Sorry I've been so scarce...

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-1997
Sorry I've been so scarce...
25
Mon, 03-13-2006 - 3:03pm

I'm having a maddening eye problem.  I don't know if I told you about the blurred spot in my eye, but a week ago it went away!  Yay! But Friday I got a black line in my vision and a larger hazy area to the right of my vision.  I went to the doc today and it isn't a detached retina (what I was afraid it was), but is the vitreous shrinking. It's a normal aging thing, but in my case, it pulled the lesion off the retina, I guess, and that's what I'm seeing.  Apparently I'm to just wait for God knows how long till the vitreous shrinks more and then it "should" give me clearer sight.  And I'm not to do heavy lifting or that could make the vitreous tear the retina or something. Meanwhile, I've got a raging headache most of the time, because I'm trying not to use that eye, because the jumping, black mark I see all the time is driving me nuts.  And my other eye isn't really good for reading and all.  So I can't read, can't watch tv and can't go on the computer without major strain and aggravation, and can't drive.  What else is there in life?


He wants to see me in a couple of weeks to check on the retina.  Oh joy, another day lost to dilated pupils and a splitting headache, all for nothing!


I could get a second opinion, I suppose, but I have a feeling the diagnosis would be the same.  I just wish this guy seemed to care that this is driving me nuts, instead of acting like I'm hysterical and blowing things out of proportion.  The guy may be good (and I guess he is), but he sure has no empathy for his patients. 

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-12-2003
Tue, 03-14-2006 - 7:35am
Ann just a thought, but did you check out whether the drops can be taken with HB meds????
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-1997
Tue, 03-14-2006 - 10:46am
I'm assuming they can be, because I gave them a list of the medications and vitamins I take, and they never said anything about an interaction.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-19-2003
Tue, 03-14-2006 - 3:17pm

Oh Ann, that totally s*cks!! I remember you posting about this on another board........sorry to hear things aren't getting better.


I'm thinking maybe it's time for a second opinion?? It couldn't hurt. Hang in there! {{HUGS}}

Carolyn

 


Carolyn


 


      

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-1997
Tue, 03-14-2006 - 4:41pm

Yeah, if it isn't better in a few weeks, I'll probably look into a second opinion.


But that, it turns out, is just the tip of the iceberg of this week, and in comparison, seems kind of minor.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-19-2003
Tue, 03-14-2006 - 8:12pm

Well whatever else

 


Carolyn


 


      

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2003
Wed, 03-15-2006 - 9:10am

sorry to hear it is still a problem. can you wear a patch over the eye when it bother you?
maybe you should get a second opinion. is this eye doc you see now always been your eye doc? i like my optometrist...he does not use eye drops!

good luck and hope it clears soon

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-1997
Thu, 03-16-2006 - 7:06pm

I'm back. We had to go to the funeral of dh's oldest brother.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-1997
Thu, 03-16-2006 - 7:15pm

I've tried that, but my other eye is so farsighted, it's hard to watch tv and impossible to read with it. My glasses only correct my less farsighted eye. And the patch drives me crazy, anyway, lol.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-20-2000
Thu, 03-16-2006 - 7:57pm

wow, some week you've had, Ann!
Condolences to you and your dh, I hope you can both find comfort in the thought that his brother's pain has ended and he's at peace now.

As for the eye stuff, most floaters apparently do settle down. It's not so much that the vitreous is shrinking - it's sort of more like the inside is liquifying, and the texture change makes the thickened outside part pull away from the retina. Did that make sense?
Anyway, floaters inside the vitreous will eventually settle to the bottom (or so they say, personally, I'm not so sure, lol).

In my personal experience...it's more like your brain gets used to them & eventually you don't see them as much anymore; you compensate. And the headaches... if this is long-lived, your brain will get used to it & they'll be less severe. At least they did for me.
I've had one hell of a time finding a doctor who realizes how big a deal floaters can be - still haven't, actually. Maybe it's because I'm so nearsighted, but some days, it's crippling!
But the options for getting rid of them, IMO, are still to risky - they've got some guys out there who zap them with lasers, but all that does is turn big floaters into lots of little ones (and risks retinal scarring if he misses). They're doing some research on an enzyme that can be injected into the eye & dissolve the floaters... havent' heard how that's going lately... soyeah, all I've heard is, essentially, "deal with it".

Glad it's not a detachment - that's been one of my big fears for years now (lots of congenital eye issues here)

If the vision continues to keep you from reading, driving etc, you WILL do fine - you'll find tv shows that are easier to just listen to (that you can follow without having to see). There are bright orange penlike things you can use to mark where to turn the dial on the oven for 350 degrees and on the washer to start the cycle.. and raised dot stickers so you know which button to push on the microwave or remote control...if you need it, your state's division of blind services can send someone out to help assess your needs & make life easier.

So hang in there, you're right, in the big picture, it's not so terrible...

(hugs)

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-20-2000
Thu, 03-16-2006 - 8:00pm

Hey there, Sandra!
You're certainly not alone - plenty of us floater-haters out here, lol!

I hope you have been to an opthamologist, to be sure it's nothing worse than just that insane floater, right?