ANA Discussion Forum
Post-Treatment => Eye Issues => Topic started by: nancyann on January 10, 2008, 06:15:04 pm
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I'd like to ask a question to those with the eye weight: Does your eye blink with it? I thought my eye was blinking, but saw myself on video & realize it doesn't blink at all.
It seems the only thing it does is keep the lid from backing up into the eye socket. (so it LOOKS more normal).
I'm not fond of the eye spring - I had asked my eye surgeon about it several months ago, he does put them in, but he told me he has more people come to him to have it removed because of problems, so I really didn't want to try the spring.
I think even when I had a heavier weight, my eye still didn't blink - I was still using gobs of lubricant (still am).
If my eye could blink I wouldn't need the lubricant because I make enough tears (they just fall out from my lower lid).
I wish there was something more that can be done for this problem.
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Hey Nancy!
When I asked my eye doctor about the weights, he said he didn't recommend it in my case. First of all, I guess I have very thin skin in that area and he was afraid it would work itself out and cause more damage. Second, he said it helps the eye to close, but very slowly, so by the time you're starting to get the lid to close, your brain is already telling the other muscle to open it, and since that muscle is still working, it actually listens faster than the one that closes the lid.
I know what you mean about feeling like your eye is blinking. I think mine is, but then when I look at pictures, i can see that it's not. With all the advances in modern medicine, you'd think this wouldn't be so hard to fix! And I don't think anyone who hasn't had this problem would ever understand how big a problem it really is!
Maybe we should buy stock in the eye goop factory. I think we're going to keep them is business for a long time. :(
Lori
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Hey Lori: I like what your doctor said. I just closed my eyes & kept them closed, then felt with my finger the AN lid & it is closed - not all the way but enough that my finger touched the eyelid & NOT the eyeball (good thing because that would have hurt).
So, what I will do is hold the 'blink' longer. Thanks my friend, Nancy
ps: I just made an appt. with the eye surgeon (1st available March 3rd) - just to ask him about these issues, meanwhile, I see my opthamologist once a month to keep a check on my cornea.
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I find that if I shut my eyes.. it does ok .. its just the auto-matic pilot for blinking has gone out to lunch...
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Hi Nancy,
I rarely look under Eye Issues because my eye weight has helped so much. I hate to hear that you are still having so much problems with your eye. After I read your post I asked my wife to look at me and tell me if my eye was blinking. She said yes, but not tight as the other. I told her about your problem blinking and she said that when I am talking she notices that my AN eye does not blink. I have to close both eyes to blink the bad eye but it does work enough that I don't have to put any eye drops in it, as long as I work inside. If I'm outside I tend to forget to blink which in turn will dry out my eye. Good luck in finding a solution to your problem. Also I saw the pictures of your before and after pictures. YOU LOOK GREAT! I showed my entire family and co-workers. I looked like you when I first come home from the hospital and have improved so much. You have too!!!! Congratulation!
Ellis
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Hi Ellis: I think it's like Lori said: If we 'hold' the blink, our eye closes enough to protect the cornea. If we're talking & just 'regular' blinking, our eye doesn't close.
I think my eye weight may also be a little too light. When I see the eye surgeon in March, I'll find out.
I'm so glad you had improvement in your face. Unfortunately mine stayed totally paralysed, so the surgery really helped, both physically & psychologically. Thanks for the kind words.
Always good thoughts, Nancy
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I find myself forcing to blink a lot while driving ... I think this was an activity that was always hard on the eyes before the AN .. and its even harder after... I need to keep the heat/air on super low or off and to keep the fan on the floor vents away from my face... I remember a time I drove from NJ to NH on a friday night..(uggg!) (1992).. and got pulled over for speeding :o in NH .. the cop asked me if I have been drinking!!... because my right eye was red...(my AN is on the right!!!!) .. I explained that I have been driving all night from Jersey (I lived in NJ at the time).. and I was NOT drinking .. He gave me a speeding ticket and sent me on my way. >:(
one of my favorite activities... fishing seems to be good on the eyes! ... being on the water on a kayak you only inches above the water.. the humidity must be high... I rarely need drops even before my eye weight.. (but I still take drops just in case)
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Hello Nancy,
When I recieved my gold weights, the Doctor informed me that it is only intended to pull down the upper lid enough to try and protect the cornea, not to blink. As you know, I have had my weights removed, when I opted for my Gunderson Flap. Remember, we never realized how strong and important our eyelids were until undergoing an AN. I will on occasion manually close my AN eye with my finger while I am resting. It does feel good and is comforting. It is funny when we are blinking ouir normal eye, people assume we are winking at them. Good luck at the Optamologist and keep us posted.
