As I write this I am sitting at home grounded for a few weeks, why because I have just had some significant and expensive eye surgery to solve a problem that I could have picked up before it was a problem.
A few weeks ago I experienced occasional little slashes in my vision in one eye, often followed by little black floating objects that went away after a couple of seconds. At the time I trivialised it, getting old, and probably just too tired, you know the way us males do.
Then recently, like the last few days i was experiencing some blurring of my vision on my left eye, not much, and just at the bottom. I clearly needed new reading glasses, so off I trot to OPSM when I had a spare hour.
Starts as a simple eye test, then I told the optometrist why I was there, and there was suddenly a sense of urgency, to get me to a particular piece of equipment and scan my eyes. As soon as she saw the images she is ringing to book me in with a surgeon, and giving me directions to go there, NOW.
Being an obedient person I went, when I got there they ran a complete set of new images, and then the surgeon cleared his schedule to see me. He explained the situation, and I agreed to have about $6.5k of eye surgery the next morning, only because he could not do it that night.
Now I have had the surgery, had a somewhat uncomfortable night, and been back for the post surgery review, and it looks as if all will be well in about two weeks.
Why?
Basically I had a detached retina, and the detachment was progressing down the back of my eye towards my macular (the middle bit that sees detail and colour), if the retina detached in the centre, I would have lost the sight of my left eye.
The retina is like wallpaper on the inside of your eyeball, it is held there basically by surface tension, and the pressure of the material in front of it. When we are young the material in our eye is a gel, as we age it turns to liquid, during the process clumps of gel sometimes stick to the retina and cause small tears to happen (the flashes and black floaty things). If you catch the problem at this stage it can be fixed by laser surgery, much easier, and cheaper, and less side efects.
If you leave the tears (as I did), the fluid in your eye gets behind the retina, and the retina floats away from the eyeball (the blurry vision), then it tears across the top and all drops to the bottom of the eye (mine had torn half way across).
To fix it they extract all the fluid from the eye, put some glue behind the retina then push it back into place, and stitch it there with the laser. Then the fill your eye with gas to put pressure on the retina while the glue sets. Now I reckon it must b e crap glue, because it takes a couple of weeks to set. During that time the gas leaks out through the eyeball, and it is replaced by replacement fluid that out body makes naturally. Of course while the eye is full of gas it does not work very well, just sees light and shade.
The side effect comes later, as the replacement fluid is corrosive, and causes a cataract, so that means back for another op in a few months.
All of this could have been avoided if I had not ignored the warning signs, then it would just have been a simple non intrusive laser surgery.
Sounds similar to what I've got. Mine is called Posterior Vitreous Detachment, in my left eye..
I was having black lightening strikes in my left eye when I got back to Echuca at the end of last years trip. I was due for a check up so in I went about Xmas time. She said it would take about 3 months to heal. If it didn't I was to get back to her straight away.
I still get little flecks which are annoying.
Several years ago Eril was having some flashing in one of her eyes. We went to the GP on call at our practice as it was a Saturday, and he immediately went into emergency mode to send her to the eye hospital in Melbourne. They did not find anything terrible so all was good.
Everyone should go to their optometrist and pick up a card with the Amsler grid printed on it and regularly follow the instructions for the self test, that can monitor for early symptoms of Macular Degeneration, which if left untreated can cause blindness.
If at any time you experience any of the problems describe in the earlier posts, go to the emergency department of your local hospital and if necessary they can call in an eye specialist urgently to treat you.
Cheers
David
Dave - jeez you were a lucky boy!!! Pity you have to have a 2nd Op though......but think of it like this - you are buying both sets of headlights for the surgeons new Merc lol
As for the glue - well, by using cheap Vietnamese supa glue he may have also paid for the key ring !!
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Last year I had an experience where I went completely blind (while driving) for about 15 seconds. Had all sorts of medical tests but nothing was found. Five months later I saw a doctor because of sore area near left temple - diagnosis - temporal arteritis (inflammation of artery). So I have had treatment (massive doses of steroids). Was told if this problem (another name for it is giant cell disease) is not found early it can cause loss of sight. Alice
Happy Wanderer that is exactly what I had, but it was at the stage where the retina was sagging right across the back of the eye, and there was only a little bit left holding it up. Scared the living daylights out of me when I saw it.
Paul, cases like mine are the reason they react so quickly, if that little bit at the edge had let go, I was in all sorts of trouble.
You are right Doug, I am being very well looked after (most would probably say spoiled, but I am used to it).
I will pick up one of those grids the next time I am there in a couple of weeks, I saw them, but was a little distracted.
I think I bough a front guard as well as the lights, but to be honest I am just glad I got it done. He is expensive, but he is still busy, soI hope that means he is good.
That one sounds nasty as well Alice.
I suppose the best advice is, that we rely so heavily on having two working eyes, it is worth a regular trip to the opto to keep them that way.
A very good warning for us GNs. Your experience was pretty well identical to an experience of mine some 12 months ago. The only difference was I went to the optician straight away after seeing the black spots (what the specialists call 'floaters') and ended up in surgery next day. The message, as you say is, see a specialist immediately you have unusual vision issues. Good luck with the recovery.
Just adding a bit more info if you suffer from Type 2 Diabetes (probably more so for Type 1).
I've had Type 2 for about 8-9 years now, my condition is monitored every 6 months by an endocrinologist who specializes in diabetes management - once a year he sends me off to an Ophthalmologist for a full eye check - he says that once a year is about the right interval, but certainly no more than 2 years apart. Adequate eye case is absolutely essential for diabetes sufferers, as well as adequate foot care. It is easy for severe diabetes sufferers to lose eyesight and foot amputations.
Take care of yourself !
Regards, Brian
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Wondering about ShortNorth ? - Short North is the railwayman's nickname for the NSWGR main line between Sydney and Newcastle
I have had type 1 Diabetes since Feb 1970 when I was 20, and not losing vision has been a goal. I have had to have several lots of laser surgery and 15 years ago one eye went very cloudy BUT it did fix itself as the eye specialist thought it probably would. I have eye checks every 6 months and use drops to keep the pressure at bay. Go to Podiatrist every 10 weeks and pulse is excellent around my feet. So far so good.
Your experience is almost a carbon copy of what the cook went thru a year ago with retina detachment , since then she has since had both lenses replaced because of cataracts and has just had laser surgery done to clear thickening of the cornea , good thing is she doesn't need to wear her glasses anymore.
Getting old is great ah
Holy crap batman, you're falling apart on us Dave. Must be too long in front of computer screens. Mate I hope you get well real quick, I'm one up on you, I got a bed bath when I went to hospital. Lmao
Get well soon my haggis eater mate.
Phil
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Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.
Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.
