What to expect i have developed Retinopathy

Hi,
I've been T1 for 35 years and developed retinopathy about1997. To start with the hospital eye dept will most likely monitor the progression of the problem. It is caused when the small blood vessels on the retina start leaking blood into the gel in the eye. For a while this is simply removed by the natural way that the eye renews the gel, but it can become too much for the eye to remove by itself, causing a build-up of blood and making the sight become blurred, patchy or dark spots or lines of blood affecting the vision. At some point they may decide to intervene to try to stop it getting worse. There are things that can be done for the problem. Most common is laser treatment. This is almost painless and can usually be done as an outpatient. I had many years of small numbers of laser shots, but eventually the bleeds became too much and I had a vitrectomy. This is where the gel is removed from the eye, taking the leaked blood with it and substituted with saline and oil. Eventually the eye re produces the vitreous gel and all can be OK. Unfortunately, the laser treatment also burns very small parts of the retina causing tiny blind spots. This is why the DVLA require drivers with retinopathy to take a more in depth eyesight test. Although I lost the sight from my left eye, my eyesight was stabilised about 5 years ago, leaving average sight in my right eye. My field of vision is restricted and I can't hold a driving licence. So retinopathy needs to be taken quite seriously but the hospital may not see any great urgency in getting your first appointment arranged, as it is likely to be a long slow process.
Regards,

Tracey,

The following site has some excellent information and advice regarding diabetic retinopathy:

http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/