And the not-so-good news ....

[Rachox]

@Rachox - thanks for letting us know. That's great news, so pleased for you!

I do hope you’ll get equally good news soon x

 

[Angey]

Last week I posted about my delight that my hba1c had come down from 88 in February to 41. A couple days later I received a letter telling me that my retinopathy check the week before showed that I have pre-proliferative retinopathy. I have an appointment with a consultant on 11 July which I guess is a normal waiting time but feels like a lifetime away right now. I am now terrified and can't think about anything else. I have now read that a rapid drop in bg can worsen retinopathy so feel like my hard work has done as much harm as good. I am wondering whether to try to find a private consultant or just wait it out. Has anyone else done that and if so would you advise it? Coincidentally my two yearly eye test is due next week which includes a retinopathy check too. I don't know if the optician will be able to give me any more information or not (and almost scared to hear it anyway).

Libby, can I just reflect that I’ve been diabetic for nearly 48 years and 38 years ago I had an awful time with haemorrhaging behind my eyes, laser treatment, floaters etc etc. For many years I’ve had periodic sight issues but actually, although it’s been a roller coaster, my eyesight is still much better than most of my peers and I don’t even wear glasses. Your eyes can get better even after major haemorrhages (mine have). Just take each day as it comes and do your best. I feel that diabetes doesn’t always seem to follow the rules but it does still pay to try and keep your blood sugars steady and as low as is practicable for you. Am nearly 62 now and still going strong and still seeing well. I hope your appointment goes well... so often I dread such things and they are never as bad as I feared It’s up to you whether you decide to see someone privately but the check will tell you if there is anything urgent going on and you’ll be prioritised if it’s needed. Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[libbylondon]

Libby, can I just reflect that I’ve been diabetic for nearly 48 years and 38 years ago I had an awful time with haemorrhaging behind my eyes, laser treatment, floaters etc etc. For many years I’ve had periodic sight issues but actually, although it’s been a roller coaster, my eyesight is still much better than most of my peers and I don’t even wear glasses. Your eyes can get better even after major haemorrhages (mine have). Just take each day as it comes and do your best. I feel that diabetes doesn’t always seem to follow the rules but it does still pay to try and keep your blood sugars steady and as low as is practicable for you. Am nearly 62 now and still going strong and still seeing well. I hope your appointment goes well... so often I dread such things and they are never as bad as I feared It’s up to you whether you decide to see someone privately but the check will tell you if there is anything urgent going on and you’ll be prioritised if it’s needed. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Thanks Angey, that's good to hear. I will of course wait for the appointment and feeling calmer now after all the information and advice from people here. It really helps so much especially as I don't talk to anyone in real life about it. So much admiration for you and others who have dealt with this condition for so long. It puts it into perspective for me. Thanks again.

 

[joeynomates1969]

Hiya, yes, I started to "get better" last year. I did see flachrs and floaters but just dismissed them. Anyway, last October I saw the doc with what I thought was conjunctivitis to cyut a long story a bit shorter, it turned out that I had proliferstive retinopathy, neovasculisation and secondary glaucoma caused by the neovasculisation. I was admitted in to hospital and had laser work done. They had to conk me out because i was so scared! Anyway, I've had laser since then ( i managed to stay awake) and I'm currently having eye injections to help shrink back those little vessels. They say that it was because i got my bloods down quickly...nut me not going for check ups didn't help either. I know it's hard not to be scared. I completely empathize with you on this!

 

[libbylondon]

Hiya, yes, I started to "get better" last year. I did see flachrs and floaters but just dismissed them. Anyway, last October I saw the doc with what I thought was conjunctivitis to cyut a long story a bit shorter, it turned out that I had proliferstive retinopathy, neovasculisation and secondary glaucoma caused by the neovasculisation. I was admitted in to hospital and had laser work done. They had to conk me out because i was so scared! Anyway, I've had laser since then ( i managed to stay awake) and I'm currently having eye injections to help shrink back those little vessels. They say that it was because i got my bloods down quickly...nut me not going for check ups didn't help either. I know it's hard not to be scared. I completely empathize with you on this!

Thanks Joey, I hope the injections work for you, fingers crossed.

 

[Listlad]

They say that it was because i got my bloods down quickly..!

Interesting point there.

 

[libbylondon]

Well I saw an optician today for a routine eye test and told him about my diagnosis and the retinopathy test result. He made some images and spent ages explaining them to me, even showing me some of other people for comparison, and said that while there are definitely some changes, he didn't think they were too serious. He said the rapid drop in bg was likely to have contributed but that I shouldn't be unduly concerned if I keep doing what I'm doing. He was so kind and I now feel reassured and less panicked than when I posted a week ago! Thanks again to everyone who advised.