Eye test fallout

[Cowboyjim]

Went for my long awaited retinopathy check day afore yesterday and while it is never an experience to relish it was worse than the three previous times.
I knew before they had found some "leakage" in my right eye so results were no surprise. Got to have a laser zap to "dry" (their words, I suppose she meant cauterize) some blobs there, left eye is OK though.
Couple of things during the test tho. For those unfamiliar they place drops in your eyes before the test proper. They check your eyesight first with the standard letters chart which this time I had to do with my newish spex on. All OK there.
Nursey type said "Doctor says you have to have three drops in each eye". I pleaded for mercy to no avail.
Less than 15 mins later I was called in for some laser scan thing. Stare at a white spot while horiz and vert laser lines scan each eye twice. Then out to wait till Doc calls you in.
Nearly 20 mins later this petite Indian doc calls me in after introducing herself I knew we were in for some problems. Young and obviously qualified medically her command of english was not comparable. This is not good as we are dealing with something very serious and personal to me but oh well. So, more checks with some kind of horizontal microscope and staring at bright lights that took about ten mins at most.
Some questions and whatnot. This is when I nearly fell of my chair. She asked about my meds... usual guff and puzzled disapproving look when I told her I refused the stains, then she asked if I was regularly taking aspirin?!
I repeated my query but she thought it "thins the blood" and would help my BP alleviation... if you say so Doc but I have no doubt my GPs have NEVER suggested I take aspirin or its relatives coz I am DM T2.... durh.
So off I went... walked home though maybe I should have got a lift coz my eyes were playing up.
When I got home my daughter was aghast; my pupils were massively dilated. Of course I could not check them before lacking a mirror. I took some snaps with my phone camera... oh dear I look like a speed freak...
The OD on eye drops took till the evening to dissipate unlike my previous visits so anyone else having this I suggest caution re travel, work etc for the rest of the day.

 

[noblehead]

Quite an experience Jim, just hope the laser has done the business and your eye settles back down!

Nigel

 

[ClaireG 06]

I had my retinal screening yesterday. I also had to see a nurse first, do the eye test and have drops put in. I think i had 3 in each eye to. Boy did they sting. I then had to wait 15 minutes and got called in to have the pictures taken. Had to follow a little green dot and keep my eyes very wide open as my eyelashes were in the way :lol: Didn't get to see a Dr of any kind. My results will be sent to me and my GPin approx 10-14 days. The nurse was the only one who asked about meds and then she only wanted to know about diabetic meds not the host of others i'm on for BP and migraines.

 

[Gappy]

The drops aint nice, I had massive dilated pupils and was walking home in the mid day sun on a lovely summers day. I decided to seek refuge in a darkened pub until evening when it became dusk-I did explain to barstaff I wasn't on drugs despite my pupils! A few of us had a discussion over eye tests some time ago so can award a badge to eye drop veterans!

 

[Gratope]

:shock: Apart from eyelashes getting in the way, my test yesterday was exactly the same as Claireg. Wonder why some have more drops ? Just the one in each eye for me. :shock:

 

[anna29]

Hi, with me it depends on 'which' nurse I get doing the eyedrops!
1 will put just one drop in, another will put 2 or 3 drops in...
Why the difference haven't a clue! :?:
Yep they do sting too!!
Anna.x

 

[ClaireG 06]

Also forgot to say the clinic was upstairs! How daft is that, glad hubby was with me as i nearly fell down them as couldn't see them properly.

 

[anna29]

Hi, shouldnt laugh BUT !!! :lol: :lol: :lol: Poor you claire!
Also if you read this title quick [with the blurry eyesight I have!] it can read eye fallout!
Now that would be scary... eh.
Anna.x

 

[mehdave]

Glad up here they do all the checks without eye drops I asked the last time am I getting the dreaded drops she said no need with there new camera etc

that sounds like quite an ordeal I have managed to escape heh

 

[Cowboyjim]

Sorry to hear of others' experiences, but maybe in due course my local will get a better camera too. I should say at no time was it explained to me why it is a necessity for so many drops. Or even what they actually do.
It suggests the possibility that the techies do not know. It's on a need to know basis... LoL 8) .
I am slightly puzzled too that we have had so few join in with this thread but maybe other threads relate eye tests.
We all as DM sufferers have to get through such exams at least once a year... maybe some dob out but that is utter foolishness IMHO.
Getting to the point, I was rather unable to do any close up work the rest of that day, my freelance job is all about writing on screen etc, so I printed it out in a larger font and even then it was tough.

