I finally had my trab on Wednesday afternoon so third time lucky. At my check up yesterday afternoon everything seemed fine until I was asked to read the eye chart, what chart ? ? I couldn't see it never mind the letters on it. 😱. My pressure is down at 2 and my vision was so blurry I could see very little, which was a bit of a shock as after my first trab I could read right down to the third bottom line. My consultant isn't overly concerned and expects the pressure to rise as the healing process begins . I see him again on Tuesday so I'm hopeful the pressure will be a bit higher.
On a positive note the pressure in my first trab eye is 15, so I'm very pleased with that.
I am just relieved that it's all over and done with and with luck 2022 will be a year with no eye ops .
Oh I’m so glad you have got it over and done with and you are starting the healing process. Every day will bring good results and yes positive vibes coming your way for 2022 & good luck on Tuesday . Andrea x
Thank you Andrea, positive vibes are exactly what I want😁. Biggest relief ever that my op finally happened, I realised I am a complete nightmare during the waiting period. My poor family probably wanted to strangle me. ( My partner certainly did 😂)How is your eye recovering after your shunt,all good I hope and healing well ? It's just so great when it's behind you and you can just focus on getting better.
It’s doing very Witchie thank you for asking. Pressure was good 3 weeks ago I see him on the 21st , the blurriness is clearing slowly no pain just had an irritation with a stray stitch floating around but that has desolved now .So yes here’s to an eye trouble free 2022 🤞🏻🎉
Oh that is positive your pressure was good 3 weeks ago,so should all be good on 21st. It's always such a relief when you are told your pressure is low enough, I do worry every appointment about my pressure. Blurriness does seem to last a wee bit longer after a shunt op but yours is heading in the right direction . I find the stitches irritating initially too but today my eye actually feels fine .
Oh Sunshine thank you,it's always lovely to hear from you. I keep closing my other eye to test the blurriness in my new trab eye and I think it's definitely not as bad as day after op, which has to be a positive sign. How are things with you? I hope your back is completely ok now and everything is fine with your eyes. What about your cottage ,I hope it wasn't subsidence ?
You will be looking forward to Christmas with your grandsons, children really make it special. Although my son is 27 ,still has a stocking and still comes into our room first thing Christmas morning to open it with us 🎅.
Thank you, I had the choice of wed or wait until the beginning of January but there was no way I could last until then. How are Millie and Monty are they looking forward to Santa 🎅? We were in Pets at Home yesterday buying Christmas presents for Lu and her 2 besties as they give each other presents 🐕🤣. X
Don’t blame you not waiting, especially with covid , as can see more appts getting cancelled and delayed sadly.
They are doing ok thanks . Monty goes to see vet on 23rd , for a basic check up on his heart , he’s doing great though for 14 and half , better than me 😂
Ours have treats for Xmas , as that’s what they love , especially Monty , though we buy them treats all the time . They have just scoffed a stinky air dried tripe stick each .
Yes I buy a friends dog treats for Xmas and vice versa lol 🎅🏼☃️ X
I just wanted my op over and done with,the longer I was waiting the more nervous I was becoming as I too could potentially see ops and appointments being cancelled due to covid.Monty is a fabulous age and he also looks m a complete cutie.