This is for Joef: I have used my puralube tears on artificial bait for fishing. The fish really bite. They love the puralube.(just kidding) Hey thanks again for helping me with my profile picture.
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Hey Hawk: You're absolutely right - I just had a coworker watch me close my eye - when I hold the eye it's closed but you can still see a little white (not ccompletely closed). I have the 'bells palsy phenomenon which is when when you close your eye the eyball rolls up - it's actually a good thing because it protects the cornea. When I blink it doesn't close at all.
Always good thoughts, Nancy
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Hawk, are there a lot of fish out there with dry eyes? ??? Who knew...
Nancy, I have the Bell's phenomenon also. Actually everyone who can't close their eyes should have it. It is a good thing. Imagine what we'd be like without it! At least it provides some protection! I had read about it but I didn't know for sure it really did happen until I had someone else watch me when I tried to blink. How about that. At least one part of me is wired correctly!
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Hmmm...I'll need to check Chris for this phenonmenon. The doctor told us that Chris is blinking but not enough times per second. When he is tired, I notice that his eye doesn't close all the way (even with the weight). I sometimes see a gap and this is probably what has caused his cornea problem.
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hi ! everybody ,
Well I had my AN removed on 2006 March . I have lot of problem with my AN eyes. I use tear drops during day and lubricants during nights. I just hate the tear drops as I find it even harder to blink . I get terrible headaches with bright lights and my therapist has suggested me to ask my doctor about the weights. I really have no idea about weights. She did tell me about the gold weight but I am little terrified . I am having such a hard time at school as I have to stay in that bright light for 3 hours . Can anybody tell me about it .
Thanks .
Smrity.
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Hi there Smrity: nice to meet you. Well, I feel the eye weight is a blessing! It was awful for me before having one. My eye was wide open.
The surgery is a piece of cake, very little down time. I initially had a gold weight, but had an allergic reaction to it (very very rare, but I have alot of
allergies). I had the gold weight removed, waited 8 months before having a platinum chain put in. The platinum chain lays flatter inside the upper eyelid,
so I'm glad I had the switch. - it is less noticeable. Just make sure they use enough weight that your eye will close when you blink.
I think I need a little more weight ( I only had 0.8 grams put in, I think I need at least 1 gram - my eye appt 3/3 I'll find out). Right now my eye will close if I
hold the blink.
You will look much more normal with an eye weight. Everyone here is glad they had it done. It really isn't something to be scared of, but grateful for.
I thought I'd go nuts when I had to wait 8 months for another weight!
Always good thoughts, Nancy
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Hi ! Nancy ,
Thanks for your response . I have finally decided to see an eye specialist .My concern is I can blink my eyes but I do not have tears in my eyes and after some time my eyes burns and I get headaches. I think I do not have full eye closure on AN side. Isn't eye weight just for people without blink ?
Smrity .
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Hi there Smrity: To find out if you do indeed blink, ask someone to watch you. I found out by watching the video a dr. made of me recently.
If it's tears you're lacking, several people on this site have had their dr. write an Rx for Restasis, which, after continued use for I forget how long, it promotes tears.
Also, there is the 'punctual plug', a tiny plug that goes into your tearduct & produces tears, something like that.
Since I produce tears, I am not a candidate for the above. My eyes make tears, but because I can't blink they're useless.
Some people need both: the weight + the tear assistance.
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Thanks Nancy ,that's a great information .
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Smrity: Glad I could help....
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Hi smrity,
Chris had his gold weight put in right after the final surgery for the tumor. His doctor was expecting that he would need it and he did! I watched the opthalmologist perform the surgery. It took about an hour for the entire procedure. You can't tell its in the upper eyelid, unless you look very close and then you see a little bump there. Chris did fine for a year but when he went back to college, the studying, the ligjhts, dry dorm room and continous computer use took it's toll. His lower lid became lax and yesterday he had surgery to lift it.
The eye weight is a blessing. You won't be sorry, if you choose to have it done. There is very little down time, as NancyAnn explained. Chris had slight swelling and a little bruise for a couple of days. Good luck...whatever you decide.
