Paul Norris

Paul’s eye trouble began in June of 2006. At first, his eyes felt dry, itchy, and gritty. They burned and were sensitive to light (photophobia). His eyelids were also very sensitive and painful. Paul’s condition gradually worsened. Eventually he developed eye pain and could no longer wear contact lenses.

Between 2006 and 2012, Paul traveled from Toronto to Rochester, NY and from Boston to New York City, to consult with a dozen different ophthalmologists. He was diagnosed with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and conjunctivochalasis, but did not receive the care he needed. Desperate for relief, and having been told by one of the ophthalmologists that there was nothing wrong with his eyes and it was “all in his head,” Paul expanded his search, consulting with both a neurologist and a rheumatologist.

Finally in 2012, Paul saw Dr. Penny Asbell in New York and Dr. Steven Maskin in Tampa, FL. In November of that year, Dr. Maskin performed intraductal meibomian gland probing and surgery a few months later for conjunctivochalasis. Today his eyelids are pain free and his eye comfort is significantly improved. He continues to see Dr. Maskin and Dr. Fadi Calotti (of Brantford Ontario, Canada) as he works on reaching the next level of comfort for his eyes.

As a founding member of the Not a Dry Eye Foundation, Paul wants to share his experience with other patients desperately seeking help, and give them hope.

Paul is a graduate of the University of Guelph with Honors BSc. in Agriculture. He lives in Linwood, Ontario with his wife and three daughters.