Detached Retina: My Aging Eye, Part I
NIH A.D.A.M. Encyclopedia. Click for larger version.
Last Sunday I had retinal eye surgery. Below is the post that I wrote just before leaving for the hospital.
I am about to be on my way to the hospital for urgent eye surgery.
A few months ago I wrote about eye and retina health after reading an article and remembering my retinal tear that was repaired with laser surgery. That post has links to reliable sources of information about retina problems.
After my retinal laser surgery I was told by my doctor to keep close track of the flashes and floaters in my eye. I have, going back to the ophthalmologist several times, when I felt the situation had changed. Each time the situation was stable. But I knew that given my age and nearsightedness, I needed to keep track.
Two days ago I began to see something that I did not expect. Instead of flashes and floaters, a black shadow came out of the top right corner of my eye and then disappeared. It did not look like a curtain and did not look live a flash. Over 24 hours it got worse, so I called the doctor late on Saturday afternoon. He met me at his office last evening, half-an-hour later.
I have a detached retina, and he scheduled surgery for today–this is urgent. I was watching for floaters and flashes but not for shadows.
Detached retinas are serious and can lead to blindness. Aging children over 40 years old have a greater chance experiencing retina problems — just as their parents. Nearsightedness adds risk. It’s wise to know what to look for.
I will be uploading a few more posts about this process. Stay tuned.
Detached Retina Posts – Objective Observations and Not a Substitute for Talking to a Physician - Detached Retina, Part I, Detached Retina, Part II, Detached Retina, Part III, and Detached Retina, Part IV
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Becoming A Grown-up Child
One day in April 2007 my husband and I were the adult kids in our families — we are the only adult children
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[...] You may also want to read my other posts about eyes and retinas: Learning about Retinas and Detached Retina, Part I. [...]
[...] may also want to read my other posts about eyes and retinas: Detached Retina, Part I and Detached Retina, Part [...]
[...] Retina Posts – Objective Observations and Not a Substitute for Talking to a Physician, Detached Retina, Part I, Detached Retina, Part II, Detached Retina, Part III, and Detached Retina, Part IV Share [...]
[...] Detached Retina: An Aging Eye Affliction, Part I [...]