Hi, Katie!
I understand what you’re going through, and sometimes there are no
easy answers. Thinking back, it was my eye symptoms that “made or
broke” my day. The redness, tearing, itchiness, and aches seemed
to determine my mood and energy levels for the day. Needless to
say, some days I just existed.
Going to places with a lot of activity, i.e. stores, programs,
driving on busy streets, not only raised my anxiety levels, but
also put a strain on my eyes. It was like trying to watch three
TV shows all at once. It was hard to concentrate on one thing,
without being distracted by other movements, colors, etc.
Everything seemed to be coming at me at once, and florescent
lights didn’t help matters. I tried to deal with these symptoms
by avoiding busy times on the roads and at the stores, wearing
the darkest sunglasses I could find (some people even wear tinted
glasses indoors), and giving my eyes frequent rests between paperwork
and reading. Using lubricant and taping my eyes shut at night gave
me the most relief, both during sleep and the next day. You’ll have
to keep experimenting to see what works best for you.
I think that my last lid retraction surgery gave my eyes a sleepy
look, but I feel the procedure gave me the relief I needed. I
no longer use lube or tape, and rarely have tearing and irritation.
After seeing myself in photos, I know what I look like to others.
I now make a conscious effort to open my eyes more widely when
speaking to people and when having pictures taken (and to think
that I used to try to squint a little when my proptosis was at
its worst).
Keep in touch with your ophthalmologist. He knows your case best
and can hopefully offer more help. You’ve dealt with Graves’ for
a long time, and certainly deserve some positive results!
Wishing you good health and happiness, Debby