The smelly tripe stick sounds right up Lu's street 🐕 x
Thank you, it was a bit of a journey to get here but I got there in the end 😁. How did your SLT go and when is your check up ? It is always a huge relief to actually have your procedure behind you as waiting is awful. I am definitely feeling hopeful for Tuesday and it will be lovely when the blurred vision goes 🤞 x
Thank you, the procedure itself was fine. I’m due back on Tuesday for check up too, so let’s hope it goes well for us both and I hope your blurred vision goes soon 🤞😊
Thank you, I've not had blurred vision before ,I am definitely finding it a bit off putting when outside and will be glad to see normally again. Definitely fingers 🤞 for us both on Tuesday, hopefully SLT has given you lovely,low eye pressure x
Yay! That must be such a relief to get it over with! It’s the hanging around waiting for the op that makes it worse. Good luck with your IOPs! Here’s hoping they behave and settle down for Christmas. 🤞🏻
Thanks Beecalmed, I do not like waiting at all so it was massive relief 😃. My vision isn't as blurry today so I hope that means the pressure is heading in the right direction. How are things with you, all good hopefully ? x
Well done Witchie, so pleased it’s finally over as it’s an ordeal whichever way you look at it. Hopefully your pressures will stabilise soon and you can look forward to a drop free 2022. Good luck xx
Thanks Redshoes, I must admit I had got to the point I thought it was never going to happen. I was so scared while in the hospital ward as I still didn't quite believe it would happen and my blood pressure was so high with nerves . Definitely an ordeal but behind me now. My partner managed to take off 12 days from work so am a lady of leisure as he is doing everything . I hope all is good with you ?
Thank you, low pressures are definitely the dream 😁 and with luck I will get there. I'm just glad it's over now and with luck no more eye ops for me.I hope your recovery is still going in the right direction and still nice low pressure ?
Hi Witchie346, sorry for late reply. Back at work now and with Christmas and kids, glaucoma has to take a back seat! However had a check up yesterday and the doctor was very pleased- bleb draining well and pressure is 6 which he says is OK for me. Still no exertion he says so trying to take it slowly. How are you getting on? X
That's excellent your eye is doing well and the consultant is pleased with your eye pressure, such a relief when you get a positive appointment. 😁. It can't be easy not exerting yourself with the combination children, Xmas and being back at work. I'm just back from my check up vision still blurry and pressure too low for me at 6 but as it is rising my consultant is happy. All looks good and bleb working so I'm happy 🤗 x
Thank you, yes early days so I am not worrying about how low my pressure is at the moment. It's just so different to my previous trab in Feb so I am doing my best it to compare . My consultant is great and thankfully he is very pro active during the recovery period.
Thanks Enigma. I've not had to take paracetamol since last night as my eye is only a wee bit uncomfortable and the blurriness isn't quite as bad ,so I'm making progress 😃 x
Good luck for Tuesday Witchie hope it goes well. It gives us all hope.By the way just want to say thank you to you and everyone else who has helped me through this past year. I don't know what I would have done without you all so Merry Christmas and thank you EVERYONE!! X
Hi Charliecat I'm good thank you , my eye still feels irritated and my vision is blurred but not quite as bad. I am taking this as a positive sign. How are are things with you ? X
I am feeling a bit grim with a nasty virus. Coughing all the time bad cold and exhausted…maybe what you had a while ago. I’ve had it a week now and no sign of any improvement yet…not covid…I thought it might be so got a test done! How are you by now? How’s your eye feeling? It will take a little while to improve. Hope all is going ok.
I had a bad eye clinic appointment with yet another different consultant. Never any good news…it’s so hard to deal with all the time. You feel you have no one to talk it through with when you are on your own…don’t want to trouble my boys ..they are struggling with the death of their dad.
Life is not easy at times is it?
Hope you are in good spirits and continue to heal. You should be much better by Christmas. Hope Lu is ok and giving you lots of snuggles. Xx
The cold virus that is going around is really awful and the cough horrific and it does seem like it will never get better. Mine lasted nearly 3 weeks and then my partner caught it and he was the same. It does drag you down . I spent my whole time telling everyone I didn't have covid.You don't seem to get any continuity at your eye clinic, it's definitely better when you see the same consultant and he gets to know you and isn't constantly just looking at notes . What did this consultant say to you, was it different to previous consultant ?
I know your boys will be devastated at losing their dad but I'm sure they would want to know how difficult things are for you too. Keeping things inside isn't good for you,it's much healthier to say how you really are feeling and what you are trying to cope with. You aren't alone I'm definitely here for you and so are lots of others on here. We all understand much better probably than most people as we are living through it too.
Huge hugs to you Charliecat as I think you definitely need some.
