Hey all!
Thought I’d update this post with what has happened with my proliferative retinopathy since I last posted in September and what I’ve learnt.
Despite numerous laser sessions in the left eye I had too many vitreous haemorrhages and my visual acuity went down to “hand movements only” and my vision was just grey cloudiness where my vitreous was filled with blood and from the traction into my optic disc (where my vitreous was starting to pull away from my retina). I ended up having a vitrectomy with an ILM peel and endolaser in November. My vision in that eye 2 months later is dramatically improved but still poor at 6/36, I can’t read through that eye at all but I can see everything else, I have my “widescreen” vision back, my depth and distance vision has returned too. It’s just a bit hazy.
The medical retinal team examined my eyes at the beginning of January and said that at age 40, I had the beginning of bilateral cataracts and this was causing the haziness but I saw the Vitreo-retinal surgeon last week and he disagreed saying there was not much of a cataract in either eye but that not all the vitreous is removed during vitrectomy and I still had some over my lens and this still contained red blood cells from the previous haemorrhages but that they should clear over time. He also said that diabetic eyes are often protected from cataracts as they are caused by oxygen on the lens and diabetic eyes tend to lack oxygenation.
The good news is I’m now considered a low risk patient. He said that I have what they call “burnt out retinopathy”, meaning I’ve had enough laser in both eyes to completely burn away the disease and that I shouldn’t need any more treatment. No more laser for sure, potentially more surgery if the haemorrhage in the remaining vitreous doesn’t clear but my eyesight is now out of danger 9 months after my first vitreous haemorrhage.
It’s such a relief. I’m back out running, coming first in age category in my local parkrun regularly and going upside down in yoga where I wasn’t allowed to during my retinopathy journey.
I wanted to share my experience so that anyone who is just starting out with a diagnosis and treatment can feel re-assured that there is so much that can be done to save our sight. The fear and hell that I went through last summer is still very fresh in my mind so I’m hoping this can be of some help to others!