A few on here will know of my retinopathy problems in the past five years, following years of uncontrolled diabetes/diabulimia as a young person (diagnosed at 15), and then two pregnancies on top of background retinopathy in my early 30s.
As a result I had two bleeds, one very bad when vessels were growing into the eyeball jelly risking a retinal detachment and one in the other eye late in my second pregnancy two weeks before giving birth.
I had a vitrectomy to one eye which was successful but resulted in some peripheral vision loss. Overall I've had about 10x laser, 5 x in each eye.
I love driving and drive as part of my job, losing my license would mean so much to me, the loss of freedom, employment opportunities would be very limited and we would probably have to move house to be nearer to public transport.
I was convinced that I would lose my license if not now then at some point in the future, when the retinopathy got worse and have absolutely dreaded having to do the field test to get my license renewed.
I desperately wanted a second child and took a big (but calculated) risk in getting pregnant a second time, had I known I would have the bleed at 36 weeks I don't think I would have chanced it, which means I would never have got to have our lovely daughter and sister for my son (they are inseparable, very very close).
So I have worried that my retinopathy will just get worse and worse but today I am celebrating because I still have a full visual field with both eyes open, and passed my binocular DVLA test. I saw my opthalmologist who I've got to know quite well over the years, and he's told me that both retinas are very stable and he doesn't expect I will need any further treatment in my lifetime (so long as my diabetes is well controlled, which it is - last Hba1c was 42).
I will never be complacent with retinopathy or say that 100% it will never come back but I think this is as good as it gets in terms of recovery and getting through it. After 5 years of worrying about this issue and blaming myself for mistakes of the past, I think I can afford to relax a tiny bit now and say 'I made it through' (touching lots of wood of course)
Seeing as there aren't too many carbs in champagne, I think I may be tempted to have a wee glass..
Hoping this gives reassurance to those with diabetic eye problems, you can get through it!
As a result I had two bleeds, one very bad when vessels were growing into the eyeball jelly risking a retinal detachment and one in the other eye late in my second pregnancy two weeks before giving birth.
I had a vitrectomy to one eye which was successful but resulted in some peripheral vision loss. Overall I've had about 10x laser, 5 x in each eye.
I love driving and drive as part of my job, losing my license would mean so much to me, the loss of freedom, employment opportunities would be very limited and we would probably have to move house to be nearer to public transport.
I was convinced that I would lose my license if not now then at some point in the future, when the retinopathy got worse and have absolutely dreaded having to do the field test to get my license renewed.
I desperately wanted a second child and took a big (but calculated) risk in getting pregnant a second time, had I known I would have the bleed at 36 weeks I don't think I would have chanced it, which means I would never have got to have our lovely daughter and sister for my son (they are inseparable, very very close).
So I have worried that my retinopathy will just get worse and worse but today I am celebrating because I still have a full visual field with both eyes open, and passed my binocular DVLA test. I saw my opthalmologist who I've got to know quite well over the years, and he's told me that both retinas are very stable and he doesn't expect I will need any further treatment in my lifetime (so long as my diabetes is well controlled, which it is - last Hba1c was 42).
I will never be complacent with retinopathy or say that 100% it will never come back but I think this is as good as it gets in terms of recovery and getting through it. After 5 years of worrying about this issue and blaming myself for mistakes of the past, I think I can afford to relax a tiny bit now and say 'I made it through' (touching lots of wood of course)
Seeing as there aren't too many carbs in champagne, I think I may be tempted to have a wee glass..
Hoping this gives reassurance to those with diabetic eye problems, you can get through it!
