I can't believe it....

[Lindsey]

I have not even heard from the new doctor yet to set up an appointment. If he doesn't call today, I am calling the referring specialist, getting his number, and calling myself.

I am 95% sure Scott has the same thing now. The whites of his eyes are pink and they are very veiny looking. I told him it looks like pink eye, but he refuses to go to a doctor. Maybe he has had it this whole time too but hasn't been showing symptoms. Maybe I can't get rid of it because he's not being treated for it either.

Anyways, on top of this I am still having sinus problems and for the past two days I've had terrible chest congestion and a cough. I can't say after this long that anything is related, but it's all just making me pretty miserable.

[Lindsey]

Oh yeah, and the new drops haven't helped at all yet. Frustrating.

[gja1000]

Did this all start before toy moved into your new house? I think it did so it's probably not anything environmental, but it's just a thought.

[Lindsey]

We moved in April and it started in mid-June... I had that feeling too but I think we were there long enough before that it should have started earlier if that were the case. We did get new bedroom furniture just before it started, but that's all that has changed. But I have been away from the house, even on holidays for a week, and it doesn't get better when I'm away from home.

[Lindsey]

My appointment is tomorrow afternoon. I asked the receptionist if my pupils will be dilated and I'm glad I asked because the answer was yes... Scott will take time off work to go with me now. I don't think I will be able to come back to work after it either. They say it lasts for an hour or so but it seems to last much longer with me. Last time they were dilated around 4:00 and I couldn't even look at the tv until around 7:00... it's more comfortable just to keep my eyes closed!

I looked at the new doctor's information online and he's actually a surgeon. But obviously he's specialized enough that he might be able to figure something out. The building is the same place where they do lasik and other optical surgeries so they have very specialized equipment and hopefully can see a little more. Scott's eyes have been continuously getting more and more red too, so it MUST be something contagious or an allergy or something. It's not affecting JUST me.

[DianaB]

I hope they finally figure out what it wrong.

[Lindsey]

I feel like I've waited forever for this appointment and the day is finally here. Please cross your fingers that he can find out what's wrong!

[Lindsey]

I am frustrated beyond belief. He said NOTHING is wrong with my eyes. They used dilating drops which also whiten the eyes (I learned from the last eye doc that it happens), so he just said "They look fine to me". I told him the steroid drops haven't helped and he told me to keep taking them for the next month (the pamphlet says 10 days max or you heighten your risk of getting eye diseases and loss of sight). I told him my eyes are so red in the mornings I can't see any whites. I said they're in pain like they're strained or fatigued all the time. I said they're itchy in the corners every once in awhile. He just said "There's nothing wrong, take these lubricating drops and come back in 6 weeks"
I held my tears on the way out. I am getting NOWHERE with this.

[gja1000]

Lindsay, I think this is paternalism at its height. The doctors are not listening to you. And the more insistent you get, the more they think you are a dizzy woman. It is absolutely maddening. I have a friend who works with women with heart disease. She knows a woman who had jaw surgery, her gall bladder out, her teeth fixed, physical therapy for back pain, diagnosed with depression - all before she had her heart attack. Yep, ALL her symptoms for months were heart pain - undiagnosed because most research is done on men and doctors do not understand that the symptoms of cardiovascular disease in women is very different than men.

This is all to say that I believe you are experiencing doctors who are not listening to you. I'm so sorry and I don't know what to tell you except to keep searching for a doctor that will listen to you. There IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR EYES and you may have to shout and stomp your feet to get some help. However, you may be treated like a hysterical female - which really stinks. But remember the squeeky wheel ultimately gets some oil!

[Lindsey]

Thank you Gayle. I don't want to wait until something serious happens before someone takes notice. In the morning I am calling the eye care center that referred me to this guy, and asking if there's anyone else I can see for a second opinion. I'll tell them I feel that it is something contagious since my boyfriend seems to have gotten the same thing. I just need another opinion before 6 weeks is up. I am also not going to take the steroid eye drops anymore. I have used them for 7 days and not seen any improvements. And straight from the drug information:

Prolonged use: Prolonged use of this medication can cause eye problems such as glaucoma, optic nerve damage, vision problems, cataracts, and perforation of the cornea. Prolonged used may also increase the risk of fungal and bacterial eye infections. If this medication is used for more than 10 days, your doctor will check your eyes routinely.

I don't know WHY this doctor would suggest me taking it for a month and seeing me again in 6 weeks. Not worth it to me if I haven't seen ANY improvement yet. My eyes really hurt and this doctor just acted like I was wasting his time. I wouldn't be wasting MY time and using all my sick time at work if there wasn't a real problem here. I have never been treated like this before. I had a lump on my neck when I was very little and I was seen and tested by every specialist possible... it went away and they never found the cause but they never stopped trying. I had kidney problems in my teens and again saw every specialist for it and was tested for every possible disease and am still being monitored to make sure it's healthy. But these eye specialists just don't care.

[gja1000]

The uncaring attitude and telling you to take a medication that clearly is dangerous long term is just unacceptable. Keep after them!

[judy]

I had very bad dry eye after I had Lasix about 15 years ago. I found the name of a doctor who was very well known for specializing in this. I wrote to him asking for the name of a specialist in NYC, and his assistant emailed the name of a great doctor. She gave me a list of things to try, and then gave me the name of an excellent doctor to go see who was doing research in NYC. He started me on a medication that was in clinical trial. At the end of all of this, about 10 years later, I don't even have to take the medication he gave me anymore.

Maybe you can start doing some research online and see which researchers keep popping up when you research your symptoms.

[Lindsey]

This is so absolutely sickening. I called the eye care centre who referred me to this guy and the receptionist said I can't just go back there, I have to get my optometrist to refer me again. I have to start from scratch again if I want to see the guy in the middle.

[Lindsey]

I called the office of the specialist I saw yesterday. I told them he found nothing wrong but there IS something wrong and I'd like to see him again without the dilating drops, and I'm not waiting 6 weeks because my eyes hurt. The soonest I can get in is September 5th.

I called the optometrist who started the referrals and her receptionist was going to call me back after talking with her. They talked and called and said I can get in on the 23rd. She said it should be able to wait that long. She can't see me again until she gets reports back from the specialists I've seen.

I am making Scott call the optometrist now. He's going to say he has the same problem as me so we're worried it's contagious and if we can't get in sooner, can we at least both see the doctor when I go in on the 23rd.

I have such a headache. I have been hiding out in the office bathroom a few times already this morning to wipe my tears. I am so stressed out.

[DianaB]

So sorry, Lindsey. I can't believe that this has gone on for this long. I think that it's a good idea for Scott to see the doctor......maybe they'll take him more seriously. It's sad but it doesn happen.