chrisd
Major Champion
Some of you will know that I had emergency surgery exactly 2 weeks ago for a retina tear. My consultant saw me yesterday for a check up. He said that it had been a difficult one to fix and that had I not come in when I did that I'd have almost certainly gone blind in the eye within 7 days!
Now, blindness following a retina detachment can often be fixed but, I understand, with less good results than from my torn one but i just wanted to write about the symptoms etc.
Luckily I was aware that anything like a black curtain, disc or the like moving or still in your vision is potentially a bad sign, I just had a black disc that when I blinked, and only on odd occasions, for a few days, came down from the top of my vision to about half way and then just went back up and out of vision. I went to my optician, advice is go there or straight to A&E as doctors don't have the means to check this problem properly. My optician immediately rang the eye clinic at my local hospital as its essential to get their referral. I was in the hospital an hour later and the diagnosis confirmed and was sent to St Thomas' Hospital London 7.30 the next morning for surgery - that is how quickly action is needed! I stood in the waiting room looking at the Thames, London Eye etc and my vision was perfect, so please don't just assume there's nothing wrong.
I have only written this story so that anyone here, your family or friends that have an eye problem in any way similar, please please don't mess about - get to an optician or A&E urgently - I met a lady at the clinic who was given bad advice with hers, left it too long, and us now pretty certain to be blind in one eye.
That doesn't bear thinking about
Now, blindness following a retina detachment can often be fixed but, I understand, with less good results than from my torn one but i just wanted to write about the symptoms etc.
Luckily I was aware that anything like a black curtain, disc or the like moving or still in your vision is potentially a bad sign, I just had a black disc that when I blinked, and only on odd occasions, for a few days, came down from the top of my vision to about half way and then just went back up and out of vision. I went to my optician, advice is go there or straight to A&E as doctors don't have the means to check this problem properly. My optician immediately rang the eye clinic at my local hospital as its essential to get their referral. I was in the hospital an hour later and the diagnosis confirmed and was sent to St Thomas' Hospital London 7.30 the next morning for surgery - that is how quickly action is needed! I stood in the waiting room looking at the Thames, London Eye etc and my vision was perfect, so please don't just assume there's nothing wrong.
I have only written this story so that anyone here, your family or friends that have an eye problem in any way similar, please please don't mess about - get to an optician or A&E urgently - I met a lady at the clinic who was given bad advice with hers, left it too long, and us now pretty certain to be blind in one eye.
That doesn't bear thinking about