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I am still doing the blinkeze stick on eye weight thing.
http://www.medcompare.com/details/34993/Blinkeze-External-Lid-Weights.html
(Insurance has yet to reimburse us … and they won’t pay for all the tape strips)
When I take off the weight I have 25 % blink action. When I have the weight on I have 100% blink action.
Days after surgery I lost the blink action 100%- so I guess I am improving since the post op days. (I am at 5 months now). I am wondering how long I will be doing this sticky tape thing and if I really will have 100% blinking action return. I guess I will wait this out (weight it out ...ar ar LOL :D ;)) and see if I will need to get an implant or not.
3 weeks ago I managed to stop having to tape ‘under’ the eye. I hope to one day to rid myself of ALL the sticky tape (blinkeze, nasal strips at night for the paralyzed nostril etc to stay open) … then I truly will become unglued.
Here’s winking at you (with my sticky tape on) – Nancy. ;)
Cheers,
4
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Hey 4 - you doll baby you! I think it's GREAT news that you have 25% blink recovery!! YEAH!!! It IS a slow process, isn't it?
As the saying goes, 'patience IS a virtue'.
Always good thoughts, Nancy
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Hello All You Winkers!
I love my weight, but it took 3 tries to get the right weight. I had them give me a little something b/c I didn't want to "hear" the procedure. I had to have my eye sewn shut for 3 months about 4 months after my surgery b/c the cornea was scratched so badly -- I actually heard them cutting my eyelid (HORRIBLE, i know, I'm sorry)!!!! I didn't want ANY part of that again. Recovering from the drugs were much worse than the procedure. The third time, they forget to give me something and I was wanting to get thru so I could go watch my daughter's soccer game, so I didn't want to take the time for the drug to take affect. I was at the game about an hour later! I bruise REALLY bad and did the first two times and then the 3rd was right around Halloween and I actually WANTED to bruise for my costume and didn't -- go figure!!
I just made my hubby tell me about my blinking -- he thinks I am nuts - its not like it has been this way for a LONG time now. He wondered why I was reevaluating my blinking now!! He said it always "moves/twitches" like it is going to blink when the other one does, but it doesn't close all the way every time. I don't seem to produce tears, but I must some b/c I don't use that much lubricant during the day. However, I can honestly tell you that my eye has teared (running down my face) 3 times in 12 years -- & one was MLK weekend when I was in Houston and Jeanlea & I had just been PMing about eye stuff!! Isn't that weird??
OK, enough about my eyes!
4~ I tried a "stick on" weight first b/c my mom had Bells Palsey (I think she just wanted to look like me!!!) -- the permanent one is MUCH better and easier. I hope you get your function back & don't need it, but if you do someday, I hope your insurance will pay. My weight (which BTW I didn't get for SEVEN YEARS after my surgery) is wonderful!
K
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k,
I am at 85% blink action now and have full eye closure (however slower closure than the normal eye still) ... so in hindsight I think the temporary weight was a good thing, in my case, as I only use drops at night when I take off the weight to go to bed.
My eyelid functions are retuning - now if only my face were normal… and I was not showing signs of synkinesis… this involuntary winking at people when I eat is awkward.
This whole AN journey is quite the “weighting� (waiting ;)) game… and an endurance of “patience� (patients :D)
Groan …. LOL… Har de har har ;D
Cheers,
4
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4~
At least you still have a sense of humor!! In my book, that is one of the most important things that can carry us thru anything!!!
K
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RIGHT AFTER MY SURGERY I HAD COMPLETE PARALYSIS AND MY EYE WAS WIDE OPEN. WOULDN'T CLOSE OR FLICKER AT ALL WHEN I TRIED. NOW BEFORE HAVING MY WEIGHT PUT IN I COULD AT TIMES CLOSE IT ALL THE WAY BUT NOT BLINK. DOES THIS PROGRESSION SUGGEST THAT THE NERVE FUNCTION IS COMING BACK TO THE EYELID OR NOT. I AM 7 MONTHS POST OP AND STILL CAN'T BLINK SO IT MADE ME WONDER. I DO FEEL A TIGHTENING SPASM AROUND THE EYE AT TIMES BUT EMG SHOWS NOTHING WHEN THEY TESTED THE EYELID ITSELF AND UNDER THE EYE.