... from my E-mailbag
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009Hey Mike,
I just wanted to thank you for the comfort that your blog has provided me. I was depressed yesterday with my latest gas bubble treatment outcome, so I thought I’d google for other patient’s experiences when I stumbled on your blog. Although I realize that a lot of people have gone through retinal tears and detachments, it’s nice to actually read someone else’s experiences to compare to mine. And you’re absolutely right – your experiences have made mine look like a walk in the park as compared to yours!
I’ve got a tear in my right eyeball at the top near the bridge of my nose, so my blind spot is actually the right bottom third of my eye. I was diagnosed in late September and have been lasered 3 times to try to re-attach. All have failed to keep the tear closed in the last month, so I had SF6 injected last Friday, October 3rd, and had to stay in the sitting position with my held tilted up and left for the last 4 days. Unfortunately the bubble dissipated too quickly, and I swear I’ve got a bubble trapped in the hole because now my blind spot is “warped” as of this morning. I have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow to see my retina specialist again here in Charleston, SC USA.
I guess I’m just depressed because it appears that repairing the retina is a trial and error process with the different treatments. I’m 41 and have a day job (engineer), so I’m getting even more worried at the lack of positive progress almost 6 weeks after diagnosis. I’ve got a job I’ve got to maintain, so it doesn’t help that this stupid retina issue is getting in the way of normal life!
My husband and I are just about at wits end, so it was nice to read about your experiences. I’m hoping that they can inject C3F8 so it will last longer and hold the tear back. I’m pushing back on the buckle simply because I know I’ll have to wrestle with bad vision for months until I can get a new prescription. By the way, did you ever experience any anxiety attacks going through this? I didn’t with the laser, but the gas bubble drove me crazy the 4 days I had to sit still. I can’t imagine what 2-3 weeks will do to me if C3F8 is the next step.
Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your experience and I hope all has turned out well for you!
Charleston, South Carolina
Hi Michele,
How wonderful we share the same name! It was one of my favourite Beatle tunes, (but NO, I did not pretend they were singing to me!).
I did not carry on with regular postings to the blog because I was worried it might really scare people and like you say, bring on anxiety attacks. We really do have to go down the road called Wit's End and dig deep to find keys to saving our sanity. Mine has been incredible support from fanmily and friends, plus as you may notice, a sense of humour which has kept me sane more than once through life's downturns.
But your letter, prompting this response, will hopefully show people how truly fortunate most of them are because I have been a rare case, worse off than most. Two weeks ago my retina detached for the fourth time in as many months! That happens to only one in hundreds of thousands of people. Why me!!!
As explained by my surgeon, Dr. Chaudhary, my immune system produces too much scar tissue behind the retina after my surgeries. This self defense mechanism results in re-detaching the retina by its build up, pushing off the retina! What a paradox. In trying to protect itself, my body is keeping me blind!
My fourth operation and third vitrectomy brought out the heavy silicone oil, which acts more forcefully than the C3F8 gas, holding down the retina like 'a pair of hands' I guess we can say, as an analogy, good or poor ... Doc Chaudhary might not think that is the best comparison ....
Now I am at home under "Face Down" orders AGAIN, having been operated on my left eye for the fourth time on October 19th. Yes, it is NOW NOVEMBER and I have not moved since the beginning of July!
The face down position was much better than the sitting up one. This position holds the retina at the bottom of the eye in place, the location of the last three detachments.
The first detachment was at the top of the eye and, like you, I had to sit up twenty-four hours a day which was like a torture.
I'm sending you a virtual hug from about 1000 miles away. Do whatever it takes to get through this mentally. I think of all the young boys losing their lives in Afghanistan at the moment, being robbed of full lives. It does trivialize my problem. My life will normalize! Hopefully in this century!
Best!
MikeHow wonderful we share the same name! It was one of my favourite Beatle tunes, (but NO, I did not pretend they were singing to me!).
I did not carry on with regular postings to the blog because I was worried it might really scare people and like you say, bring on anxiety attacks. We really do have to go down the road called Wit's End and dig deep to find keys to saving our sanity. Mine has been incredible support from fanmily and friends, plus as you may notice, a sense of humour which has kept me sane more than once through life's downturns.
But your letter, prompting this response, will hopefully show people how truly fortunate most of them are because I have been a rare case, worse off than most. Two weeks ago my retina detached for the fourth time in as many months! That happens to only one in hundreds of thousands of people. Why me!!!
As explained by my surgeon, Dr. Chaudhary, my immune system produces too much scar tissue behind the retina after my surgeries. This self defense mechanism results in re-detaching the retina by its build up, pushing off the retina! What a paradox. In trying to protect itself, my body is keeping me blind!
My fourth operation and third vitrectomy brought out the heavy silicone oil, which acts more forcefully than the C3F8 gas, holding down the retina like 'a pair of hands' I guess we can say, as an analogy, good or poor ... Doc Chaudhary might not think that is the best comparison ....
Now I am at home under "Face Down" orders AGAIN, having been operated on my left eye for the fourth time on October 19th. Yes, it is NOW NOVEMBER and I have not moved since the beginning of July!
The face down position was much better than the sitting up one. This position holds the retina at the bottom of the eye in place, the location of the last three detachments.
The first detachment was at the top of the eye and, like you, I had to sit up twenty-four hours a day which was like a torture.
I'm sending you a virtual hug from about 1000 miles away. Do whatever it takes to get through this mentally. I think of all the young boys losing their lives in Afghanistan at the moment, being robbed of full lives. It does trivialize my problem. My life will normalize! Hopefully in this century!
Best!
Niagara, Ontario
PS: Best thing that has happened to me this month so far has been you ... you have made me feel like I'm Dr. Oz!
