An Outsider's Perspective on CDE: An Interview With My Friend

This is taken from an interview with my friend about her perspective during my chronic dry eye (CDE) diagnosis journey. 

Julie: What do you remember about the day you went to the eye doctor with me?

Jackie: I remember that you were constantly having to go back to get your prescription readjusted. And I thought that was so strange because having glasses, myself, and having gone to the same practice a few times, I never had an experience like that. And to me, it was really baffling. I didn't understand why you had to keep going back. It was weird. I was like, what's wrong with your doctor? I almost thought it was something on your physician.

Julie: That's very validating. Thank you. What was it like for you?

Outside looking in

Jackie: Well, I just remember noticing that you were really frustrated. It was taking a toll on you mentally. And I guess that makes sense. If your vision's not correct, it's gonna be frustrating. I feel like it was painful for you, too. Like it wasn't just the frustration of, oh, something's a little blurry. It was physically painful to you.

Julie: Yeah. Yeah, it was. Because you know, they ended up finding out it was chronic dry eye. That's why they couldn't get the prescription right, because the issue wasn't the prescription. The issue was the fact that my eyes were so dry and sensitive to light, and everything. Was there anything that surprised you after the eye appointment?

Jackie: I honestly don't remember after that, I just remember that it was an ongoing struggle for you. And I didn't have any other friends that were going through that. So for me, it was a foreign thing. But I could tell that you were so frustrated and that you felt really helpless and you just wanted to fix it. And it just wasn't something that could just go away. But it seems like you didn't know what the root of the issue was.

Julie: So how easy or hard was it for you to understand and be supportive? When you have no reference point to what's going on?

Staying supportive of those with CDE

Jackie: When I don't know how to help the situation, all I can do is be there and not feed into the energy. So I think I was kind of just there for you to vent to, you know, to just have a friend that you can be like, 'Oh, my God, my eyes...why can't I just fix this?!' But aside from that, I mean, yeah, I felt helpless as well. It definitely wasn't in my power to fix that.

Julie: You are so great for venting. You do your job well. Do you remember anything about what I said about how my chronic dry eye was affecting my work?

Jackie: Given that we were in an industry where we were behind screens all day, I don't know how you could perform an office job when your vision isn't all that good. Even I had to start wearing my glasses every day to work. I never used to wear my glasses at the computer. And I've also had so many other co-workers who have had to get blue light blockers for the same reason. So I can only imagine how stressful it must have been to be looking at a screen all day, manipulating tiny data in spreadsheets and everything.

Julie: I still remember, I would turn my overhead light on, and then I would turn it off because it was too harsh. But then the screen light was too harsh, so I would turn the overhead light back on. I would get to work early before anybody else came in and turn all the lights off. I put the screen up bright. I put the screen up dim. I couldn't figure it out. Before my diagnosis, had you ever heard about CDE?

Jackie: I feel like I'd heard about it, maybe listening to a commercial, unintentionally. You know, I believe that I've overheard some snippets of conversations on commercials for it. And I know about it through you.

Julie: Is there anything you learned about it from the commercial or from me? Like how it impacts people?

Chronic dry eye's impact

Jackie: I feel that it would impact someone and make it uncomfortable and harder to see. But I'm obviously learning about it through you and others who now have this as well.

Julie: Is there anything else you want to share?

Jackie: I'm just glad that you figured out what it is because, you know, I'm sure that it's made your life a lot easier and more joyful.

Julie B: Oh, thank you, Jackie. I love that.