My mother can't open her eyelids!

[sesl]

She is sleeping a lot these days (due to meds I think) and sometimes when she is awake she can't actually get her eyelids to open.

She's finding it hard enough to communicate with us (she has no speech and very weak hands) and trying to communicate with her eyes closed is almost impossible.

Anyone else seen this happen?

sesl

 

[rose]

If your mom has poor eye closure (weak #7 cranial nerve) then, possibly her eyes are not closing tight enough while she sleeps, and hence have become very dry, and her eye lids sticking when she wants to open? I have very dry eyes, and my left one drags when I try to open it in the morning. Perhaps try some moisture lubricating drops for her? There are over the counter ones for extreme dry eye.

Good luck with this, I'm so sorry she's having this degree of incapacitation.

 

[sesl]

No, they are not stuck shut in that way - she doesn't have the strength to open them sometimes.

She's also finding that she can't focus enough to read small print. She can't read the text on her computer any more, and her fingers can't manipulate the keys or the mouse. She can't read the newspaper.

One of our carers told me that her FIL couldn't close his eyes during the last weeks of his ALS - his eyes were stuck permanently open!

sesl

 

[rose]

Sesl,

I'm just so sorry there seems to be nothing else to offer. My suggestion about the drops was taking into consideration that her eyelids are weak, to make it easier. You know how much easier it is to move something which has been lubricated. If she's able to make them move at all, drops still might help her.

good luck to you and your family.