Still Waiting...

[Jenn1]

...for my TED specialist appointment. I am stressed out since all I have had thus far is bleph, bleph, bleph and not enough hot compresses and useless BAK drops which I wont use as it makes matters worse. Had all this thrown at me, but once i have the relevant tests and proper diagnosis, i wont panic as much when i see bloodshot eyes, increased floaters, blurry vision, protrusion, red veins all over the sclera and now a mist like floater thing which moves across my vision and something about keratitis mentioned by a woman at the ER.... not that shes an eye specialist and she didnt use dye as its not visible unless you do just turned the lights off and shined a light in my eye..... so would rather ask the prof his thoughts on this. Is Keratitis dangerous, permanent, treatable and what do others think about vitrectomy for floater removal and is it safe etc.... if thats what they call it?

Also anyone ever had their corneal epithelium removed and grow back and were there are side effects or problems later with ur eyes?

Needed to let that all out!

[PAllen]

Hi, Jenn. sorry to hear about your struggle. I can't tell you much, but I can tell you that my one of my many eye problems (detached vitreous) caused major floaters in both eyes, along withwhite clouds that float in and out of my field of vision, in different directions. it was so bad, I felt seasick at times. And my doctor said she didn't know of any doctor that would remove and replace the vitreous to resolve this because it was too risky. Is it possible that you're experiencing a detached vitreous? I'm told it usually happens in one eye at a time and happens to people who are really nearsighted. It starts with flashes of light at the edge of your vision.

How long before your TED appointment?

[mgshutterbug]

PAllen, I'm trying to comprehend what you wrote. My retinal specialist did a vitrectomy on me because I had a macular hole, pulled on by vitreous that was mostly detached. I've always been told that if you see major floaters, flashes of light, you run, not walk to the retinal specialist to be evaluated. I don't understand why removing the vitreous would be too risky. They replace the vitreous with a solution until the eye fully replaces the solution, and they use a bubble of air or a different gas, to hold the retina in place during the healing. You also have to lay face down for 2 weeks (longer, depending on specifics of what's wrong with eye). I thought that was the standard procedure if upon evaluation you were found to have major problems. I don't know alot about vitrectomies, only what my specialist has told me, and what I have learned from literature on the web. Do you still have big floaters, and flashes of light? I'd like to learn more about this.

[Jenn1]

Hi all,

I am still on the 'waiting list', so no idea how long that will be, my gps have let me down and had complained about how many drops i was ordering.........do they even have any idea how dry and irritated eyes are with TED and on top of that have mgd and bleph!? I am changing docs soon and hope they will be more understanding. I think they are making me wait since they dont actually do much or give meds unless really serious, but i want the actual diagnosis by the specialist via tests and monitoring. My last eye exam a few weeks ago seemed fine so surely they would have recognised signs of a detatched vitreous right???

I think my floaters came with the TED irritation and hope that once the hot phase has gone that things will improve. I was just curious about the vitrectomy, and yes i heard for some it helped with floaters and they didnt have many side effects, but i guess we are all diff and risks might still occur, but maybe its more to do with cost as being a reason for not providing this procedure often? I was told in the meantime to see my optician and gp... ones ive met so far only check the vision not surface. Will keep looking for a more knowledgeable optician.

@PAllen - What was your detatched vitreous caused by if not from the TED & irritation? I will get that checked next time. I could do with a factory of drops sometimes, especially for flare ups.

[Jenn1]

I am seeing the eye specialist in July .......at last! Will see what he has to say as well as the eye hospital and hopefully find some improvement in time.

[robster]

PAllen removing the viterous gel from your eye is very risky as it can oftentimes lead to cataracts. If you then need cataract surgery a couple of years after your vitrectomy there is a good chance it will make your dry eye even worse. Also sometimes the eye pressure changes leaving the eye not properly rounded, people who have had vitrectomy's have reported seeing straight lines such as an edge of a wall appear wavy.

Vitrectomy's are really a last resort and unless your floaters are extremely bad and vision impairing to the point you are having trouble seeing I wouldn't even consider it as a possibility. Any refractive surgery is risky but from what I've read about them(and I've read alot) vitrectomy's are a whole different league of risky.

[Jenn1]

PAllen removing the viterous gel from your eye is very risky as it can oftentimes lead to cataracts. If you then need cataract surgery a couple of years after your vitrectomy there is a good chance it will make you dry eye even worse. Also sometimes the eye pressure changes leave the eye not properly rounded, people who have had vitrectomy's have reported seeing straight lines such as an edge of a wall appear wavy.

Vitrectomy's are really a last resort and unless your floaters are extremely bad and vision impairing to the point you are having trouble seeing I wouldn't even consider it as a possibility. Any refractive surgery is risky but from what I've read about them(and I've read alot) vitrectomy's are a whole different league of risky.

Good advice.