Gary had his follow-up visit with the eye specialist this week concerning his Neurotrophic keratitis (NV). Gary thought he was able to see better with the eye chart and the doctor confirmed there was a slight improvement. His cornea is still rough ... no improvement there.
The doctor tested both eyes to measure tear production using Schirmer's test. He first placed a topical anesthetic into the eyes to prevent tearing due to the irritation of the paper strips. (Although, Gary can not feel anything touching his right eye.) The use of the anesthetic ensures that only basal tear secretion is being measured. The strips were placed in both eyes and Gary was instructed keep them closed for 5 minutes, like this...
Well, not exactly like this, but you get the idea. The paper strips were then removed and the amount of moisture was measured. A normal measurement for Gary's age would at 10mm. Gary's right eye was just over a 2, which confirms the severity of the NV. The doctor was surprised to see Gary's left eye was slightly under the normal level as well. He said this could be due to the medications Gary is on, so will wait till next month to see if it improves.
For the next month, Gary will continue what he has been doing, using the Cellufresh preservative free drops, this time in both eyes, every 2 hours and Lipolin gel in his right eye at bedtime. In addition, Gary will start using Restasis, a topical cyclosporine, in both eyes every 12 hours.
The Restasis stings for a few minutes but that should go away in a week, however, it is also making him nauseous and whether it is because of the drops, or the NV itself, his eyes are painful today. Appreciate your prayers for him.
The doctor tested both eyes to measure tear production using Schirmer's test. He first placed a topical anesthetic into the eyes to prevent tearing due to the irritation of the paper strips. (Although, Gary can not feel anything touching his right eye.) The use of the anesthetic ensures that only basal tear secretion is being measured. The strips were placed in both eyes and Gary was instructed keep them closed for 5 minutes, like this...
Well, not exactly like this, but you get the idea. The paper strips were then removed and the amount of moisture was measured. A normal measurement for Gary's age would at 10mm. Gary's right eye was just over a 2, which confirms the severity of the NV. The doctor was surprised to see Gary's left eye was slightly under the normal level as well. He said this could be due to the medications Gary is on, so will wait till next month to see if it improves. For the next month, Gary will continue what he has been doing, using the Cellufresh preservative free drops, this time in both eyes, every 2 hours and Lipolin gel in his right eye at bedtime. In addition, Gary will start using Restasis, a topical cyclosporine, in both eyes every 12 hours.
The Restasis stings for a few minutes but that should go away in a week, however, it is also making him nauseous and whether it is because of the drops, or the NV itself, his eyes are painful today. Appreciate your prayers for him.
