Torn retina

[Doc Nock]

Funny the things we take forgranted...

I've experienced a decline in my visual acuity, but was blessed with incredible distance eyesight most of my life, so it was with some frustration that I embraced a decline to 20-20...I know how that sounds to those who've struggled, but one doc told me I was an "aging hawk-eye" and to have to stare at a street sign as I drove by was maddening... alas, age has it's own way...

Recently, my new neighbor here mentioned flashes of light and I googled it and told him to get to a doc... lo and behold, this past Saturday, I awoke to all sorts of stuff in my better visioned left eye...looked like hair hanging down.  I just got my first TN haircut so there was NO hair to hang down! WT?

Then that evening, flashes started in that eye... by sunday, it looked like a dirty wind shield out of my left eye... hmmm...

Neighbor who'd been thru it brought over a pamphlet on such things from his new ophthalmologist.  Illuminating...

On the way to the grocery store yesterday, I was near where he just stopped in...so I went by.  "Do you take Medicare"... the affirmative reply was followed by "what's wrong?"

When I described symptoms, I was told to sit down. Long story short, torn retina and lots of bleeding in the vitreous humo goop in your eye explaining the crud blocking my vision.  They went behind the eye an froze the back of the eyeball where the tear was located, back today to get the confirmation it all looks good, but sentenced to "light duty" for a while...

Kinda spooky when your eyes take a hit! For all who've had vision issues, my condolences.  For any who have any such symptoms of floaters, flashes, get it PRONTO!  They tell me if I'd have waited a wee bit longer, I could have had a retinal detachment...which would have been MAJOR reconstructive surgery instead of feeling like somebody bopped me in the eyeball for a day!

Prayers coveted for full healing in that eye and no more issues. Came to TN to get out and hunt and fish and between this and hernia surgery 1/15, I am not feeling the outdoors drawing closer!

Thank you and Merry Christmas to all! I'm one lucky guy to have had it caught in time, so be smarter than I was!

[BenBow]

God's watching over you so He's wanting you healed. Prayers for God's best!

[DennyK]

Dave, Prayers sent for complete and restored vision.

[Doc Nock]

Thanks, Guys!  I was most fortunate and as Galen said, "God's watching out for me".

I shared more to alert others.  My knowledge of this malady was pretty limited and full of wrong information.

Can come on in a "flash" (No pun intended) and be subtle as it is quick!

Don't mess when vision changes...

[Green]

Good luck with the healing Doc....and Thanks for the heads up!

[MR BILL SHORTY]

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Doc, I am happy you went in early. Letting that one go would result in permanent damage to the eye.

I send you prayers for healing and hope the doc's have good aim with those Lasers.  Its amazing what they can do these days.

[maddingo]

In prayer and God bless

[Doc Nock]

Thanks, Gents and prayer warriors.

Still got big ugly goober in that 'better' eye... but I THINK it seems like the darkness of the goobers is lessening.

Tough looking out of it, but Charlie, there were no lasers!

The amount of blood floating around in the eye vetrial fluid would not let him use one comfortably so he used the behind the eye ball probe to FREEZE around the tear of the retina from behind.

I think AFTER, I'd have liked to have seen that gizmo... Geeze!  

I should've done something on Sat when it got like a dirty windshield, but not being from here, didn't know where to go or where to call.

My advice? KNOW ahead of time as you age...lights or big floaters, CALL AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST...pronto.

It wasn't this bad on Sat...but by Sunday it was worse... from the bleeding... doh!

They said it would be WEEKS before it clears up... kinda takes the motivation to do much of anything right outa a body... yikes!  Spooky stuff!

Thanks again for the prayers for healing!

[1/4 away]

Doc, I can empathize with what you're going through. Back in 2002 I suffered a blow to the back of my head. After about 3 days I started seeing brown spots floating in my right eye. I had been sanding my garage which was brown and figured I had gotten some dust particles in it. My wife being a nurse washed out my eye but the spots were still there. It was Memorial Day weekend and I had to wait to see my eye doctor on Monday but the vision got worse and it felt as though there was a curtain closing over part of my vision. Long story short I had a partial retina detachment and went from the doc's office to the OR. After surgery I had several complications with scar tissue, the vitreous in my eye and eventually a full retina detachment. I had 3 more additional surgeries to attempt to reattach the retina and regain my vision. End result is the retina is reattached and has been since 2002, but I was left with ambulatory vision 20/600 in my right eye and can only see shadows and movement . I'm glad you caught yours early and sought proper medical attention. And like you so wisely said, if anyone starts seeing flashes of light or has floaters in their eyes they should seek medical attention asap.