I'm doing fine, my eye is looking better and vision definitely isn't as blurry and I'm not in as much discomfort.
I am basically not being allowed to do anything so I am a total lady of leisure at the moment. Lu is a filthy little pup at the moment as we took her to the park yesterday and it was mud much more than grass. !!!
Take care x
in reply to
Morning Charliecat I hope when your cold starts to go you will start to feel a wee bit better about things. Big hugs x
So sorry to hear about your cough and cold. I had a very sore throat followed by a cold and as you say exhausted. After a week the throat has improved but the cold is lingering , although I do feel better generally. It is very rare that I ever get colds ,but it does sound like there are many around.
What has helped me : long showers, very frequent fluids, extra citrus fruit, honey and cinnamon drinks and eucalyptus oil inhalations . With the amount I am sneezing , I do need all the extra drinks . Maybe it just makes me feel I am doing something positive! Also two or three pillows, so you may find it easier to sleep....also supposed to help prevent raised eye pressures.
One bonus is that since the head cold got going ...no dry eyes at all, I suppose because they are watering with all the coughs and sneezes.
I have always found the Glaucoma UK helpline excellent if I have been worried about my progress, as although they do not know your details they can often suggest things ,and gave me confidence when asking for a treatment plan etc.
It is the worrying that was probably the worst for me until I gradually grasped what the treatment entailed and slowly learnt a bit about the disease.
Have you a friend who would listen ? Maybe your boys would be more receptive than you think and it may give them chance to talk.
Do hope that when you start to feel better you may see things differently and start to look forward into the new year.
Thank you muddledme. It’s so kind of you to message me. I’m feeling pretty rubbish atm. This virus is horrible and I’m also worried about my eyes. I’m waiting for a needling on the trab on my right eye…the pressure has gone up a lot. My other eye has ok pressure but the cornea is damaged …the last consultant said it was as a result of the glaucoma surgery in 2019. The previous consultant has always said it’s just dry eye…it’s so confusing and upsetting. I also have the beginning of cataracts which are affecting my vision. I’m just so low at the moment…hopefully may feel bit better when this virus goes away…right now it’s hard!! Thank you for message xx
This cold has certainly reminded me of how miserable these infections can be.
I have had to slow down a lot and try and do the things I enjoy. Once you begin to feel the cold is clearing then things should improve.
I had a" could not care less attitude" for a week and very sleepy indeed.
Yes , I have also had many different medics, often saying different things. Now I will ask more questions....infact always take a list and ask as many as time allows.
So at least they are planning some treatment for your Rt. eye.
If you do not have a date perhaps you can enquire from the consultant's secretary? Some can be extremely helpful, but if you get no help at all it is often still worth another phone call. I had a problem and this was at first shrugged off but I persevered and finally spoke to a very kind secretary who listened then booked me in within days....
These days there are sometimes specialist glaucoma nurses who may be able to listen and explain. If you phone Outpatients you can sometimes ask to speak to a nurse in eye O.P.D, usually they have a bit more time and empathy.
Dry eye often does seem to cause several different problems and I also have some corneal damage probably caused by all the preservatives in the drops over the years.
A webinar on 30 11 21 ,which is usually available online a few weeks later, was all about Glaucoma and cataracts and very interesting. Eye surgery makes us more likely to develop cataracts , so this happens fairly frequently. The good news is that following cataract removal the eye pressures are often reduced.
Sometimes I feel that I am in a" dark tunnel" but then I remember past dark tunnels and know that I managed to get to the end of them, so I will next time!
Remember all the extra fluids and please let us know how things are going.
Sending big hugs. You are not alone we all have good days and bad days. I have to try and distract myself. Sometimes it works. Even bought a jigsaw!!! That's how bad it's got!! X
Thank you Charliecat I'm just back from hospital and although vision is still blurred and pressure low at 6 my consultant is happy as everything looks good and pressure is rising. Blurred vision is normal and will gradually improve he assures me. I am thinking about you too and hoping things start to improve for you soon. X
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