Letter arrived today from the diabetic eye screening, it says please phone hospital within 24 hours of receiving this letter, ok after several attempts (kept getting answer phone) I finally got through to a young boy well sounded like he was 12 years old. After giving my name address & national insurance number, the young man said what times suit you, I said Monday,wednesday & Friday morning, to which he replied there's 3pm on Tuesday 13th to which I replied I work in the afternoon it as to be morning only, the man then said I got Tuesday 20th at 5pm, after bashing my head on phone I said is the other older receptionist there if so please pass phone over to her thank you. Older receptionist comes on phone & says can I help you, I said yes I need to make appointment on either Monday, Wednesday or Friday morning please, receptionist no problem I just get your details up, um sorry you have Macular Edema we only deal with this on Tuesday afternoons, I say oh right it this macular thingy serious or can I leave it few months to try rearrange my 2 jobs so I am free on Tuesday afternoons, receptionist says can you get to see anyone at your Doctors diabetic clinic today, its very important that you are told exactly what's wrong with your eyes. So off to my Doctor's I went & the diabetic nurse told me Macular Edema is blood leaking behind my eyes & it leads to blindness ok yep that's serious, the nurse made my appointment straight away for Tuesday 20th at 12:45, then she made another appointment at Asda for my eyes to have general eye test that's next Tuesday at 12:10, the only thing is the diabetic nurse as put patches on my glasses with tiny holes everywhere, I have to keep moving my head up/down to see through the pinholes in patches. Wonder if I can sign K9 up as my guide dog
Want to give you a big hug. Sorry, that is all I can offer. Please accept my hug and my apologies. Luvya Tina xxx
Its ok Malka I could go years before I start to go blind, there's the steroids I can try (just no way I am having lazer treatment) plus I got these patches on my glasses, I do get strange looks when people see me hurling towards them on me scooter with having the patches on both lenses, I am cruel I don't tell them there's pinholes in the patches & I can see heeeeeee xxxxxxxxx
Sorry to hear of the issues. And actually if you can get the doc to sign off on it, you can start training him as one now, and can be a seeing eye dog in training. Which in the US gives full privileges.
No K9 will not make good guide dog trust me, he will just drag me from tree to tree lamp post to lamp post just to wee up them. If I do go blind then I will get a GSD as my guide dog not a Labrador x
Tina, so sorry to read this. I do hope it is a long time before your sight is affected. I think we all know what is best for ourselves, but have to say that I did know one diabetic lady who had the laser treatment, and it did help her. I know that you are the type of person to stay positive whatever befalls you, but I'd love to give you a big hug today.
Oh darlin' I'm so sorry. I don't know from diabetes but I know how mind boggling doctors offices can be on the phone, you have my complete sympathy. My hubby has perhaps six different doctors n' between voice mail and flubbed prescriptions and the one lovely office that you have to go and plop yourself down on the reception desk to book an appointment...But yes be strong, my Dad always said "Persistence is a Virtue"
Hello Tina I am afraid I don't get time to respond to all the posts on here at the moment but I read yours and wish to say I am so sorry to learn about your eyes (hugs). It must be very scary for you and I can empathise after receiving some worrying news myself during a routine eye check on Wednesday. I sincerely wish that something can be done to help you. You seem such a jolly person, I hope this will help you to stay positive
Thanks Meg do hope your news was very bad, I have been told there are different treatments available, plus if I no correction if the Doctors pressure me into having laser treatment then they will knock me out totally & kept in hospital overnight. The Dr has said its only one eye at the moment, he said there are things I can do to help prevent other eye leaking blood, which is diet, controling my diabetes ideally sugars between 6-8, wearing sunglasses/tinted glasses when out (rain/snow/sun) also to avoid reading in bed by bedside light & not going to nightclubs (never been to one in my life) give up smoking (never smoked) & not to worry.
Hi Tina my Dad (also from Derbyshire) was a type 1 diabetic from the age of 21 to his death aged 89. His biggest worry was losing his sight and he was very good about sticking to his diet eating lots of vegetables and meat and no sugar. Apart from cataracts which were successfully operated on he kept his sight to the end. I had a routine eye test this week and have raised pressure in both eyes which could mean really bad news Dad had laser treatment on his cataracts and didn't feel a thing I guess your proposed treatment may not be quite the same and will to seal off blood vessels. Hope all goes well on the 20th
Well I am just about off for another 4 D eye scan at hospital, am glad its not sunny or snowing as got to have that horrible dye in eyes, but have found my sunglasses they were is the freezer (don't ask) so with bit of luck should be back on here around 7pm after the dye as worn off. @Meg the pressure behind your eyes don't worry, as my friend is high at the Opticians 24 mmHg but is normal at the hospital 19 mmHg. Normal eye pressure ranges from 10 to 21 mmHg but sometimes reads higher when at the opticians due to their equipment not being calibrated every week.
Good luck for the eye scan today Tina - and I promise not to make any comment about your sunglasses being in the freezer. [But you know what I would say, dontcha! ]
Thanks Tina the optician tested again and with different equipment and he says the pressure it is still high. It is to be monitored I hope all goes well at the hospital
Comes flying in doing cartwheels, back flips, somersaults, with some excellent news some sort of good news & some not so good news, right now for the excellent news the blood leaking behind eyes as now stopped, now for the some sort of good news it be between 10-15 years before I will start to lose my sight & now for the not so good news the leaked blood will force it way out through my tear drops & could just drip out without even realising. This is what the eye specialist said the leaking blood was a teaspoon amount, but looks worse on the 3D photo scan, the 4D scan I had today shown where the leak came from & the total amount of blood leaked, he has given me some drops that need to go in each night & morning to help the veins thicken up, [they sting like hell] I have to use the drops for a month & have another 4D eye scan on Tuesday 24th February 2015, if the veins look thicker then I don't need to use the drops again but if they look the same then I have to continue using them. Because I suffer from Heart condition, Epilepsy & High blood pressure plus my other illnesses, I don't qualify for laser treatment [high risk of having seizure, heart attack during the treatment] they are saying the drops is my only option at moment but as it going to be 10 - 15 before I start to lose my sight there could be more advance treatment by then.
I think that, overall, that counts as good news Tina. Sorry you have to put up with the stingy drops, but if they are buying you time - it's got to be worth it.
So pleased for you Tina, although ouch for the stinging drops. Anyhow, this is me doing back flips in celebration of your good news...
Sounds as though you caught the problem it in good time Tina before too much damage was done. That is good news