[Doc Nock]

Wow, Fred....that is a story to tell!!!    :eek:  

I've had good vision most of my life and poor insurance, so seldom go to glasses docs or eye docs, unless I injure my eye... which I've done with thorn ash slash across my right lens but it healed ok...

This was all so new!  I might have freaked if it were not the neighbor, few years my Sr. went thru same thing but got checked and nothing was wrong other than some of the vitreous pulling away as happens as we age... his was intact...he still has flashes and subsequent checks reveal nothing!

Lordy! I get tiny flashes AFTER I have heavy floaters that were more big dark goobers hanging down in my eye... and I had a tear! Go figure.

Then there is your story which is even worse... Yikes! Had my 1 week check up and he said there "was still blood" floating around in there, but my vision is improving... so it sounds like a real crap shoot!  

My Doc wants me back in 1 month...another check and to call IMMEDIATELY if more flashes or more floaters...geeze!

Sorry your story ends with 20/600 vision... We outdoors type seem to take vision for-granted and that is a huge mistake, especially as one ages!

Thanks for your input and warnings to our brothers and sisters...

[BenBow]

Amen!

[1/4 away]

Doc,  You're right about taking our vision for granted. Since all this happened I go 3X a year for an eye exam. One with my regular eye doc and 2 with the surgeon. The vision in my right eye will never be the same but they like to keep tabs on my left eye which is now my dominant eye.  Fortunately my left eye is fine and I still continue shooting my bows right handed.  Depth perception was an issue in the beginning but the doc said that the brain is a marvelous thing and will eventually compensate for the lack of vision in the right eye which it hash. As a retired LEO I qualify every year since I retired in 2004 and have never shot lower than 98 out of 100. My only issue is shooting a long gun which I have to shoot left handed. I thank God everyday that he has spared me from being totally blind.

[Doc Nock]

Thanks for your service in the Thin Blue Line.

Great attitude.  I tended NOT to see eye docs for I did not have/ do not have insurance, but Medicare will cover Ophthalmologist (MD) visits, just not glasses type docs...Or so I'm told!  

I've had friends come forth with retinal tears who did the freeze thing...and haven't had issues since...here's hoping.  

All this leaves me a bit jittery for sure as my dominant eye which is /was (?) stronger, starts to clear of the blood inside the vitreous fluid

Money well spent I guess to visit them EYE MD's periodically...!

[Danny Rowan]

Dave,

Sorry to hear about this, May He lay his Healing Hands on your eye. Not a good thing for sure. I am currently awaiting surgury on both eyes to replace the lenses,cataracs. It surely sucks getting older, but my doc tells me I will not need glasses after the surgury except for reading. That will be strange as I have worn glasses all my life.

Fred, As a Federal LEO and firearms instructor, I have always been left eye dominant and shoot right handed, consistant 150 out of 150 for me on the field course of fire and 298 out of 300 for the instructor course of fire. Two more years and I will also be retired.

[Doc Nock]

There was substaintal "clearing" of the left eye vision for a few days/week...now it's slowed down and feels "goopy" all the time... Time will tell.

Danny,  Those I know (many) with cataract surgery, where they now replace the lens, walked out seeing much better in a couple days!

Good luck to you!

[halfseminole]

I experienced similar issues in my right eye, but my eye exam came up clean.  They just happened to take my blood pressure at the eye ER and it was near 300.  My vision loss was caused by a stroke in the vision center, and my right pupil is stuck open and I have a blind spot in the center of my vision in that eye.  Shooting has been more difficult, and I do my aiming with both eyes open, stuck behind $600 glasses at 91% tint because I can't constrict my right at all and my left is faulty.

Don't wait if you have changes in you vision-this stuff is serious!

[Doc Nock]

Sorry to hear that your situation, Ed, was so much more severe!

Having your lends stuck open must be a buggar on bright days!  :(

BP is nothing to fool with...no health issue is, but it's getting to the point where medical care is frighteningly less and less available for those who worked their whole lives... oh, well....

Vision is so much of what we all love and do outdoors, everyone please be careful and not a penny wise and dollar foolish...