednisone daily. My first decompression on my right eye was an emergency situation to save my sight. Normally they do not like to do decompression while the eyes are in the “hot” stage. Three months after the decompression I had radiation treatments again. Still didn’t work. Had decompression on my left eye two months after that. Had to wait because I was fighting a virus and they wouldn’t do surgery until I was over that. Meanwhile glaucoma and cataracts had developed from the prednisone. One cataract has been removed, I am waiting out pneumonia before they take the other one. Second cataract surgery was postponed so I could have RAI. Eleven months have passed
and I am still hyper. Levels have come down, but I am still in the hyper range, still have hyper symptoms and still taking beta blocker and ATDs. The situation is just what developed, not because of what anyone did or did not do at any given time. The only thing that really bothers me now is that I have problems from the medications that are just as bothersome as the disease symptoms. But yes, the brain fog has pretty much lifted, I am stronger than I was and at least have hope that eventually I will feel “normal”. Don’t ever quit thinking you will be okay.

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