Before this happened, the words dry eye sounded mildly inconvenient. A bit of grittiness, some drops from the chemist, life carrying on as normal. I did not imagine a condition that could affect whether I could work, look at another person, sit through a family meal or stay in a brightly lit room. This is a personal account of meibomian gland dysfunction, photophobia and the invisible effort of trying to keep living normally, including what it is like when your own body stops making sense.