They Eyes Have It

I began having some double vision recently. Nothing to worry about, I told myself, since I spend a lot of time at the computer screen, staring and forgetting to blink. That will put anybody's eyes at risk for something even more worrisome than double vision.
Oh, it didn't last long, either. Another reason I tended to brush it off. A momentary, transient feeling that my eyes were not focusing properly, and that I was indeed seeing double of everything. I tested my blood sugar, since I'm diabetic, and I wasn't having a low blood sugar drop, something that can get me in real trouble, especially when I'm driving. (Remind me to tell you sometime about the time I was going home from the dentist at 4PM and ended up 50 miles from home at 6PM not knowing where I was and how I got there.)
Anyway, I mentioned it to my doctor during my most recent visit. She frowned and suggested I see my ophthalmologist. So I made an appt. No reason I should be having double vision, he said. Hmmm. Rheumatologist had also recommended I see the eye doctor. He wasn't too sure what was going on with that, but said my tests looked good.
So I'm reading the posts from my good buddies at a lupus support online site, and I mention my double vision. And sure enough, here comes the answer.....Sjogrens Disease can also cause double vision.
Makes sense. I have Sjogren's, too: dry mouth, dry eyes, so that could cause my eyes to act up in that manner. I went to the Sjogren's website, and sure enough, there it was.
Funny how it takes one lone, non-medical person to grasp the situation and respond with the correct answer, when the very same situation had stumped three learned medical professionals.
Sometimes I wish every doctor could experience one day in the life of a lupus patient. On a bad day. Then maybe they'd "get it." Nothing quite like experience, I say.

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