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Ophthalmology appointment

Waterlady

Member
Messages
17
My husband got diagnosed with type 2 in late July and has his retina screening on Tuesday at his GP surgery. He got a call yesterday from outpatients at the hospital and they said that a specialist wants to see him sooner rather than later, which has obviously concerned us. He also got a letter in the post which repeated what they said on the phone regarding an appointment on Monday at the hospital. We are so worried, he’s only 27 and he mentioned the other day how he has noticed sensitivity to light and some pain in his left eye, he has also noticed seeing “stars”. We’re worried that they may have found something, it’s just a bit unfortunate that they’ve left him all weekend to worry about it, obviously that’s no ones fault, it’s just rather stressful. Has anyone has a similar letter/appointment and can tell me what happened? I know everyone’s different, we just don’t know what to expect and are thinking the worst!
 
Far more often than not, the vision / stars issues are resolved with lower blood sugars. What was his HBA1C?
 
Mike D said:
Far more often than not, the vision / stars issues are resolved with lower blood sugars. What was his HBA1C?
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Hi, when he had his first blood test his hba1c was 93. He hasn’t had one since but has a review in a week or so. But he tests his bg every night and is between 6 and 8...
 
That could well explain it ... 93 is at the very high end
 
Mike D said:
That could well explain it ... 93 is at the very high end
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Yeh his GP said that when he got his results, I feel like they aren’t really telling him the seriousness of it all - they just tell him what it is and that’s it. Nothing of the potential complications and hasn’t really had any advice. I’m really hoping at the appointment it’s no more bad news! Hopefully it will be something that improves with lowering his hba1c it’s just the worrying it’s causing us. Thank you for your reply!
 
His diet would be an interesting read, but that's another issue. For now anyway. That is the MOST important factor. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. High sugars and glucose are really bad.
 
Mike D said:
His diet would be an interesting read, but that's another issue. For now anyway. That is the MOST important factor. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. High sugars and glucose are really bad.
Click to expand...

In all honesty, his diet isn’t the best. He goes through stages of eating really good and then he’ll fancy something but ends up bingeing. He’s lost almost 2 stone since July (diagnosis). I think they’ll do his hba1c on Monday (review) so thatwll be interesting to see.
 
Sorry, are you saying that he had his retinal screening last Tuesday at his GP's and as a result of that screening, he has been given an ophthalmology appointment for Monday? Or are you saying that he is due an appointment for retinal screening next Tuesday but the hospital have called him in the day before the eye screening? Has he seen an optician or GP about the sensitivity to light/eye pain/seeing stars?
 

Hi sorry, he had his first screening the 1st Oct at his GP surgery, the hospital called yesterday (Friday) as a result of that screening to see a specialist ASAP - so that’s on Monday 7th Oct. he had recently seen an optician in June as he wears glasses, but this was before his diagnosis and always put him seeing things down to not wearing his glasses sometimes.
 

Diet and drink details by meal please .... sounds like it must be corrected like yesterday.
 
Normally an urgent referral to ophthalmology from the diabetic eye screening results in a hospital appointment within 6 weeks of the screening date if proliferative diabetic retinopathy has been seen. The fact that the hospital appointment is so soon after screening suggests that a change has been seen that is not due to diabetes.

The results letter from the screening should say whether the hospital referral is because of diabetic retinopathy or because of changes which are not due to diabetes. If it is the latter, your husband's GP should have been notified of the reason for the referral so you could try ringing the surgery to ask. One of the possible reasons for an urgent non-diabetic referral is suspected retinal detachment - if your husband sees a sudden increase in flashes he has been seeing (seeing stars) he should go to eye casualty.

Bear in mind that screening is not the same as diagnosis - it is not until someone has been seen in hospital for further tests that anyone will know whether the changes seen at screening are significant or not.
 
It is good that you're husband has an appointment so quickly to check the changes in his eyes .He will have a scan taken of the eyes which is completely painless ,and his eyes will.be examined by a very bright light shining in each eye with the doctor checking each eye very carefully .The pupils will have been dilated with drops to allow the eyes to be examined very carefully In my case the doctor explained there and then what was needed .
The best thing that your husband can do at this time is to try to lower his blood glucose.
Hope this helps
Carol
 
"He's only 27" may I ask why that makes a difference?

I was diagnosed Type 1 in November 2016 at 24, in the December I received news of my first related eye problems after just turning 25, I have went through countless eye injections and the first 2 were done ASAP before the Christmas of 2016, I've had relatively good control but still have had problems

Obviously nobody deserves it etc but age (and even control) doesn't determine anything

I do however hope everything went ok for him
 
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