Football hit me in eye. Now recovering from trabeculectomy - feeling alone.

[Roundearther]

I'm in my 30s and in November I sustained an eye injury after taking a football to my eye - I knew it was a bad injury but initial expected to have just a few weeks to recover. However, since then my life has been up in the air, with so many visits to the eye clinic at the hospital to get pressure down and a lot of uncertainty and worry. I had a trabeculectomy in December after maximum medication wouldn't control IOP.

Today I'm really struggling to build a picture of my potential life following this surgery. The doctors and consultant say it's very rare to have an injury, so I do not believe they have any frame of reference to use to talk to me about my lifestyle.

I love being active, playing football, running, training, dancing, socialising and travelling.

I don't mean to be rude, but I've never seen anyone at the eye clinic remotely close to my age, I feel isolated, alone and very unclear about the future. Will this surgery sort me out, but for how long? Can I throw myself back into my running and football, or will I now live a guarded life - with paranoia meaning I play it safe more than push myself.

I'm finding myself constantly flicking between my "good" eye and my damaged eye - reminding myself of the damage done to my vision (coincidentally I'm also partially sighted since birth). I think the surgery has made my vision worse too, but the consultant just seems totally focused on IOP.

I'd just love to speak to someone who had something similar happen and who has recovered from this surgery and is a bit further down the road than me.

Thanks very much for reading and in advance for any support. I appreciate every case is different and I want to say well done to everyone who has come through this and got back to their life, I recognise what you've gone through.

[Goatiegoat]

I’m so sorry to hear about your accident and about the anxiety you are feeling. My situation isn’t the same as yours but I can empathise and - I hope - offer you some reassurance. I was diagnosed with glaucoma aged 25 . To cut a long story short it was caused by an auto- immune condition. It was controlled by drops for quite a long time but eventually had to have trabeculectomies to both eyes, These lasted for 12 and 14 years respectively and then were re-done. They successfully kept my pressure down for the next 20+ years. I was able to lead a totally normal life throughout this time. I’m now in my early seventies and two years ago needed an aqueous shunt in my right eye as the trab had stopped working.

The reason I’m telling you all this is that trabs do work for a long, long time and even though they may fail eventually, there are still other options. My advice to you is to keep on being monitored by the Opthalmology clinic and to be positive. We glaucoma sufferers are unfortunate in one sense but lucky that our eye condition, unlike some others, is one that can be treated and controlled very successfully.

[Roundearther in reply to Goatiegoat]

Thank you for taking the time to reply and for your positivity. It certainly has helped me this morning. Very best wishes.

[Goatiegoat in reply to Roundearther]

🙏

[Roundearther in reply to Goatiegoat]

I know every case is different, so just to be clear I won't take your reply to this as guidance, I'm just interested. After your trabs, was there a point in time when you felt you were doing everything again? Eg. right now I'm even concerned about picking up a heavy'ish bag of shopping or lifting the vacuum cleaner upstairs. Did you have a point where you thought "I trust the surgery is secure" and found yourself waking up without it crossing your mind?

[Sorshup]

The second report of injury in two days ! But there will be few people with the combination of fgactors you report, which may explain the lack of replies so far. I can only pick up on a cople of things; consultant only inteerested in IOP, and not your sight. I wholeheartedly concur with exasperation over this, my own visual symptoms and the step deterioration following filtration procedures seems to be unimportant to the medics. BUT - reducing IOP is (apart from the healing of injury) the most important and only tool available to reduce further glaucomatous damage, so rightly the preoccupation of the doctors. Your mental agonies must be dealt with from within but may be greatly helped by support from a commumnity of the visually impaired. Here in Worcestershire we are very fortunate to have the charity Sight Concern, and I know many cities have such organisations. Wishing you luck, in all respects.

[Lovearoastdinner]

Hi Roundearther. I had a trab + bleb in June. I am a golfer. Was out of action for 2 + months. Could not do anything. No bending, lifting, housework, gardening, just light walking. I have come through and back on Golf course. YOU MUST DO AS TOLD. It's hard but so important Put trust in your eye consultant. They know their craft. Good luck. You will come out the other end. Take care. Angela

[NewSh0e]

hi there, I’m a bit older than you (56) but have had glaucoma for over 15 years. Not from an injury, more likely the result of Flammers/genetics. Back then the default treatment was drops, varieties of which I’ve been on ever since, now the default is surgery to reduce eye pressures, thinking being that it avoids long term dependence on drops and/or reduces the quantity of drops needed.

Just as after any operation, you must take it easy and, as an active person, it’s a hard thing to do when being active is part of you and, likely, helps your mental health. But, following the guidance now will reduce the likelihood of complications and that means you should be able to get back to normal activities soon. As an example, I still exercise vigorously - gym, circuits, TRX, walking (knees no good for running any more) and my consultant has actively encouraged it.

As regards your sight, you’ve had a significant injury to your eye, it’s not too surprising that your vision isn’t yet back to what it was. Have you been able to raise your concerns with your consultant? I have found in the past that it’s useful to email their secretary with questions; you might wait a while for a reply but you will get one. Alternatively, if you can afford it (and, no, you shouldn’t have to), perhaps consider a second opinion? Very best of luck in any case, you’ll find there are lots of us in this community here to support.

[Roundearther in reply to NewSh0e]

Thanks very much for your reply and some really helpful context - I appreciate it and glad to hear you got back to being so active. I too probably don't have much longer with my knees haha.

[Dumyat26]

I will tell you of my experience from many years ago. I assume the medical science has advanced since then. I was training for my competitive swimming in a public pool , age 18, when got kicked in the eye by another swimmer. Eye was bleeding so was sent to local hospital then transferred to specialist eye ward at another hospital. 5 days there getting various tests. The first night I had to lie flat on my back with a nurse by bedside to stop me turning over. This was to prevent a detached retina which was a risk from this injury. To this day I have a scar on that eye which I can see as a "watery worm" when I look at a white ceiling. Was discharged after 5 days with a patch over eye which I had to wear for a few days. Longterm eyesight was not affected. Anyway my point is that two of the five other patients in the ward had similar injuries to yours. One being hit in eye by a tennis ball.

[mrswaffle]

Not glaucoma-related but activity-related. In my early 30s, I discovered running & found I absolutely loved it. It was good for both my physical & mental health. Unfortunately, at age 40 I started being ill & was eventually diagnosed with arthritis in my neck. I was advised not to do certain activities: chiefly horse-riding & running. Yes, I do have to be careful about my activities, I am constantly conscious of my posture, for instance & I have never found an activity I enjoy as much as running. I generally do brisk walking now, a weight routine & yoga. It’s a horrible feeling when someone tells you that you must never do something again, but you can get over it. You sound as if you’re already taking a practical approach to the problem, rather than just feeling sorry for yourself, so you’re doing well. If you can’t get answers to your questions from your NHS ophthalmologist, could you afford a private consultation? Or perhaps the optometrist at your optician’s might be able to help, with answers or suggestions where to find them? Best of luck to you.

[LineyJ77]

I’m sorry to hear what you’re going through. Based on my own experience of 3 shunt operations, you will naturally build your confidence, bit by bit, and learn to trust that the surgery is secure. I went from being completely obsessed to not really thinking about it much. I found talking to Glaucoma UK and being put in touch with a buddy who’d had the same surgery extremely helpful. I could ask them all the lifestyle questions I had. Finally, I know it’s not everyone’s bag but through work I got access to some counselling sessions to help with my anxiety about the future. I was so stressed and catastrophising about what could happen. It really helped.