Author Topic: Detached retina...  (Read 2510 times)

Pedal Castro

  • so talented I can run with scissors - ouch!
    • Two beers or not two beers...
Detached retina...
« on: 18 January, 2020, 06:39:25 pm »
So I went to the optician's today to check out an issue with my eye. She sent me to the hospital eye dept who confirmed detached retina and in for an op at the John Ratcliffe on Monday. Hopefully it won't mean I can't fly to Florence in 2 weeks time...  ???

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #1 on: 18 January, 2020, 07:25:16 pm »
Sorry to hear that.  What were the symptoms?
The sound of one pannier flapping

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #2 on: 18 January, 2020, 07:25:58 pm »
If they inject gas it’s likely to be 1-4 weeks, but you’ll need to have had a follow up appointment to check. I hope you had travecinsurance in place when you booked the flight (if it’s personal). Good luck with the surgery.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Pedal Castro

  • so talented I can run with scissors - ouch!
    • Two beers or not two beers...
Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #3 on: 18 January, 2020, 08:32:54 pm »
Sorry to hear that.  What were the symptoms?

A semi-circular blury (and now darkish) patch one side of my vision in one eye. Noticed last night, at first I thought maybe I hadn't taken my soft contact lens out and it had moved significantly to the side.

Pedal Castro

  • so talented I can run with scissors - ouch!
    • Two beers or not two beers...
Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #4 on: 18 January, 2020, 08:39:13 pm »
If they inject gas it’s likely to be 1-4 weeks, but you’ll need to have had a follow up appointment to check. I hope you had travecinsurance in place when you booked the flight (if it’s personal). Good luck with the surgery.

Yes I have travel insurance, the first time we went to Florence last Feb was a rearranged holiday, due to go to Venice but cancelled as I had my major cycling crash, Mrs PC is not impressed. Even if Florence is cancelled my training week in Gran Canaria 2 weeks later should be OK then? Not sure Mrs PC will be happy about that though...

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #5 on: 19 January, 2020, 09:08:39 am »
Bugger. I hope it won't immobilize you for too long.
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #6 on: 19 January, 2020, 11:43:24 am »
Sorry to hear that.

I had a detached retina 2 1/2 years ago (I think that's the time). I had emergency surgery after presenting at the local hospital following an opticians visit earlier in the week that had failed to identify the problem. I was promptly sent from Harrogate to York, being told to 'Get there as quickly as you safely can, the surgeon is waiting.'

I had a vitrectomy (removal of the vitreous) and cryotherapy. This is concluded with injecting gas ( a mixture of air and sulphur hexfluride). It took about 6 weeks for the gas to be fully absorbed and removed. During that time flying was forbidden and the one time we drove over the hill to Skipton the pressure change going up the hill caused significant pain and concern. Thats was 3 or 4 weeks in.

Also, if you have cryotherapy, you want to avoid raising your blood pressure too high or shaking everything up until you have a fair degree of healing around the tear. I eventually just took 6 weeks off and started again gingerly to be confident everyhting was properly stitched together.

Also, be aware that one of the (inevitable) complications of a vitrectomy is a subsequent cataract. I have probably docmented elsewhere my frustratoin at the lack of knowledge of this amongst opticians, even as they are happy to prescribe glasses that are out of date befor they've made them up - the cataract typically leads to increasingly short sight. By the time I was wearing self prescribed -12 contact lens in that eye just to see, I had to more or less force the optician (one of several I tried) to refer me to the consultant. His fist response was that his machine could barely see through the cataract!!

I subsequently had lens replacement surgery and my right eye now has 6/5 vision, a good field and less than 0.25 dioptres of long sight that I don't need to correct. In all, it's better than it's been since I was about 5, but it was a long and difficult road.

I also use an optician who was suggested by my consultant who does a lot of NHS clinical work and is a completely different kettle of fish to the previous. I have no qualms in setting this out, because at one point I was digging up and taking scientific papers analysing the progress of of cataracts an dassociated increasing myopia post-vitrectomy to the opticians and they were still trying to prescribe again rather than refer.

Hope the op goes well. It's a scary thing to face on your own, but some of us have been through it before and will be happy to answer questions if we can.

Mike

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #7 on: 19 January, 2020, 12:05:59 pm »
Do what you are told and don’t push it too soon. A friend destroyed his vision that way. You’ll want to use that eye for a long time yet.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #8 on: 19 January, 2020, 03:23:43 pm »
Wishing you a successful outcome and rapid recovery!

As LW&B posted, DON'T push things! There are always other rides and holidays but you won't get more eyes.

Two of my buddies in Barnet Cyclists have had detached retina, both with the subsequent inevitable cataract. They have had good recovery.

One of my Twitter contacts is also having this.

It's not uncommon...

Phil W

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #9 on: 19 January, 2020, 04:52:42 pm »
Sorry to hear that.  What were the symptoms?

I got referred by my optician (following a routine checkup) for a suspected detached retina back in June. I had no symptoms but they’d spotted something back of my eyeball. The hospital checkup concluded I was fine.  I was told that if any parts of my vision changed, I saw lots of floaters, or I had sharp bright flashes of light then I should get another referral.

The vitreous layer naturally shrinks, becomes firmer, and pulls away with age for everyone. Least that’s what the hospital consultant said.

