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Laser treatment Tuesday

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Cowboyjim

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I have the laser treatment for my right eye "leakage" on Tuesday so I wonder whether anyone had an experiences they might like to share?
The booklet thingy makes it out to be no big deal except for the bit about not looking at the laser itself. Ooh err. The whole thing goes against the grain for me having worked in labs where laser safety was paramount.
As usual perhaps I have no written explanation as to why I need this. All I can recall is her showing me a spot near my retina and having to "dry up the leak" or some such baby talk. I presume she meant cauterization. Next time I will take a notebook and get something down.
Thanks in advance! 8)
 
No words of wisdom but just to wish you all the best for Tuesday... it'll be done before you know it.

I think you have it right: you may have small/new/weak vessels which can tend to leak and the blood can obscure your vision, so the laser is used to close them off.
 
Thanks Pianoman!
ATM my vision in that eye is ok, no dead spots but if this is not fixed who knows...
Am hoping my awareness of my condition should mean no more probs for a while but will not take owt for granted. 8)
 
Hi Cowboyjim,
I have had quite alot of extensive laser treatment in my left eye and a little in my right. The only way to describe what it is like is that it is like staring at the sun on a sunny day and trying not to move your eyes. There is no pain just discomfort for a short while during the treatment and the eye being treated maybe a little dark for a short time afterwards (maybe 10mins or so). To help keep your eye open they insert some anaesthetic and then a small device on your eyelids to keep them open which again is not painful. The whole procedure doesnt take long and it will be over before you know it. Try not to worry too much about the whole thing and I hope all goes wll for tuesday. :D
 
Hi Jim,

Good luck for Tuesday. I had laser many years ago...and like you, worked with lasers at the time, so yes, it does feel odd to actually have it aimed at your eye. Like others said...uncomfortable, but not too painful. I had blurred vison for a week afterwards, but this c;leared, and my visiion is now back to almost normal. I do have a verys small amount of peripheral vision loss, but this does not seem to affect anything, and I only miss a few spots on the visula fields test.
I was too scared at the time to ask all the techy questions....that in hind site I wished I jhad asked...but I did manage to fix teh laser for the Dr...so he didn't have to cancelmy treatment. This was over 15 years ago now!
 
Good luck with the laser treatment Jim and hope this is your first and last time!

Nigel
 
Thanks for the kind words one and all. Helped me prepare for the visit.
A couple of hours on I feel OK, the eye is a little sore but not painful. Vision is not as good as it was this morning but I can see well enough to type this.
Some first impressions are all I can do for now as it was harldy a pleasant experience on more than one level. If ever there was a deterrent to not following the righteous path then it is a visit to have your eye lasered to head off drastic impairment or worse.
Anyway, I arrived and within a few minutes was called in for the by now traditional standard eye test. Why? I had had one a month ago FCS - she said they might have changed since then. Really? Procedures I suppose. I got most of done but not the very bottom line.
All my protests were to no avail. Three drops for you because doctor says so. Think that this time you only have them in the one eye. Some consolation.
Back out into the waiting room. I read a book. That'll show 'em! I have one with slightly larger font than the usual but managed it for the entire 20 minutes without the spex.
The dilation done I was called in by the doc. An odd cove but friendly enough. Refreshing that he was older than me and seemed to know what he was talking about even though they always talk down to their patients he was pretty tolerable.
He had a look at my eye and told me about the problem - or the one I would have if I did not have the zap. So I signed the consent form and we walked out into the laser room.
You sit in front of another contraption the KGB would likely have in any self-respecting "interrogation" room but this time with a few more boxes and whatnot.
In with some anesthetic of course. A wipe and a blink and we are ready. Not painful at all. Nor numbing etc.
A few adjustments later and he was ready to try some initial shots. I nearly said "sighting" there but maybe that kind of punning could be overly ironic.
A little surprised he did not explain a little more nor tell me more clearly what to do other than to stare at the green LED cluster thing. The leaflet warned about looking into the laser but...
Anyway tea is ready so a break is in order... back again in a moment or two.
 
So there I was having to concentrate like mad for fear of messing it up. He had, I should have added, placed a strange optic attachment thing into my eye much like a jeweller's glass thingy (name escapes me).
A few flashes more and then he said he would increase the power. Not much explanation otherwise. Then "soon over, nearly there" etc and it was. I was done. It was over and I had not messed up.
He warned me I could expect some slight pain and impaired vision from anything up to days later. Obscuring my left eye I could see everything but like through a gauze but this did not last more than minutes I think so I could walk home OK.
Before then I asked him more about diabetes and what to do about it.
To my surprise when I told him what I do and he asked how many times I test and I said a few times a week. He replied that I should test several times a DAY. This was a refreshing change.
He went on to suggest my diet choices even though I was askant. He reiterated the need for testing and how nearly everyone's DM was unique to them to a greater or lesser extent. He commiserated with me over the restricted diet choices and I should avoid carbs and fat but protein was fine. Eggs and chicken were good. Really, I said, but hardly inspiring for day after day etc. He gave another wry smile and off I went.
Whether I revisit him or not I will have to wait to find out.

In conclusion it was a very unusual experience. While it gave some confidence in the NHS having the means to help us it also puzzled me as to the seemingly contrary advice that its practitioners dispense. That said I think I would choose to take his rather than some other stuff I have heard.

All comments very welcome as usual and if I can recall owt else I will add it later. 8)
 
Well tis a couple of daze on now and fingers crossed I think my vision is as clear as it was on Monday. I was not expecting to notice anything different mind you. This is another insidious aspect of this disease and its effects. He told me that if were to have "blind spots" then it was too late for him to do anything for me. Had I not attended my appt then it would have had but one outcome.

Now I have to await a further check I suppose. They will want to check it has worked. Though I now wonder why he could not have either checked me there and then or taken me into another room for that check I had before with the scanner thing.

One other thing that I recall is his pointing out that such problems are at least not helped by one's cholesterol, blood pressure AND glucose peaks. So us sufferers of DM plus HT should be doubly vigilant. Tho as I pointed out those three things do quite severely limit the permissible foods on offer. 8)
 
Yes
I think you have it right: you may have small/new/weak vessels which can tend to leak and the blood can obscure your vision, so the laser is used to close them off. :lol:
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