I am special! hmmm not sure if that is good

[Andy_nut]

Hi

Just had my first visit to the hospital to review my first stage of retinopathy, and instead of seeing one doc, I saw 3 because I am special apparantly. The main doc called in a consultant who suggested a student should see me too.

** Disclaimer ** I was a bit blown away by the day and the nerves and the ups and downs to get all the info stored in my head.**

I have cotton wool spots that show are the second stage of a more serious problem, but the first stage hasn't happened... they have never seen this before.

Lucky me gets to have a photo shoot in 3 weeks to see what is going on. I wonder if I will be spotted by an modelling agency who specialise in retinas?

I am a bit nervous as they mentioned lasers but what can I do about it? Worrying won't help, so I am doing my best to shut it out and concentrate on my general health an BGs

Just thought I'd get it off my chest and it may make it better.

Cheers
Andy

[CaptainMike]

Good Luck Andy, Just Frozen Shoulder and a bnch of 'floaters' here, hope you get the eyes straightened out with a minimum of fuss and you can be 'NORMAL' like the rest of us!;)

[Mich]

Hey Andy, We are honored to know a famous guy. It is a bit off-putting when they start calling in people from other rooms to take a look. Just be glad you're not having a baby. Many of the women on this board will know how THAT feels.:eek:

The photo session isn't much. The only really interesting part is when you get home and begin to "get rid" of the dye. Hint: you see it just before you flush.:T

We will all be waiting to hear how you are doing and we wish you the best possible outcome. Here's a group hug, too.

Mich

[poper77]

Andy,
I am "special" too!! (Not only because my mother said so either :D )The doctor was confused to see a cotton wool spot on each eye but not bleeding in the vessels. I got pics taked and returned 3 weeks later to see if anything changed...This time he saw a tiny drop of blood in my retna...He told me I just need to watch my bs, bp, and cholesterol and get my eyes checked (at a retna place) every 6 months.
Good Luck!

[Andy_nut]

Well, where to start.

1> I am a wimp
2> I am currently yellow (inside & out)
3> ZAP!!!!!

I went to the flourescein clinic today to have some photos taken, and nearly passed out. Nothing to do with the dye in the blood or the photos or anything like that, nope, I saw the nurse get a needle out to go in the back of my hand and that was it.

I went light headed, pale and very hot, I had people litterally running down corridors to help me. WIMP!!!

The actual photos and the dye were a walk in the park, the news wasn't so great but then that is life. I have some bleeds in both of my eyes that will need laser surgery to stop them getting any worse, so I just need to wait for the magic letter to drop through the door to let me know when they can sort it out.

So that is the news so far...

Andy

[princesslinda]

Andy, you're not a wimp!...or maybe we both are wimps....i'm the same way with needles when it's my arm they are going in to. :eek:

Hang in there. Keep us posted on how things are going. Not had to go through any eye problems (yet), but i'm always anxious to read of the experiences of others.

Take care!
Linda

[xMenace]

I had an eye doc once tell me he only worries about young men fainting. Apparently old men and most women don't faint much if at all. Take it as a sign you are still young and full of vitality ;)

[Andy_nut]

Cheers for the feedback linda and X...

Take it as a sign you are still young and full of vitality ;)

Young? Hmm not sure, don't feel it,

Full of Vitality? If lying on the sofa with a cold feeling sorry myself fits that criteria I am doing well ;)

Fingers crossed my specialist is nice to me. There are two of them and they both have great names.. Dr Hercules & Dr Moriarte (good cop/bad cop?)

Despite my wimp tendancies, a cold and sinusitus, a stupid dog next door that wakes up my 9 month old daughter all night and bright yellow urine :confused: (nice).... I am feeling alright about it all.

Will update soon.
Andy

[Dawn]

Andy
It is all very scary and of course you feel anxious.

I've been lying on the couch feeling pretty whiney myself with a cold and just waiting for the doc to call me to say I need my gall bladder out. Needles, tests and other barbariac measures FREAK me out. I'm the gal who needs major drugs to just have x-rays at the dentist and anxiety medication to have the doc just LOOK at a mole that is near my eye. I totally understand the anxiety and tell them in order for any procedures to continue you want some kind of medication. I don't mind the dentist any more....the drugs make me giggle and I don't remember a thing.

You can't be serious....Dr. Hercules and Dr. Moriarte??? Now that is funny to me!!! :D

Keep us posted.
Dawn

[Alice]

One benefit of getting "diabetic check-ups" at the eye doctor every year...occasionally they find something not diabetic-related that needs to be fixed. So, I consider us similar to fine race horses...our every body part is examined...pity the poor people who don't get the attention we demand!

[Andy_nut]

, I consider us similar to fine race horses

Nice way of putting it, :nurse:

[Andy_nut]

The letter from the hospital arrived on thursday and I only read as far as the line stating an apointment had been made for me at the eye specialist on Tuesday 20th November.

I didn't see the line that said for laser treatment, until today, now I feel sick again! I am sat in work with lots to do and no interest in doing any of it. Far more important things on my mind.

Glass of wine should help me sleep tonight...I hope

Will let you know I how I get on.

Andy:(

[Andy_nut]

Well that wasn't worth all the fuss!

680 shots into my left eye and I am done! No pain, no unpleasantness, just bags and bags of nerves.

If I need to do it again it is a walk in the park!!!!!!

