How long ago did it start? Was it sudden, or gradual? What kinds of symptoms did you experience and how bad were they? Did you know right away that it was dry eye?
Did it stay the same or get worse? How did it affect you and what did you do about it? How long till you got a diagnosis? Was this the right diagnosis? What treatment(s) did you try? What practical things did you do to cope? How much help did you get from your doctor(s)?
What was the hardest point in your dry eye story (or is it at its worst now?) What made it so hard? Did you ever struggle with depression because of dry eye? How did the people you are close to relate to what you were going through? Can you think of any “if onlys” - e.g. if only I had known ____, if only I had had access to ____, if only my doctor had told me _____?
Which things helped most to put you on a path to a better place? A medical treatment or combination of treatments? An eyedrop? A lifestyle or environmental change? A different doctor? A new diagnosis? Patience? Therapy, antidepressants? Advocating for yourself at work? And who or what do you credit for the solutions you have found?
How are you today compared to when this all got started (or compared to when you were at your worst)? How do you feel about where you are now? What is it like and what parts of your life are affected by dry eye? What do you wish you had known sooner? What would you want to tell to someone else who is just beginning to go through what you experienced?