So may I suggest you think ahead when having your visit maybe or even when planning the time... that is if you can. It is so 'popular' you have to have what you are given it seems.

In retro I would rather mine had been in the afternoon. Maybe late afternoon then I could have gone to bed after maybe! Certainly, you would not want to have concert tickets or wotnot the evening after a triple dose... not that I knew I was getting same until the very moment she started whanging them in cautioning me about how they might sting a bit... oh yeah, right lady?

(Hope they get the ordeal sometimes... but not for DM of course, I would not wish this on anyone...)

Right, one more thing I forgot to add last time was the doc telling me about the origin of my leakages etc because I asked if she could tell how long I might have had DM.

My diagnosis was two years ago last month.. have an eye test to celebrate my anniversary WTG! - but I am surprised I have this in such short a time and also because I have good control... good HbA1c etc. She said it could have been 8 to 10 years I have had DM coming on... well, that cheered me up as you can imagine!

It does make you wonder if some kind of optical screening might be in order... wish I had known five years ago at least maybe even ten. Oh well, just have to make the most of it and be glad I know.

One last note. It was an eye twitchy thing that led me to the quack two years ago, the inevitable BP measurement showed up potential HT and two weeks or so later the fasting glucose showed up the DM. But I still unsure why my GP did that. But good for her. Notwithstanding this I had not been to the GP for ten years before that . Being middle aged why don't they call us in for a routine check every couple of years?
Enjoy the weekend alles and thanks for reading my meanderings. 8)

 

[Shades]

I went for my routine retinopathy last week (& got the all clear letter today) but my optician had previously reckoned my eye pressure was a bit high so I had a visit to the Glaucoma clinic last month as well. They gave me dilating drops but the doctor did say that one was enough as they were doing lots of other tests as well in the meantime. She said that the retinopathy clinics were more of a sausage factory and gave more drops so that your eyes dilated more quickly, but of course you then stay that way for hours and hours afterwards.

 

[Unbeliever]

I have had four years of "treatment" at the eye clinic. When I last saw the consultant 6 weeks ago he told me that nothing was working. There were only injections and drops to treat my macular oedema and we had tried hem all and nohing worked for me.
I asked what happened next and he old me to just keep attending appointments and hey would ry to help where hey could,
Earlier this week I had an appointment to check on the laser treatmen from ast ime. I did not see the consultan who had carried out the treatment but a new . younfg Asian doctor with poor command of English and even poorer manners. I am not sure who mage the decision o give me steroid injections in both eyes ogether because the after effects when I had one eye done blinded me for a week.

I have had oher injecions which didn't have this effect but the seroids do. When I attempted to question her -twice- she got up and walked off o consult someone about the paperwork without bothering to listen let alone answer me. She asked me abiut my bg conrol . I said it was good. She then asked me in a challenging manner abiut my last HBA1C. I told her 6.5. She was surprised and remarked hat it was good. She then asked me about my kidneys ,cholesterol , lipids triglycerides and sseemed disappointed that all was fine. Did she think noone else had asked these things.

She then demanded whether I had "pressures in my eyes? After some discussion it appeared she wanted o know if I knew my eye pressures hat day. As I don't have glaucomma it is not a regular est at my appointments.
Despairing of my ineffficiency she tested me herself because apparently raising intra-ocular pressure is he greatest risk of the procedures. I just despaired of getting any sense and thought I might discuss things with the nurse who did he pre-op. Unfortunatelly here was only an HCA available but she agreed wih me that i would be best o discuss he matter on the day with someone before he procedure takes place.
It is well known that steroid injections only work for six months but hey would allow he fluid to be dried up to ensure hat any laser reatment is successful

My problem now is that if nothig is working is it worthwhile having treatment as it all carries risks of potenial blinding, retinal detachment or glaucoma.