The worst part is sitting around. In the hiospital for 2 hours for 15 minutes of flashing lights. Fingers crossed I am done for now!

Thanks to everyone who has given me encouragement from different places, I reaaly do need to stop being a wimp ;)

[notme]

I am so glad it is over for you Andy. You are very special to us.....and your not whimpy. Hey, its your eyes! We can't grow new ones.

[xMenace]

That's the typical response, mine included. It's more hard work than anything.

It ain't over though. If one eye is bad, you can count on the other being close. There are also failures where the blood vessels do not shrink. More laser, more check-ups, more laser, possible hemmorhaging, blah, blah, blah. At your stage I was told I had a 10% chance of going blind in five years. I think if the eyes respond well, you are good for 20+ years or so. It's the next six months that are important.

Some people also lose significant vision from the laser. I think today things are much better, but when I had it done the BBS/usenet chats had some horror stories. Some eyes just don't do well.

It is imperative that you keep your A1C down!

[Andy_nut]

X, I am sure you are right and the fact I have got to this stage means I know I need to make sure I manage myself better. I have a review in 6 weeks and now that I know how straight forward the treatment is I am not worried about making sure I keep on top of it, if I need further laser treatment then so be it, I won't be as scared.

It was easy to put it off while I was scared of what might happen, sometimes it is very hard when you are given advice and guidance from people without having experienced it yourself. Now I can say "been there, done that" I know it is not easy for others but worth making sure things are right.

I have a 10 month old daughter and I want to see her grow up so I will be making every effort to manage this properly.

I have seen the damage done to the eye already so fingers crossed the laser guy did the work that will stop things getting naturally worse while I do the work to manage my figures.

Onwards and upwards :)

[parrotletzoo]

Andy, If someone hasn't already told you this, ;) after laser surgery don't be surprised if your vision in the eye lasered gets blurrier for a few months. It will get better. When I had laser no one told me and I was all "laser didn't work this sucks cat booty!" and then one day I realized that the fog had cleared and I wasn't so disappointed. Later my eye doctor told me that was normal. Could have used that information in the beginning! :)

good luck, i'm glad the procedure went well, hoping the rest goes well too.

[Andy_nut]

I do have a little fuzzyness, but not sure if that is just a dirty contact lens

Cheers
Andy

[xMenace]

You will find some unpleasant changes. Things are not as sharp as before. Your depth perception is not as good. Some have trouble driving at night. I drove to Boston shortly afterwards and those six lanes on I95 at night were brutal. I find they don't bother me nearly as much anymore. I don't know what spors you play, but I had trouble catching baseballs, especially high flies. I could see the ball, but I couldn't easily tell where it would land or how far away it was. But you've only had a small amount. I had 3,000 or so blasts.

[DennisIDDM]

Well Andy it's like this ... Retinpathy is Very Serious.. It is the #1 cause for Blindness... and having Diabetes is the Root cause... and Having anything above a 5% A1c accelerates it..

What can you do?
1. You haveto get your A1c's down to as near to 5% levels s you possibly can..
Wether it means Loosing Weight, Taking More Meds or Even start taking Insulin injections..

After you get a Eye Vitrus Hemmorage, you will better understand the seriousness of the problem... and it will shake up your whole outlook on having Diabetes..

That 6.8% A1c, won't cut it... Odds are your having alot of 200's as well and anything above 140 2 hrs after eating is bad., very bad. and anything above 110 after 4 hrs is bad as well..

And You have to test every 2 hrs, not less... not so much for the #'s, but to keep reminding you to improve...Eat Less carbs, walk more, etc..

Talking from experience> I have it, My Mother went Blind from it, 2 yrs before dying, My 2 yr older sister is legally blind from it.. I am a T1 Diabetic and thus getting a 5% A1c is almost impossiblefor us, but it isn't for you T2's...

And yes, you should be seeing a Retina Specialist... and getting a Digital Angigram along with other tests... If you have a University nearby that has a Eye Reserach center? Ck with them as well..

Good Luck..Hope you do this..Your Eyesight depends on it..

[Andy_nut]

Thanks for the response.

Unfortunately support in the UK isn't quite the same as the US. For example....

Low carb diets are frowned upon (although I am already on one) and I am no longer allowed to get test strips on prescription anymore! If I want them I have to purchase them myself, and working part time with a family to support makes that almost impossible.

I am keeping on top of it. The UK guidelines for an acceptable A1C is also different than that in the US so my medical team are happy with my progress. I don't really want to get into a debate over US and UK standards but needless to say I am doing everything I can to manage this disease.

"The target for HbA1c is 6.5 per cent or below since evidence shows that this can reduce the risk of developing diabetic complications " from ...
HbA1c (Glycated haemoglobin) and fructosamine - Diabetes UK (http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Treatment__your_health/Monitoring/Blood_Glucose/Glycated_haemoglobin_HbA1c_and_fructosamine/)

Cheers
Andy

[JediSurfer]

I'm sorta special too. Three professors over the years have told me that my eyes are the most perfect human eyes they have ever seen. Nothing to do with retinopathy. Just the eyes themselves. Been studied many time by students .Still no retinopathy after 28 years. Got an eye exam on monday. fingers crossed for me hey.

Hope the treatment goes well for you Andy.

All diabetesologist here in the UK are fully trained regarding diabetic retinopathy.