It took over 3 years to diagnose my condition of blepharospasm, and it was a lonely frustrating journey along the way.  I will not list the doctors that were unable to help me, as I hold nothing against them, they just didn’t have the knowledge to diagnose or fix my problem.

In March of 2015, I noticed a “distraction” with my eyes..excessive blinking and winking.  I visited my primary care doctor.  He thought my condition was dry eyes so he referred me to an optometrist.  I had no relief so I visited another optometrist based on a recommendation of my friend.  This doctor recommended heat compress, eye wipes, vitamin e, and eye drops.

 They were still heavy, difficult to keep open, and especially painful when driving.

After that, I tried many doctors and many treatments for several years.

Eventually, I found a Dr. Salinas in Las Vegas who concluded that I had blephoraspasm with apraxia, and it was very rare.  He recommended me to Dr. Digre with John A Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City.

By the time I got to Dr Digre, my symptoms were bad.  Often my eyes ache and it was painful to look up, to be in sunlight, to drive, and to focus on writing.   I continued to have spasms in my cheeks right below my eyes (I only noticed when I was ready to go to sleep and am totally relaxed).  Sometimes  I would wake up because my eyes seem to be clenching shut, they ached and I would have to open them and make them “relax” when closing them again.  Finally,  in the last several months, I have noticed that my left eye doesn’t respond as quickly as the right.  I “tell” my eyes to open, one would open faster than the other.

When I went to see Dr. Digre in April of 2018, I was desperate to find answers.  I had tried everything the doctors prescribed.  From drops to gel to warm socks over my eyes.  From humidifier to flaxseed oil.  Surgery to lift my brow.  Tear duct plugs.  The special process called Lipiflow.  Botox Shots.   My problem had deteriorated to the point that my eyes spasmed so often that it made it difficult to drive, run, hike, even work.

Dr. Digre and her staff made me feel like the most important person in the world.  They eventually referred me to Dr. Buphendra Patel (he works in Salt Lake City as well as St. George).  His knowledge, his expertise, his caring, and most of all the botox treatment that he has given me (and will continue to provide every three months) has literally turned my life around.  I had botox before but it was not the dosage or the position of the muscles that it needed to be.  His technique, the amount of time he took to listen to me and understand the issue…it has changed my outlook on what life is for me.  While it’s not perfect, and I will never be exactly as I was before, I can now enjoy my life again.  I can drive, I can work, I can hike on the weekends.  I have my life back.

I know this is a long story and I’m sorry if it repeats too much.   I felt like I was the only on the planet with this condition.  It was taking away everything I loved to do.  And to discover that it was possible to have all that back because of a few amazing doctors that are caring, professional, and design their practice around truly learning what the issue is and providing some relief to that….well, that deserves to be shared, if for no other reason to recognize Dr. Digre and Dr. Patel and  their staff for the amazing and awesome job they are doing.  

But if you are like me and suffer these same symptoms, please do not despair.  You are not alone and there is help available!