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Laser Treatment this Tuesday

4

40djbrooks

Active Member
Messages
31
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
I had my usual screening this year and they have written back saying I have sight threatening retinopathy, I have been rather good with my sugar levels, but I have to go into outpatients for possible laser treatment.

Now I am worried that they will stop be driving, my optician did a visual test and I only missed 3 lights, but he has not come back to me to say I had to stop driving.

Has anyone else been through this process and are willing to share there experience here.

Thx
 
Hi, I'm not a driver, so hopefully someone who is a driver will be along with some advice.

If you have laser treatment, you will be given drops to make your pupils larger. It doesn'r take too long, for the lasering, depending on how many laser shots you have, or a single or double dose, I always ask. Take a pair of sunglasses with you, whatever the weather. It feels 'strange' but not painful, just a little uncomfortable.
I go on my own and have never had any problems with walking in the daylight with sunglasses on.

Good luck and all the best

RRB
 

If there was an immediate problem with your sight the optician would have told you to stop driving there and then. I went for an eye test, the optician found a problem and told me not to drive home, I was off the road for 6 months until I had treatment. I also had laser treatment and like RRB went on my own and was fine. It's not a long process or painful but it is strange. Take Robin Redbreasts advice and take dark glasses, the drops they use are to enlarge the pupils and when I left the first time my eyes were very sensitive to daylight for a few hours.
 
did the hospital tell you, you had to inform the dvla, did they tell you to stop as well?
 
You have to inform the DVLA when being treated for diabetic retinopathy.

As for the Field Vision Test, this will be a requirement after receiving laser treatment for retinopathy, once the results have been returned to the medical dept of the DVLA they will then decide on your suitability to drive.

I've had laser treatment myself and have no problems being issued with a 3 year licence, when I last applied to renew my licence earlier this year they conducted some investigations before returning my licence but they didn't request a field vision test this time, the time before when I applied I did have to take the test but still got issued with a 3 year licence.

Try not to worry and see what the DVLA say, if your looking for some great advice and information on diabetic retinopathy take a look at the following:

http://www.diabeticretinopathy.org.uk/Information_for_patients.html
 
Try not to worry too much, laser is an odd experience, it can be slightly uncomfortable. I have had maximum laser treatment on both retinas and it wasn't until I had received about 10+ sessions of laser in each eye that I started to notice a loss of peripheral and low light vision. My eye surgeon informed me when he thought I should stop driving but this wasn't immediately after I started laser treatment. I can't recall informing the DVLA about having laser but this was about 20 years ago. As already said, ask your eye surgeon and DVLA for advice on driving. Good luck.
 
40djbrooks said:
did the hospital tell you, you had to inform the dvla, did they tell you to stop as well?
Click to expand...
You only have to tell them if both eyes have had laser treatment.
The hospital will also tell you if you need to refrain from driving. If you are having treatment do not drive there as dilating and anaesthetic drops will be put in your eye.
 
ok thanks for the advice, the letter said possible laser treatment for tommorrow, my mother in law is taking me there.

At present my optician thinks I need reading glasses only for now as I passed beyond the red line on the sight chart.
 
40djbrooks said:
ok thanks for the advice, the letter said possible laser treatment for tommorrow, my mother in law is taking me there.

At present my optician thinks I need reading glasses only for now as I passed beyond the red line on the sight chart.
Click to expand...


You may want to take some sunglasses with you for when you come back outside, the daylight (or any bright light) can make seeing uncomfortable after laser treatment and that is why they say to bring some dark glasses along. Good luck for tomorrow.
 
Well what an experience, I had a photoscan of my eyes and my right is effected with new blood vessels, my left was starting too and he lasered quite a lot of my right eye. He just did a little on my left eye and he said see me in 6 weeks.
 
40djbrooks said:
Well what an experience, I had a photoscan of my eyes and my right is effected with new blood vessels, my left was starting too and he lasered quite a lot of my right eye. He just did a little on my left eye and he said see me in 6 weeks.
Click to expand...


A 6 week follow-up is normal, hopefully the lasering today will be enough to stop it progressing further.
 
Well it is time again for my visit to see the eye doctor maybe for more laser treatment, i hoping the doctor will let me continue to drive.
 
Good news my left eye is ok, i had to have some more work done on the right eye, i do get some nerve pain in my right eye but i can still drive
 
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