Dia-Bad-Ass Eye Appointment

  *As usual, the following is written from my memory of the events.  Some things may be inaccurate due to faulty memories.  In any case, this is how I remember it:


I had an eye appointment today.  My retina specialist examined both eyes this time.  A month ago I had mentioned that I had begun seeing flashes of light in my left eye, which is new, I have only ever experienced flashes in my right eye.  So my doctor had planned an exam on both eyes for today.

After a vision exam, pressure check (7 in right eye, 16 in left), and dilating drops in both eyes. I waited to be called in to the exam room.  Once the doctor came in he commented on my cool new shirt.

"Dia- Bad- Ass, that's great! I like that."  He laughed and smiled.

He also asked how my blood-sugars have been, since I had a severe low at my last appointment (see post, "Well, Now That Was Embarrassing").  He then asked how my vision was doing in both eyes.  I told him the right eye hasn't changed but the left seems a bit more blurry.  He listened and then commented that it looks like the eyelid of my right eye is opening more.  I told him that I practice opening it while looking in the mirror; I get to a certain point and then it just stops.

"Yeah, it will take a long time to heal, but it should come back eventually.  Keep working on it, that helps."

I also told him that when I am outside in the sunlight and then come in, it takes forever for my vision to adjust.

"That's because of the diabetes.  The retina uses a lot of energy to make those adjustments, and with the damage from diabetic retinopathy, there just isn't much energy in the retina."

He then examined both eyes.  My right eye (the one I've had four surgeries on) is healing up great.  The oil will be removed in six months or so.  The retina is staying flat (Yay!), the macula looks great.  I have the encapsulation issue with the new lens, but that can wait to be repaired when they  go in to remove the oil.  All-in-all he says it is doing very well.

The left eye also looks really good.  The only issue he found was a very small cataract, and that should take a long time to become a real problem. There will be no surgeries on my left eye until my right eye is all better.  No need to mess with all my vision at once.

He adjusted my medications and then asked to see me back in six weeks.

All-in-all a happy visit.