Hi all,
I've had type 1 for 28 years and have had retinopathy for a few years. I had to have my first bout of PRP laser treatment on my left eye at the beginning of August. It was a pretty awful experience. I'm not sure what information people are normally given prior to the op, but I received no info at all, so I didn't know what PRP was, why I was having it, what it would do, whether pain-relief would be given, what the side effects would be (both long-term and short-term) etc etc, and so I felt pretty unprepared when the day came. With hindsight, I should've just googled it!
When I walked into the room to have it done, I noticed that the laser had dust all over it – when was the last time it had been used?!! :shock: The procedure itself was really painful for the 10 minutes or so, the local anaesthetic gel had dripped into my mouth, so my mouth was numb, but not the eye. It just felt like the laser operator was playing Space Invaders with my retina. Apparently he zapped it 27,000 times! :shock: :shock:
I felt battered and in shock when I walked out and wondered around the hospital trying to find the exit, getting lost and I ended up in the basement! Turns out my sugars had plummeted from 7.5 to 2.5 while I'd been in there, so I'd been having a hypo while all this was going on, hence the disorientation!
Yesterday, I went for my six-week check-up and they said I need to go back for a second bout next month. Really not looking forward to it. Have been assured that I will get better care next time!
Is this sort of treatment typical?!! Has anyone on here had a similar nightmare experience, or was mine just an awful exception to the rule? I think hospitals are too blase about these things – they do hundreds of them every year and forget that they are a BIG thing for the patients. Have officially complained, btw, waiting to hear back.
I've had type 1 for 28 years and have had retinopathy for a few years. I had to have my first bout of PRP laser treatment on my left eye at the beginning of August. It was a pretty awful experience. I'm not sure what information people are normally given prior to the op, but I received no info at all, so I didn't know what PRP was, why I was having it, what it would do, whether pain-relief would be given, what the side effects would be (both long-term and short-term) etc etc, and so I felt pretty unprepared when the day came. With hindsight, I should've just googled it!
When I walked into the room to have it done, I noticed that the laser had dust all over it – when was the last time it had been used?!! :shock: The procedure itself was really painful for the 10 minutes or so, the local anaesthetic gel had dripped into my mouth, so my mouth was numb, but not the eye. It just felt like the laser operator was playing Space Invaders with my retina. Apparently he zapped it 27,000 times! :shock: :shock:
I felt battered and in shock when I walked out and wondered around the hospital trying to find the exit, getting lost and I ended up in the basement! Turns out my sugars had plummeted from 7.5 to 2.5 while I'd been in there, so I'd been having a hypo while all this was going on, hence the disorientation!
Yesterday, I went for my six-week check-up and they said I need to go back for a second bout next month. Really not looking forward to it. Have been assured that I will get better care next time!
Is this sort of treatment typical?!! Has anyone on here had a similar nightmare experience, or was mine just an awful exception to the rule? I think hospitals are too blase about these things – they do hundreds of them every year and forget that they are a BIG thing for the patients. Have officially complained, btw, waiting to hear back.