Detatched Retina

[yorkshiregoth]

Got smacked in the eye yesterday with a football and experienced loss of vision afterwards as well as a black eye. Went to the opticians today and they think I have a detached retina so I have an emergency appointment at Moorfields Eye Hospital tomorrow morning. I have google the treatment and I am not looking forward to the prospect of it.

Anyone else suffered from this??

 

[Dayvo]

No, fortunately not!

Have a look at this:

http://images.google.no/images?hl=n...d+retina&btnG=Søk+etter+bilder&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=

Good luck!

 

[Fnaar]

blimey, good luck fella!

 

[Theseus]

I nearly had one when I was hit by a firework. Lots of boring bed rest. Can't move your head, can't read or watch telly. Basically lie still and zen out or sleep. The only saving grace was that I had to have bed baths and the nurse was pretty, but even that gets old after a week.

Do what you are told and don't try to rush it, it is not worth losing your sight over. I spent a week in bed and had regular checkups for about 3 years until it was declared clear. These were weekly to start with, but changed to longer intervals as things progressed.

Be prepared to spend ages for each checkup. I was first given something to dilate the pupil that took at least half an hour to get full effects. After the checkup the effect of this takes a while to wear off and if you go outside you may need sunglasses to compensate. It may be better to wait for the effects to wear off before driving/cycling

 

[numbnuts]

Ouch all the best for tomorrow morning

 

[TheDoctor]

I've not, but t'other half has.
While it's not exacltly pleasant, it's quick and relatively pain-free to fix. Make sure someone goes to Moorfields with you, as you'll have the devils own job navigating afterwards till the eye drops wear off. On no account try driving or cycling afterwards, as you'll be a hazard to yourself and everyone else!!!
Good luck.

 

[yorkshiregoth]

Cheers guys, main problem is that I have a serious dread/phobia about anything touching my eyeball!! Maybe I should ask them to give me a general anaesthetic.

 

[Norm]

Ugh... I'm the same with that one! My eyes are watering just thinking about it.

Good luck!

 

[WeeE]

Cheers guys, main problem is that I have a serious dread/phobia about anything touching my eyeball!! Maybe I should ask them to give me a general anaesthetic.

They may well give you a sedative (rather than a general) and believe me, you won't care much about what they do after you get it!

This is another good reason to take someone along with you. Don't be shy about explaining your phobia to the staff, and asking for a sedative - which they may plan to do anyway. With eyes, intense fears are pretty common.

 

[The Jogger]

Hi YG, flippin heck, that sounds painful take it easy and good luck for tomorrow.

 

[The Jogger]

PS: I've brought my bike in for the Bike Doc at work, he's at Ashfield.

 

[Madmidwife]

ouch!! Trust me- you will be fine- my mum is the most needle/eye/pain etc.phobic ever and she had both her retinas reattatched at St Thomas' in London and she was fine- she did have a general anaesthetic though.

The only weird side effect she had was "floaters" after the op and the odd tiny piece of suture material floating away and irritating her eye- that was 18 years ago though- so procedures may be different- but they are still attatched and working well

 

[purplepolly]

Moorfields did have a good reputation among patients on another forum that I used to visit so I'm sure you couldn't do better for venue and staff.

While it's not exacltly pleasant, it's quick and relatively pain-free to fix. Make sure someone goes to Moorfields with you, as you'll have the devils own job navigating afterwards till the eye drops wear off. .

TheDoctor's really not joking here.

I used to have appointments at opthalmology outpatients about ten minutes walk from where I live. Because of the proximity to home I decided to ignore the advice from the hospital on the first visit and went alone. The examination involved drops tio expand the iris and shining a bright light on the retina, much brighter than an optician would use. I didn't think this was too bad when I left outpatients until I got outside and realised that the ground was heaving up and down like the sea. And the overcast daylight was unbearably bright, like having football stadium lighting shone directly at me from a few feet away.

edit: take wrap around sunglasses as well

 

[Over The Hill]

Unfortunately been there done that!


I managed to do mine with an elastic bunjee (or is it bungee) which was holding something on the car roof and the other end came off.

Not a good experience but this is how it panned out with me;

Whacked in the eye. Being a bit of an idiot I left it. Two months later at the opticians she frantically started making phone calls to the hospital and I was told I was lucky the retina did not peel off over that time. DONT SHAKE YOUR HEAD ABOUT OR MOVE IT QUICKLY.

In first thing next day. Booked for overnight stay and op under a general but they ran out of beds and said they could do it under a local anesthetic. I had already had the pre op and was ready to go and was sufficiently cacking myself to not want to come back the following day so I opted for it under a local. This option is not recommended.

The anesthetic is by an injection somewhere around your eye and that is the worst bit. Once that kicks in you do not feel a thing but the other eye works and you see them doing all that they are doing. That is what you may call interesting!

I had a lump of plastic sewn into the back of my eye to push the eyeball foreward to meet the retina. They then put a bubble of air in your eye to push the retina back in place and laser it all back together.

It is all done in about 20 minutes and then you are wheeled into the holding bay with about 20 old people who have had their cataracts done. They will sit around discussing their various operations.

I went home after about three hours but you may be kept in if done under a general.

You will not be able to drive for about two weeks and you will feel seasick for about a week where the brain has to re-wire itself as your eye is sending a new message and things are not as they were. Count on two weeks off work.

I had to go back for some more laser treatment and that was less of an ordeal.

Two years on and I am fine - only side affect is I can see the lasered bits sometimes say if you look at a bright light and then look away.

As they said - leave it you will go blind or have the op and it is a 90% chance of success. I am pleased that my op was in the success side even though I left it for two months before the op.

I am probably the worlds worst person for going to hospital but I got through it.

I cant say it is pleasant but it is not the worst thing that can happen. Best of luck with it, I am sure you will get through OK.
Let us know how you get on.

 

[02GF74]

is that the treatment where they inject an air bubble into the eye and you then have to lie for 24 hours a day not moving on your front for 6 weeks!!