Hi Goba,
So, if your shchirmers test is low, it must mean you dont' have enough tears. That is my problem. My schrimers test is usually below 5mm, which is pretty low. I really wish that I could tell you that I've seen improvements over time, I just really haven't though. I do think that most people do see improvements by the time they are 11 months out like me, I must just be slow. Honestly, my
dry eye wasn't that awful in the beginning. I think it was a case of me just not feeling it because none of my corneal nerves had grown back yet. I know that my vision fluctuated alot more in the earlier months, so maybe my
eyes were really
dry, I just couldn't feel it quite as much as I can now. Please try to stay positive though! Ofcourse most of the stuff you look up on line says the
dry eye should go away in 3-6 months. Well, once you really start getting into people that have serious problems (like we all do), that time frame gets extended a bit. My surgeon told me he has never had a patient NOT get better by 1 year post-op. I guess I will be that first one that didn't!

But seriously....I've met alot of other people on other sites, and many of them had completely horrible outcomes when it came to
dry eye, and eventually most of them did see improvements, it just took along time. Some of these people did not see any improvement until after 1 year post-op and even continued to improve well past that. Again, that is rare, you really should see lots of improvement in the coming months. I wasn't throwing that other stuff in there to scare you, but just to let you know that there is hope! It just might take some time
for thing to start feeling better again. I am no longer seeing my surgeon because I didn't feel he gave proper post-op care. The doctor I'm seeing now says that most of the nerves should be regenerated by 18 months, so even she thinks I still have a good shot at getting much better.
I have heard that the Muro is good
for erosions. Yes, I was lucky not to have to deal with those. I can only imagine how painful they must have been. I use drops about every 2 hours as well. I have probably tried every on available, but right now I usually use Bion tears, the preservative free kind. I also use the Systane Free Liquid Gel sometimes too, it is a bit thicker than regular drops and seems to coat well. At night, I sleep with GenTeal gel and a sleep mask over my
eyes to make sure they stay shut. Since you are using your drops so often, you really should be using preservative free stuff. Sometimes preservatives can irritate your
eyes even more. I think that the Genteal PF ones that you mentioned are preservative free, so that is good. My
eyes are usually also worse at night just because they are so tired and worn out from the day. Some days I just come home from work and totally crash because I can't stand it anymore! I also have epithelial cells and metal debris under the flap in my left eye. I guess the cells have not grown, so my new doctor does not seem concerned about them. I think that the longer out from surgery you are, the less of a problem it may be, but it is good that they are monitoring them just incase.
I see that you are a hairdresser! WOW!!! That must be murder on the
dry eye. I put off getting my hair cut and highlighted
for months because I was dreading it. It was awful having those chemicals, and then a blow dryer hanging out so close to my face! My hair dresser must have thought I was an idiot
for closing my
eyes during half of it. You should be very careful since there is probably alot of hairspray and stuff floating around in the air. Do you do eye lid scrubs? That might help because if chemicals and sprays you work with settle on your eye lashes, they might cause further irritation to your
eyes.
About the
plugs, I had three month temporary ones from December-March and I think they may have helped me a tiny bit. I only had the lower puntcum
plugs. A few weeks ago, I got the silicon ones with the little cap, and I'm having some problems there. It is only because my doctor was very inexperienced though, and did not know what she was doing. The
plugs migrated down into the canal (acutally the doctor pushed them in there...that was her mistake) and my new doctors can't really locate them. I'm seeing an ocuplastic surgeon in a few weeks to determine where they are and how to get them out. However, I would not discourage you from trying them...but ONLY the ones with the cap and make sure you have a good doctor. It is not a good idea to get the ones that go all the way into your canal, because then you might end up like me...in a situation where you dont' know where they are, and not sure if they are still there, still working etc.
I know what you mean about a character builder. This has been a huge test
for me, and I am failing miserably. I feel alot of guilt
for having my surgery, and the pain from the
dry eye is just so unbearable at times. It is crazy how much your life ends up revolving around your
eyes when they are hurting. It has been a very depressing experience, BUT I'm trying to keep hope and hang in there and belive that better days are coming. As
for your night out in the smoky area...hmmm...sometimes this goes OK
for me, sometimes it doesnt'. I would just say to take lots of drops with you and make sure you use them often if you need to. ALso if you are drinking alchohol try to drink a glass of water
for every drink you have. This may keep you from dehydrating from the alchohol. If your body is dehydrated, then chances are your
eyes will be too!!!! I have had several occasions where I was freaked out and thuoght my
eyes were gonna be awful because of somethign I was doing, or somewhere I was going, and I actually did quite well, so hopefully that will be the case
for you too.
I'm sorry you had a rough day, but I hope you can still enjoy your night! My day was actually half decent today. I've been in a huge rut lately, so I was very thankful
for the bit of relief! I think I've covered most of your questions...and probably rambled on quite a bit more than I needed to, but I hope this helps! Write any time!

I Hope you have fun tonight!
-Michelle