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Detached retina
As if prostate cancer, spinal injury, and hormone-therapy and radiation side-effects weren't enough, almost half of the retina in my left eye detached itself yesterday evening.
On the bright side, at the ER last night I got called in from the waiting room after triage literally the second my behind hit the seat, and was home again in just over three hours. Long ER waits in Ontario are all over the news, but when it's a real emergency, they move fast.
They confirmed the problem with an eye exam and ultrasound, booked me in for treatment at ophthamology at 7:00 am, then sent me home for a few hours sleep. By 8:30 am, I'd been reassessed, had a procedure and was on my way home.
Now I just have lie in weird, uncomfortable positions until Wednesday afternoon, when they verify it worked (it seems to be, so far). I'm allowed to get up and move around for only 10 minutes every hour.
Thanks for listening. Like almost everyone in the forum, I've been through much worse, but I just needed to vent. 🙂
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Been there with this mate and glad you went to the ER and are on the mend! The surgery is actually pretty amazing with great drugs if you have it.
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1 ReactionThanks! Yes, surgery would have been fine, but it was going to be 3–4 hours yesterday morning before the surgical team was free, and the ophthalmologist was worried I didn't have that long before my macula detached. He gave me the choice, but made the risks very clear, and I'm glad I chose the pneumatic retinopexy, since it started working immediately and dramatically. I won't hesitate to get surgery too, if they think I need it when they assess me tomorrow.
In regards to your detached retina. I had flashes of light, floaters and blurred vision in one eye. I did nothing but eyedrops and just thought it was an eye infection. After weeks it bothered me enough to go in and have it checked out. Within hours I was having eye surgery to repair a detached retina. I had no idea how serious it was. The surgeon told me that my other eye would probably do the same. About a year later my other eye did the same thing. This is a serious threat to your vision. If you see flashes of light in your peripheral vision, you should get your eyes checked.
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5 Reactions@jcb007 Yes, I was very fortunate — it was within less than 1mm of macular detachment when they treated me.
So that's three times lucky:
1. Spinal surgery in 2021 just in time to save my mobility (I had a tiny thread of nerve control left — I could still move my baby toe slightly — and was able to rebuild from that over the next 2 years).
2. Landing under the care of a prominent research oncologist who practiced doublet therapy and treating oligometastatic prostate cancer aggressively (still rare back in 2021).
3. Catching my retinal detachment hours before I lost my macula and central vision.
I don't want to test my luck a 4th time. The tap might go dry.
🍀🧲🤞
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2 Reactions@xahnegrey40 I may get the laser treatment this afternoon. They wanted to reattach the retina first; if it looks good enough, I hope they'll address the small tear. Right now, it's just the pressure of the gas bubble holding it closed.
@northoftheborder
Hi North, I’m sorry this happened to you. I know eye issues are very stressful. I had a PVD in my right eye when I was 45 and then the left eye when I was 47. I was checked immediately both times for detached retina but both times was a clean break. My mom did have a detached retina. However, I have a lot of floaters, especially in my right eye, but now I am used to them and they don’t bother me. My dad was an eye doctor which really helped because he could also check my eyes when I had anxiety attacks. The treatments these days for detached retinas are pretty amazing and I’m sure you will be in good shape. I wish you a speedy recovery! 🙂
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2 Reactions@northoftheborder the laser welds the retina back ..it doesnt take long...like maybe 30 min ..but your vision will prob take a month or so to clear up...
Good luck- you are a warrior and dont deserve any more of this BS..so hope this all goes smooth...
Courage is a very admireable trait !
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2 Reactions@xahnegrey40 Thank you. It went as well as it possibly could have. My retina had fully reattached in just 2 days, I aced the eye chart with my injured eye (which had been almost 50% obscured), I got the laser surgery, and I have only 5 more days of positioning restrictions (relaxed from before so that they won't put the same strain on my hip and spinal fusion).
I'll be able to have a normal Christmas Eve and Christmas with my family, which is so important to me after spending Christmas 2021 alone in a hospital bed on a floor under COVID lockdown.
Thank you, everyone, for your support.
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6 ReactionsOh my, I am so sorry North that you had to endure that scare : (((. I am so happy to hear that you had immediate attention and help provide ASAP ! Two months ago I accidentally splashed some highly concentrated hypochlorite liquid in my eye (it splashed in a pool water and droplet ricocheted upward and ended directly in my left eye - I wish I have such "luck with odds " playing LOTTO *ehem ) and I was in agony to say the least. I washed it out as much as I could and my husband took me to ER (it was 11 pm) and I waited till 3 am to be seen and eye irrigated and checked out ... So much about "long wait in Canada's ERs " ; ).
Wishing you complete and ultra speedy recovery and 20/20 in no time < 3 !!!