My mother’s partner got a detached retina after being hit in the eye playing tennis. His night vision hasn’t been same since surgery and he avoids driving at night if at all possible.

As above look after your sight.

Pedal Castro

  • so talented I can run with scissors - ouch!
    • Two beers or not two beers...
Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #10 on: 20 January, 2020, 10:49:31 am »
Thanks for all the info/advice  :thumbsup:


 or shaking everything up until you have a fair degree of healing around the tear.


Just driving the length of Northamptonshire to get to and from Oxford is going to be a risk then!!!

Just had a little fun creating images of where my left eye vision is currently:

The slightly darker semicircle gives the size and opacity now, it was worse yesterday, almost black but that could be due to the eye drops and strong lights the doctors used.

Of course without my glasses or contact lenses the actual vision is more like:

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #11 on: 20 January, 2020, 10:55:42 am »

 or shaking everything up until you have a fair degree of healing around the tear.


Just driving the length of Northamptonshire to get to and from Oxford is going to be a risk then!!!
A relative had this with the gas injection etc.  He was ordered to spend several day (perhaps a week) laying down with absolutely minimum movements.  Once this period was over he was allowed to return to work and drive 100 miles a day even though he wore an eye patch.  That long period of minimal movement must have been tedious in the extreme.

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #12 on: 20 January, 2020, 08:05:01 pm »

 or shaking everything up until you have a fair degree of healing around the tear.


Just driving the length of Northamptonshire to get to and from Oxford is going to be a risk then!!!
A relative had this with the gas injection etc.  He was ordered to spend several day (perhaps a week) laying down with absolutely minimum movements.  Once this period was over he was allowed to return to work and drive 100 miles a day even though he wore an eye patch.  That long period of minimal movement must have been tedious in the extreme.

Yep, and positioning depends on the location of the tear. If you’re unfortunate, you can spend a week lying on your front with your head hanging forwards off the bed.

I was able to sit still for a week and read with my left eye, thank goodness.

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #13 on: 20 January, 2020, 08:05:49 pm »
How did it go today PedalC? Hopefully we’ll?

Mike

Pedal Castro

  • so talented I can run with scissors - ouch!
    • Two beers or not two beers...
Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #14 on: 20 January, 2020, 09:37:41 pm »
How did it go today PedalC? Hopefully we’ll?

Mike

Very well thanks, just arrived at hotel for the night, a very nice hotel to treat Mrs PC and an upgrade to a VERY nice room.

I have the 4 week no flying gas inserted rather than the 6 week so the romantic city break to Florence will need to be rearranged but the pre-season training week in Gran Canaria should be OK.

Also all this evening with head down position then next 6 days is sleep on right cheek and head upright during the day so that seems OK. No cycling for 2 weeks so 2 weeks of eating very little and lose 2kg is my target.  ;D

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #15 on: 20 January, 2020, 10:31:15 pm »
Good news. It's a bit odd as the vision comes back over the next few weeks, but becomes mildly entertaining when you get used to the process.

I managed to lose a few lbs after my knee op, in spite of being very immobile for over two weeks. I failed miserably when I rturned to work however.

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #16 on: 28 January, 2020, 05:16:13 pm »
How are you doing PC? Been a few days now I think?

Pedal Castro

  • so talented I can run with scissors - ouch!
    • Two beers or not two beers...
Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #17 on: 28 January, 2020, 06:42:22 pm »
How are you doing PC? Been a few days now I think?

Doing well thanks. Last night was first one I could sleep either side and today first day I don't have to "position" my head, although as I didn't need to be in the head down pose all week I was relatively happy. Currently I am enjoying experiencing the physics of a partially full eye of aqueous humor.   :-\

At my day 1 checkup the doc wanted to give me a third eye drop option as the pressure was a little high. Mrs PC asked if it was on the banned list which flummoxed him a bit  ::-) so he changed it for an alternative.

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #18 on: 28 January, 2020, 09:31:40 pm »
Pleased to hear you’re making good progress. The half full eye is interesting.

I had dexamethasone drips - on the banned list - but presumed I wouldn’t be tested :)

Pedal Castro

  • so talented I can run with scissors - ouch!
    • Two beers or not two beers...
Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #19 on: 10 February, 2020, 01:14:50 pm »
Update: I had fun with the bubble, even drew ray diagrams to work out the optics involved with a half full eyeball. Best bit was when the bubble was only about 1/3 the width of vision and developed 2 small bubbles trying to escape which depending on how I moved my head resembled a space hopper. That gave a proper 3D effect as the two stalks were at slightly different distances. Then the next morning it was Ultima Thule before it disappeared a day later like an inverse CRT TV. Last week of eye drops now and vision almost back to normal.

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #20 on: 10 February, 2020, 01:47:31 pm »
 :thumbsup:
The sound of one pannier flapping

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #21 on: 10 February, 2020, 01:54:05 pm »
 :thumbsup:
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

barakta

  • Bastard lovechild of Yomiko Readman and Johnny 5
Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #22 on: 10 February, 2020, 02:28:03 pm »
Delighted to hear you have healed so well and quickly.

Re: Detached retina...
« Reply #23 on: 10 February, 2020, 03:10:27 pm »
Pleased to hear it!