I’m baaaaack! I woke up on Monday, Sept. 25th, unable to see the right half of my face with my left eye. Turns out that I had a detached retina and was about one day away from losing my central vision permanently. I had successful eye surgery called Pneumatic retinopexy. I had to lay on my right side for a week while it healed, and so I rented dozens of I Love Lucy and Honeymooners re-runs and even a truly dreadful movie, Wolf, in which Jack Nicholson turns into a werewolf who terrorizes Central Park and turns Jessica Lange into a werewolf too.
Symptoms of Retinal Detachment
While I did have symptoms, I did not think “Gee, I am going blind.” It just didn’t occur to me since I’d had some of these symptoms before with migraine headaches. Do visit us here at Edmonton optometry clinic for the best optometrist. The difference this time is that I didn’t get a migraine. So I’d like to share my symptoms symptoms with you so you know how seriously to take them if they happen to you:
–flashes of light. They could be the beginning of a migraine, or a lot of other more serious things. Go to the eye doctor. (I did, but I was told it was nothing bad, and that could have been true at the time.) Don’t wait.
– floaters. Everyone gets them sometimes. Go to the eye doctor. Don’t wait.
– smudges in your field of vision. I had them in my peripheral vision and thought I needed a new contact lens prescription. They kind of look like dirt. They’re not. Go to the eye doctor. Here is the Top doctors for your health issue. Don’t wait.
Insist on a retinal exam
When you see your eye doctor about any of these symptoms, make sure that he/she checks for a retinal tear or detachment. Insist on it. Call the eye doctor and get your eyes checked and make sure the exam includes dilation of the eye and an exam for retinal health. Don’t wait. Call today.
Most people find out about a detached retina when they are walking down the street, get a cinder in their eye, and realize they can’t see correctly out the other eye. There’s no pain. There’s often no warning. Get your eyes Checked. Call now and make an appointment. Please.
And no matter what, see your eye doctor at least once a year for a thorough exam.
I’m Baaack. Please Take Care of Your Eyes!
BL Ochman | October 3, 2006 | Permanent Link | Comments (15) | TrackBack (
Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/gnp0fnhzxcgi/domains/whatsnextblog.com/html/wp/wp-content/themes/WNO2/single.php on line 32
0)
Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/gnp0fnhzxcgi/domains/whatsnextblog.com/html/wp/wp-content/themes/WNO2/single.php on line 32
0)
Categories: Commentary
Tags: , Pneumatic retinopexy, retinal_detachment, retinal_detachment_symptoms
Tags: , Pneumatic retinopexy, retinal_detachment, retinal_detachment_symptoms
Wow, BL, I’m glad you got that addressed before drastic consequences set in. Hope it all heals up well.
Do they know what caused it? Did you have an injury?
– Amy Gahran
Wow! Glad you are feeling better. Thanks for the symptom list.
Marianne
Amy: They really don’t know what causes retinal detachments. I did not have any injury or trauma. Children get them and older people get them. It happens more to people, like me, who are near-sighted. But it only happens to something like one in 10,000 people.
It’s one of those things that can just come. I suspect I have had it for a couple of months and was ignoring the symptoms. But there’s no way to prove that.
The surgery I had is relatively new, and quite an elegant, relatively non-invasive solution. Other surgery can still be necessary, but there’s no way to know. I choose to think it won’t be.
They watch very, very closely for 3 months and if all goes well, it may never happen again. 90% of people have a complete cure. I am planning on being in that group. :>)
BL
BL,
We are soooo glad this didn’t end up being permanent and you have recovered! Man, that’s a scary close call.
Sorry you had to see Wolf. Now that could do permanent damage!
Hugs,
Buns and Chou Cou
Glad you have recovered. Please update us in the next 3 months.
Never heard about it before. Well, but it could just happen to any of us.
Good to read you are on the mend B.L.
I’m really glad you are feeling better know. : )
Alessio Jacona
I’m glad your recovering – wrote you last week when you made the announcement. I know about this stuff because I had Lasik and had complications and was in and out of the Doctor’s office quite often for a bit. Learnt more than I wanted to know.
I’m glad you caught it in time and glad your back and seeing well.
Be well,
Marshall
Wow, BL…what an ordeal. I am glad you are finally on the mend…but (can I say it again?) WOW.
On a related issue, I wanted to acknowledge what a professional you are, having a friend email me on your behalf and let me know that it might seem like you’d dropped off the scene for a few days because, well, you HAD. I commend you for having the presence of mind to do so, despite the pain you must have been in.
Sorry you had to go through what you did. Sounds like you were very lucky, though, and I’m glad everything worked out.
By the way, I believe the woman in Wolf was Michelle Pfeiffer, not Jessica Lange…
Glad to hear your back.
However, that must have been a hell of a party I missed
Wow, BL—I’m sorry to hear about the health problem, but glad you are getting it taken care of. Feel better and take it easy!
Oh my goodness! Having been away from my normal routine of checking all things blog (at least my favorites!) due to tradeshow h*ll, I missed this. I’m so sorry to hear of your troubles. Thank you for posting the symptoms and possibly helping many others out there.
I am sure that Mr. Benny was a comfort to you and only hope that you were able to get some care for him while you recovered.
Rest, rest, rest. And then rest some more. Computers are harsh on the eyes as it is. We’ll all be here…
Take care, my friend.
Hi, I am currently recovering from surgery too. We had the exact same thoughts about waiting for a migrane to happen, but then it never escalated.
My perception of the sensation was that I was looking through yellow celophane and when I coverd one eye, I could only see part of the image. It was rally scary.
I hope I will recover soon. It has been 3 weeks. I am a hygienist and my eyes are my best friends. Thanks for writing.
Hi Janie: I would say it was more like yellow saran wrap. :>)
It took me about 5 months to recover completely. It took the gas bubble that was injected into the eye about 6 weeks to disappear, and I still have a small gray area in my peripheral vision that may or may not ever clear.
My visual acuity is the same as before in that eye, but now it seems like I am looking through sunglasses on that side only.
that also may or may not clear. but i am writing, dancing, doing all the things i always do.
i know how scary it was, and assure you that one day it will just be in the past.
Thanks for getting in touch.
all the best,
BL