In between all the DIY, creating, gardening, parenting and blogging, there is real life. Things outside our control…
Like the day about 3 years ago that I found out I was at risk for a Narrow Angle Glaucoma attack. Never heard of it, ever.
During a routine eye exam, my doctor told me that I had the most interesting eyes she had ever seen and before I could blush with delight she went on to describe a terrifying scenario.
Because of the shape of my eyes and the fact that aging pushes the iris forward, I was at risk of the drainage angles of my eyes closing. When this happens the results are excruciating pain and potential permanent damage can occur to the optic nerve within hours if not treated.
Of course, not only were my angles closing, they were closing differently than normal and would more than likely happen in about 3 years, but it could happen suddenly. Great!
But, not to worry she said, the solution was simple. Once the closure was at the danger level, they would take a laser and make holes in my iris’s which should permanently correct the problem.
I was terrified at both what was going on and the solution.
But, 100 years ago, I would have gone blind. I don’t want to be blind.
So every six months I would go in to have her take a look at my angles. Oh and to complicate matters, I suffer from migraines and sinus issues so I was constantly worried that I would have an abrupt closure and I would just chalk it up to the usually misery and suffering. Every six months we talked about it and she had to explain it over and over to me.
It was surreal, like, how could this be happening to me? The pressure in my eyes had always been normal! Always! And what does she mean small narrow eyes? My eyes don’t look that small.
Then last month, I went in for my appointment and as she looked at my eyes, she told her assistant that she would not be dilating my eyes. She went on to explain that things were progressing and strange things were happening like my hazel/green eyes were turning blue and the edges of my iris’s were jagged. She made an appointment for me to see the surgeon 2 days later. Freak out!
Two days later, it was confirmed, the angles in both my eyes had completely closed. The surgeon could not believe that I was not in a full blown attack. I could not believe this was happening. Nothing hurt, I could see fine, no nausea, but it was happening…
Some numbing drops were placed in my eyes and I was taken back to a room that I had never seen before and sat in a chair. The nurse held my head and the surgeon place what looked like a metal nut off a bolt in my eye. I felt tapping in my eye and it was over very quickly.
It was not much different than a normal eye exam except the fact that I knew holes were being made in my eyes. Which, I gotta tell you is a little stressful, but not as stressful as going blind or having a needle stuck in your eye.
You can read all about Narrow Angle Glaucoma here. I can’t stress how important it is to get a complete eye exam yearly by a good and knowledgeable eye doctor.
It is not just about vision, it is about the health of your eyes and getting in front of issues like this. Oh and it is important to mention that NAG can happen at any age.
I am so relieved that this is over and that my eyes are functioning properly now. I don’t have to worry about every headache and bout of nausea wondering if it has happened.
Now back to finishing that staircase and potting my seedlings and weeding my flower beds and those things I love to do and see!
God bless you. My son lost the hearing in his right ear years ago and he was on a pity party. I told him at least he had his sight. A short time after that a lady in our church lost her sight completely over night. It is something rare and doctors told her there was nothing they could do, so this made him realize how blessed he is. I am so happy you are healed, but the part about your hazel e yes turning blue totally blew my mind! So glad you and your eyes are doing well.
Oh I am so sorry about your son! I could not imagine life without hearing and/or seeing. And yes it was so crazy when she asked me if I had blue eyes has a child. Freaky! It is so interesting that some of the things we cherish most in life, like our eye sight, we know so little about. I have learned so much from this eye doctor. It is so important to get checked regularly.
Denise, I’m so happy to know that there was a quick and easy fix for your eye problem and that you no longer have to worry about when the attach was going to occur. Isn’t it simply amazing what they can do now? Dealing with eye issues is scary indeed as I have an eye disease that is being treated. I need to be brave like you and post about it in order to help others.
Thanks Jane! Yes it was more stressful than I realized dealing with this everyday for three years. They really won’t do the procedure until you are at a dangerous level. I am sooo glad it is over and yes you should share! Had I not been seeing this doctor, there might have been a different outcome.
Thank you for sharing this in a very understandable, succinct fashion. It was very informative!
Thanks LuAnn!
This is crazy!! I’ve never heard of such – scary how things can happen like this literally overnight! I’m always a freak at the eye doctor because I’ve had vision issues my entire life, and one of my biggest fears is losing my sight completely. I have a severa stigmatism in my right eye that made me legally blind by the time I was 20, and I had to have laser corrective surgery to repair the shape of my cornea and lens. It improved greatly but wasn’t permanent, so every six months I’m in the chair getting my eyes checked.
The fear is, they’ll try to do the surgery again but the scar tissue will be too problematic, so we just have to wait and see. Ugh. I’m definitely going to ask about NAG at my next visit, though. This is scary stuff. Glad you’re OK! Thanks so much for sharing!
Wow Kristen, yes vision stuff is scary. I mean you just hate the thought of someone doing something to your eyes. I am just thankful that we live in a time when technology has come so far, that we can be helped. I mean seriously, had I not started going to this doctor that was knowledgeable and took the time to REALLY examine my eyes and I had an attack, I would have thought I was dying. I would have had no idea of what was going on.
I am so glad everything is all right now!! I feel the same way about sight. It is very important to see the eye doctor. My mamma had glaucoma and my papa had cataracts at a very young age. To make a long story short my eye doctor said the the pressure in my eyes were increasing but now damage was evident. They asked if I used eye drops — the kind that gets rid of red eyes. I said no. We went through this question for two years — they had all of my prescriptions. I have allergies — I used Flonaise. They knew this. Come to find out the steroids in the flonaise can increase the pressure in the eye. I found this out on my own. I stopped the nose spray immediately. The next doctors appointment the pressure was down. I wonder how many people use the allergy spray without knowing what can happen.
Exactly, I have had two sinus surgeries and been on all that stuff including Sudafed which the eye doctor said was the worst thing ever to take when you have narrow angle glaucoma. My ENT doctor acted like he had no idea. So one can prescribe a medication that makes another condition they are not treating worse! I think a PA at the walk-in clinic warned me about it.
All I can say is thank God!
I had a close call with my eyes too. I started seeing black floaters suddenly over a few days. I hadn’t been to the eye doctor for a few years. I looked on the internet and it said it could be dangerous. So I made an appointment for a few days later. Turns out the black spots were pieces of fat that becomes loose in your eye when you are older. Thing is, these pieces can hang up on your retina and tear it if you don’t get help from a Doctor. Your retina can becomes detached which leads to blindness. I got frequent check ups on my eyes to follow the progression of the floaters. Thankfully they did not become hung up on my retina. Then my brother called a few months later and he had black floaters but his retina was torn and he needed immediate surgery. So I recommend every one go get their eyes checked even if you don’t think you have any eye problems.
Oh wow! I didn’t know about that condition either! Yes, it is so important to get regular checks and pay attention to what is going on with family members as so many conditions can be hereditary. I so am glad your eyes are okay and hope everything worked out just as well with your brother.
I also have narrow angles glaucoma, and had the laser surgery a little over a year ago. It was scary, but I am so thankful for my eye doctors, and that I went in for an exam when I did. (I had been slack on regular eye exams since my vision was fine, and I had no problems.)
Do you use glaucoma eye drops for your eye pressure (if it is high)? I am using them, but am just so thankful for my eyesight! Regular eye exams are SO important…thanks for sharing your story.