Today was eye hospital day and I confess to dreading it. I was dreading them saying I had glaucoma.
I have been monitored very closely for years due to a family history of Glaucoma. My mom was still in her late 40s when she was diagnosed. About 6 years ago an enlarged optic disc was picked up in a routine eye exam (thank goodness for Specsavers) and I was referred to a specialist. They have seen me every 6 - 9 months at the local surgery to monitor changes and on my last visit, they said my optic disc had changed again and so I needed to be referred to the eye hospital as it was likely I had glaucoma. Apparently, and the test confirmed it today, I have enlarged optical discs but my pressure is just int he normal range and my field tests are good. However, the fact I have a strong family history, my enlarged optical discs, a small bleed by the disc in one eye and the fact I have Reynauds(Who knew that was a risk factor) all indicate I have got early stages of glaucoma and so I am now on drops for life. It's not great to hear but it IS great that they have monitored me so carefully and caught it early and it is likely that the drops will keep it managed. Our NHS is wonderful. The treatment is superb and once again Nigel and I are so grateful for the care we get from everyone.
I hate putting things in my eye so this is going to be a challenge but heck - I can do this!
I scrapped before I went today and made a page for the weekly challenge on UKS. I am busy scrapping Poland pictures at the moment as I have accepted the Gone with the Wind album might take a while (it was a massive trip) and I could actually crack on and finish Poland.
It's not a great photo as the page is actually much brighter and deeper brown than it looks. It is some old Bo Bunny paper and some old Prima ledger paper (the green) I used a stencil and paints for the crackled effect and an old Prima journalling block. It is a photo of us I love. We are not big drinkers. Dry January.... we could do dry 2018 if we put our minds to it. But we do like the occasional treat and this was a treat. We had cocktails in the Hard Rock in Krakow before our meal and they were delicious.
Today I am thankful for
- our wonderful NHS - we are so lucky and yes - maybe we ought to pay more because it just can't cope with the increased demand of population
- precautionary check ups
- Nigel being my steadfast support
- choclate - hospital treat for being a good girl
My husband has glaucoma in one eye, Karen, and has drops three times a day. He had laser treatment to reduce the pressure a couple of years ago and this now makes flying inadvisable. Last year after we had flown from Prague to Schippol he had a bleed in the eye with glaucoma and so we will not fly again except in a dire emergency. We will miss my only nephew’s wedding in Arizona this autumn as the long flight is too risky, and his sight too precious.Our 43 year old now has her eyes tested annually as she already has poor eyesight from her premature birth. The drops are something that is a part of his life along with his diabetic medication and you will get used to them very quickly. His tip for you is to lie down if possible when you put the drops in your eyes as it seems to keep the drops in longer before they escape from the corners of your eyes. Keep calm and eat chocolate!
Posted by: Catriona Mason | May 29, 2018 at 06:55 PM