Re drops, it has often been he case that I have had ten drops insilled in each eye when I have had rtreatment. Very often because they wear off while you wai.

None of it is much fun bi=ut I often wonder what horrors sufferers from other complications have o face.
I have a feeling that eye drops ,although inconvenien in their effects are only minor nuisances in comparison.
As wih most things we would gladly put up wih i all if we were guaranteed hat the reatment would work I am sure.

 

[Energize]

Hi Folks

I have only had the Diabetic Screening, where you still need to have the drops. Fortunately, they give an anaesthetic eye drop first, so that you don't have to endure the very stingy drops. The first drops may sting just a little, but nothing compared to the other drops.

So, my advice would be to ask for the anaesthetic drops to be put in first. I imagine they would have them but probably trying to reduce costs, as ever, or maybe just not thinking.

I was also advised to take sunglasses, and obviously not to drive for a while.

It does seem rather unfair to just zap you with more than one drop, unless they need your pupil to be extremely dilated.

Interesting what you say about the place being upstairs, Clare! Now, that's the sort of situation that I think 'Health and Safety' should be involved in!!! :roll: :lol:

Thanks for a very interesting thread, folks.

 

[minitata]

My retinopathy was clear, thank goodness. I have high pressure in one eye, my left, due to having TB as a child and that eye becoming streptomycin dependant. The pupil is always smaller than the other one. I was going to have it lasered a couple of years ago, but on the day it should have been done, of course, the pressure was perfect.

I was told that the drops which stain yellow and sting are for people who may have glaucoma, or a leaning towards it, while the other drops don't sting at all. Which I find odd as, to me, they both sting :lol:
MTT

 

[ClaireG 06]

I had clear drops and they stung! Prehaps they stung more as i have been found to have some minor changes. Have had the yellow drops as well as have a family history of glaucoma and yep they sting as well :lol:

 

[harveyb]

Last year I went for my fundus photography. They only gave one drop in each eye. I asked first if I could look at the images and they said no because of data protection. I told them that, on the contrary, I was not prepared to share the data with them and left. I am an optometrist and know a lot more about diabetic retinopathy than the technician does. Next time I went to another centre and the technician/nurse was much better. She even said my pupils were large enough not to need drops and she let me look at the images - why not?
If your pupils are 5mm in diameter or more ask (insist!) them to try without drops first. They are your eyes, you don't have to suffer multiple drops unless your pupils don't dilate. Tell them if you were ok with no drops or one drop the previous time.
:twisted:

 

[Patch]

Someone has hacked into CBJ's account!!!

Either that or he's not found any interesting links to post today! :lol:

 

[Grazer]

if you say so Doc but I have no doubt my GPs have NEVER suggested I take aspirin or its relatives coz I am DM T2.... durh.
.

Excuse my ignorance, but is it the being a type 2 that makes aspirin bad, or the eye problem? I'm Type 2 on low dose aspirin daily.

 

[Unbeliever]

I think that aspirin used to be prescribed almost routinely for T2s a few years ago and then there was a report which concluded that it did more harm than good. The well known side effects of aspirin , stomach lining bleeding etc out weighed the benefits. I think that it was left to Gps and DNs to advise patients to discontinue it or not.

I know my GP casually mentioned that if I wished to "knock something off " my medicaions I could discontinue the aspirin.

 

[diadeb]

Iam also a type 2 and on lown dose Asprin (75mgs) daily. I asked my GP about some of the articles in daily newspapers at the time about it "doing more harm than good", presumingly about gastric bleeds etc, and I would much prefer not to suffer any cardiac events due to its omission. His reply was that he had received instructions from NICE not to discontinue patients on low dose Asprin unless contraindicated or adverse effects had been suffered. Another storm-in-a-teacup I think, Debra