diane c Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Hi Everybody,I know I don't post very much. I just typically read the new posts every morning as I eat my bowl of Cheerios, and then I go about my day.However, I do want to post about what happened to me this past week. A week ago, I was watching TV, and experienced something out of the ordinary. I saw a lot of "floaters" in my left eye, and also experienced flashes and streaks of light out of the corner of my eye. It wasn't painful, just annoying. It was on the weekend, and continued throughout the rest of the weekend. I called and made an appointment to get it checked out. The opthalmologist informed me that I had a torn retina. They take these things quite seriously! I was led to another room, and about 20 minutes later, had the tear in my retina taken care of with a laser treatment. I certainly didn't think it would happen that fast!If I had ignored this, or waited too long, it would have eventually progressed to a full retinal detachment. If that's not taken care of quickly, it can result in blindness in that eye. That can be treated surgically, but that's a lot more involved than the laser treatment in the office that I had.So, I'm not looking for sympathy or anything like that at all here. I just really want to make everyone aware of this. I know how easy it is to put off seeing a doctor. There's usually something much better to do! But, your eyes are too important to ignore and take for granted. I am so thankful that I went in when I did, and got it taken care of.Okay, off my soapbox now!Diane in MN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Amen, Diane!! Thanks for posting this! I had a partial retinal detachment early last year, and they watched me like a hawk until it settled down. Any time you see new floaters, especially with "sparkles" or "flashes," call your eye doctor immediately - it's one of those things they can actually fix, while the outcome without a doctor's help is pretty severe - blindness!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 I am glad you are better and caught it in time, Diane!! I have had vitreous detachment happening in my right eye since last April. My optometrist said it is a normal condition that happens as we age -- to me my age doesn't seem that old (49) but apparently I AM old. LOL Definitely, any time you see flashes of lights or floaters, get them checked out ASAP as it could be more severe than just a vitreous detachment -- vitreous detachment is usually the first thing that happens before the retina tears. My light show is starting up again and I need to make an appointment. Thankfully, even though my vision insurance only covers a once a year check and doesn't cover the retina scan, my health insurance covers it for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibbyG Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 I've had five of them lasered. A big floater has been "floating" right in the middle of my vision in the right eye for about five years now. Sometimes, they do float away. I'm just happy I have my sight. But, yes, I was lucky I went to the doctors on time. I'm glad you posted, because it's something I never heard about until it happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat C Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Good information. Thank you all for posting your experiences. Sometimes we don't know when these things are serious but I've never taken my eye sight for granted. If these symptoms happened I definitely won't wait to get it checked out. We have quilts to make!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Wow that is a little scary. Thanks for posting. I had no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delld Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 Glad your eyes are okay. Thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane c Posted January 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 I'm so glad I brought this up! I think it's always good to have a reminder to pay attention to your body, whenever something unusual happens. It's so easy, at least for me, to put things off. That's not always the best policy. I'm just kind of amazed that this torn retina thing is never talked about. I had heard about detached retinas, but never really given it much thought, other than that it sounded awful. Now, I know how awful it really is. In all the years I've been going to the eye doctor for my glasses, it's never been mentioned to me to watch for flashes or floaters. I guess I think that should be talked about, so people are more aware. Right now, I'm just kind of riled up about it!Thanks everyone for sharing your stories.Diane in MN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonbon Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 I've had floaters for years without the light flashes. But they seem to be getting worse. My eye doctor was not concerned. Is it only with light flashes etc along with floaters that one should be concerned? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMJ Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 I had floaters for years but when I called to ask about the new arrival of "flashers" I was told that if I had flashers I needed to be seen that same day. Don't ignore flashers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted January 25, 2015 Report Share Posted January 25, 2015 I am glad you are ok, I did not know this so thank you for sharing it with us.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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