To combat the problems I'd been having with my eye (Recurrent Corneal Erosion), last year my eye doctor put me on doxycycline, which inhibits the production of certain enzymes that can cause the corneal epithelial layer to deteriorate.  This is really the only non-surgical treatment for RCE; the other options are basically grinding off the outer surface of the cornea with a Dremel, poking hundreds of tiny holes in the cornea with a needle, or insanely expensive laser treatments, none of which are guaranteed to work (I've had the Dremel procedure before).  Pills, vs grinding, stabbing or zapping?  I'll take pills every time.

The last major eye episode I had was back in September.  The eye doctor gave me a prescription for another 3 months of pills, which ran out in December.  My eyes had been doing really well since then, better than they have this century, until the beginning of this month.  That's when the erosions started again.  They were minor at first, just a momentary twinge of pain when I opened my eyes in the morning.  But this week, things started falling apart.  The worst day was Wednesday, which was also the day of the eclipse.  I had set up my film camera outside to try to take some pictures, but the cold and the wind really stung against my already sore eyeball and I could barely glance through the viewfinder.  (This episode was still nowhere near as bad as the ones I had last year.)

So, it was back to the eye doctor again.  $70 later, I had another scrip, this time for 6 months worth of drugs.

The doctor said I may have to take this stuff for the rest of my life, however I might be able to reduce the frequency, maybe down to every other day instead of twice a day like I'm taking now.  With luck this 6 month prescription may last a whole year.

(I also found that Costco has a generic version of Muro 128 eye ointment for "only" $12 a tube.  I've see it as high as $25 a tube!  A tube lasts me about a month.)