Worried about Annual eye screening results!

[Slackie]

Hi,

My name is Shelly and i was diagnosed with diabetes 3 years ago and have had regular eye screening ever since then and have had no problems until my recent screening when i recieved a letter stating that "some diabetic changes have been identified, however these do not require any treatment at the present time" without further explaination of what was found. I am really worried as to what this means and was wondering if this had happened to anyone else. I know that diabetes can cause problems with your eyes but i am concerned that i have only had diabetes for a relatively sort time compared to some people and i am starting to have complications already! :cry:

My BS readings have been quite stable(for me) for the last 4 months
Before Breakfast between 6-9
Before Dinner between 4-8
Before Tea between 6-9
before bed between 5-10
Last HBA1C 01.08.08 7.4

Sorry to go on abit, am i stressing about nothing?

 

[hanadr]

They say you don't need any treatment at the moment.How long have your BGs been as they are?
Remember that anything over 7 is a risk for complications. HbA1c over 7 is also a little above ideal. The doctors are usually happy with that, but prefer <6.5 now. Retinal changes can be slowed down or even repaired by TIGHT control, at non-diabetic levels.
Remember the doctors think that progression and complications are inevitable. WE DON'T!
You may be a candidate for lowered carbs.
This helps even T1s, so ( depending on your treatment plan, ) try cutting out sugars and bringing starches down as low as you can manage. Reduce your medication to match. You may have do do this slowly. Youn next retina screening may be better news.
I had it found on my first check up and it was probably there before I was diagnosed. Since then it's got no worse.

 

[ChezMorgan]

BY diabetic changes, they mean Diabetic Retinopathy. If you dont need any treatment then i would assume they just want to keep a closer eye on you from now on. Better safe than sorry.
I would think its a pretty common complication in diabetics, as the clinic i attend is usually very busy ..... your not alone and being diabetic is NOT your fault , unless you have perfect control then some complications are inevitable and most of us are not perfect


This link should help explain it in more detail....

http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/Informa ... ients.html

 

[Slackie]

Thankyou both for your advice sometimes its just nice to know that your not alone and that what you're experiencing is not unusal and things can be done to help improve the situation!

Thanks again

 

[shadwell]

Slackie, I have just had exactly the same letter following my recent eye screening. I have also been diagnosed as T2 for about 3 years, but suspect I had it for at least 5 years beforehand. It is very worrying but as the other posters have said, all you can do is aim for the best control you can achieve and hopefully, neither of us will have any problems for a long time to come.

PS, I have also been taking alpha lipoic acid as I've read that this can help with neuropathy so hoepfully will have a positive effect on any background retinopathy too.

 

[jopar]

I've just had my eyes screened,

Screened on Monday and recieved a letter on the Friday stating that I would need to see a eye specialist and a appointment would follow from the eye clinic...

I'm not too worried, because as it doesn't mean that I'm going to go blind what it means is that I might and when I say might I do mean might need some lazering to sort the problem which is basically a 5 minnute procedure that seals off problem viens before they do any damage or interfer with sight...

when I think about the lengh of time I've been a diabetic which is 20 years now, I've done pretty well as at times I have had real problems with controling it... And I know from my optitican that the damage in my eyes has always been less than what they would have expected with someone that had been diabetic for my lengh of time...

 

[coopergang]

i went for a regular screening back in march of this year, the optician put the fear of god in me, saying he thought i had diabetic retinopathy and refered me to a clinic, the appointment came through for the begining of june and saw a doctor who confirmed it was diabetic retinopathy. So, another appointment for 3rd week in july for lazer treatment, to say i was bricking it was an understatement. the nurse put some drops in boths eyes to dialate them and then had to wait for it to take effect. the procedure took all of 5 minutes it took longer to check the paper work!. he checked my one eye that i was having treatment on, he then put like a lens on my eye and i had to keep very still and focus my eye on a dot and then you get like flashes -IT DIDNT HURT AT ALL. I was so amazed, i told him that the other doctor was 'keeping an eye' on my other eye and had got to go back to clinic in a couple of weks, so he said he would look now and said hwe would do a bit on that one too, i had no time to think about it it just happened. again IT DIDNT HURT AT ALL. But i came out of the room and could just make out my husband standing the other side of the room and started crying like a baby, the nurse ushered me into a side room cause she thought that there was something wrong, did i feel a fool, there was nothing wrong at all it was sheer relief and i didnt realise just how wound up i had been
Anyway i have got to go back in january, the consulatant kept going on about the more control i have the less likely i am in having any more lazer done, so i have paranoid since july about results, but to be on the safe side i am going to take some painkillers before i go next time --just to air on the side of caution
i hope this is of help to someone and that i havent scared anyone, but thought i would tell it as it was :|

 

[lionrampant]

I got a similar letter first time I went. Royally ticked me off that they didn't give any explanations. Second time round they said "which may require treatment" and now I'm getting referred to the laser department.

If this ends in the back of my head being laser'd off by a hungover nurse, remember as a hero...