So many people have asked about my glaucoma surgeries and my vision
that I want to set people's minds at rest.
The pressure in my better eye is now down to 13, and the pressure in
my worse eye further decreased with another month passed since that
surgery and that eye measured 14. Big improvements! It takes a month
with this kind of approach before measuring because the post-surgical
inflammation needs time to go down. Unlike most people I get eye
discomfort from increased eye pressure that is not in the extreme
range so my eyes now are the most comfy they have been in ages.
My vision still has some disconcerting blurriness but it is decreasing
and expected to be gone by my next ophthalmology appt which won't be
for a whole 3 months when we'll check pressure and will take new photos
of my retina and optic nerve, do tomography (kind of like a topological
map but of the eye structures), etc. These days such eye tests and
procedures are perfectly comfortable.
The surgeries I had were hemispherical ALT (Argon Laser) surgeries, a
very common procedure that some of you probably have had or will have.
The results can last from 6 months to forever, and each hemisphere can
be done twice. The procedures themselves go quickly and thanks to the
easily dropped-in eye anesthesia it is only felt when they are near
nerves at the 3 o:clock and 9 o:clock positions and then it isn't bad
if you know to expect it -- just stinging. The second day seems to be
the worst day for me, and I find that I need amber Fit- Overs
(marvelous, light-weight glasses that go over normal glasses) because
I remain overly light-sensitive for a bit over 2 weeks. That type of
laser itself is a very pretty green; you get to see it 150 times unless
the photoreceptors max out like they did for me in my better eye and
then you can't see anything for a few minutes. I did have a harder time
this time than last, but also counting the abdominal surgery I had in
January I'd had three surgeries in 4 months and that burden will knock
anyone down a little.
What I have is the most common form of glaucoma: open angle glaucoma
which is a form that involves ocular hypertension. Some of probably
are treating for that, others of you will have it in your future, sadly
there are probably some people here with it who don't know because they
haven't tested so I hope they test in time to not lose any vision. Many
people who are treated for open angle glaucoma can use meds i can't and
can use medication combinations so control more easily than I do.
Not all forms of glaucoma involve high pressure, though most do, and
most people who get ocular hypertension fortunately do not get glaucoma
but they need to be monitored more carefully since there is a highly
increased risk. My own ocular hypertension must have been found
something like 10 years before I developed glaucoma itself but most
don't get found that early.
Older individuals have a second risk from ocular hypertension, one
involving eye blood vessels, so for them surgery may be done even
without glaucoma itself present to avoid that.
In glaucoma the optic nerve begins to be damaged and areas of vision
are lost. Most people don't notice it so way too many cases are missed
until nothing can be done about it, but education in recent years has
been causing more people to have their problems found in time. (Though
some forms like normal pressure glaucoma and congenital glaucoma
present harder challenges, and an optic stent is being researched for
the second and hopefully will help.) When it is noticed you'll find
that you are no longer doing things like threading needles in front
of your nose, but have moved the needle to the side in front on one
eye, or you will feel like you have a permanent shadow in one area.
Please, remember to get your eyes checked and to make sure that at
least the more simple pressure measurement (You just feel an air-
puff.) is done. After the age of 40, especially if you have any African
American in you, please, be sure to have visual field tests done by an
ophthalmologist, too. After the age of 50 no matter what your heritage
be sure to also have visual field tests done by an ophthalmologist. If
glaucoma is common in your family or if a relative (especially a
sibling or parent) has it get checked earlier. If you are extremely
myopic (nearsighted) then test earlier.
The vision you save will be your own. (And it also never hurts to
learn more since ferrets also on rare basis get glaucoma and you
can find past posts on treating in the FHL Archives:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ )
For more information:
http://www.glaucomafoundation.org/
[Posted in FML 6001]
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