That's medical-ese for "vision in my right eye is blurry".
About a month ago I noticed the vision in my right eye had gone blurry. Thinking it had something to do with a new set of contacts I had just started, I first accused my optometrist of jacking with my prescription.
After two return visits to my optometrist and an hour-and-a-half long retinal interrogation by an opthamologist, I've been diagnosed with central serous retinopathy.
In layman's terms, the capillaries in the back of my eye burst open and leaked plasma (???) which caused a little bump underneath my retina. The bump is causing my blurred vision.
The opthamologist said that it's not serious and should resolve itself in about 3 to 6 months.
Er . . . excuse me? Did you say 3 to 6 months? You mean that I'm going to be giving people the one-eyed Popeye stare for the next 3 to 6 months?
Do I even have to describe to you how difficult it is to ride my bike with only one eye open? It's a freggin' ambulance-ride-to-the-ER waiting to happen!
Well isn't this just peachy!
My doctor said that it's actually common among thirty-somethings who work in a high-stress environment.
"Have you been particularly stressed lately?"
I went into freeze-frame for a nanosecond as I pondered if there was anything stressful in my life at the moment. Hmmmm . . . .
- I'm launching a new product line at work which means higher quotas and more travel time.
- Despite the new product launch, my company is threatening lay-offs . . . a month before Christmas!
- Two words: Single income.
- Kelly and I have an 11-month old who doesn't seem to care much about crawling and/or walking.
- Kelly and I are trying to decide on a new church home.
- My grandmother died last month.
- I'm helping my Dad with a few projects as he expands his practice into a new location.
- I'm blatantly neglecting our golden retriever because at the end of the day I'm too dogged-gone exhausted to play with her.
- Oh, and I can't see squat out of my right eye!
"Gee, doc, no more stressed than usual."
Laser surgery is out because it apparently isn't any more effective than eye drops. Eye drops are a beating because you have to take them 3 times a day and there's no guarantee they'll make any difference.
Umph!
What I don't get is that if you put plasma behind your TV screen you see things more clearly. But if you put plasma behind your retina the whole world looks like a bad hangover . . . not that I would know what that looks like!
So let me issue this Public Service Announcement for those of you in the North Texas area: Don't get mad during the next 3 to 6 months if I nearly run you over in my car while you're walking down the right side of the road - chances are you were just in my blind spot!
Keep on my left North Texas!
7 comments:
About three years ago, I woke up one morning with the same thing...blurriness in one eye. I contributed it to bad contacts, but then consulted my doctor who said I had scarring on my eyeball due to stress (I had a high stress job at the time.). He gave me eye drops, said something about the possibility of going blind, and sent me on my way. I then proceeded to call my husband (who happened to be away on a business trip) crying hysterically because I was convinced I was going blind. The blurry vision cleared up in about a week and I am not blind (thankfully).
I don't know if it was the same thing as you have (obviously my eye doc was not so professional as to give me an actual medical term and just chose to throw around the word "blindness" ), but hopefully you will have a similar recovery. I really think the eye drops helped me. (Although I felt like a dork attempting to put them in my eye because I always blinked, which left a runny mess on my face.)
By the way, I now have a different eye doctor!
Hey L,
Since I've worked with Dr's for the better part of my professional career, I think I can say that some of them are inconsiderate jerks! I can't believe he would just throw out a word like blindness and not expect you to think the worst!
Glad it worked out though.
My Dr was great about answering all my questions but didn't give me much encouragement that it would heal before 3 months.
Just tell me what I want to hear!
W
Oh I am really sorry - even if it does not 'really' harm, I bet it's really annoying.
I have had black spots in my sight because I was sitting in the wrong way in front of my office desk... this was very scary!
And about the 11-month-old-who-doesn't... - I have seen many kids who were just like that and then suddenly decided they would just stand up NOW and walk.
My colleagues son used to hop around our office sitting on his butt ;-) (that looked darn cute!) and never crawled at all.
Hope the blind spot gets better very soon!
Sorry to read about your eye problem, Wade. I am glad it shall likely clear up. I will have longer to wait on my floaters. Well, it is nice that someone other than myself, among my links is posting articles on eye issues.
Cheers.)
Scary! Do you now have one bad ear AND one bad eye? Does that qualify you for handicap parking? I'd look into that! (with your good eye, that is!)
I love the label you gave this one!
Hey Helen,
Oooo, I fear black spots! Glad that cleared up for you!
As for Tate, I know. I think I'm actually cool with it for now. What stresses me out is how everyone else makes such a big deal about him not crawling. There are so many things I wish I just blurt out at them but don't.
______________________________
Hey Russ,
I hate floaters - of which I have noticed a few more since this whole thing started up. I can't imagine having to fight through them like you have to.
You and I should start a vision impaired support group!
______________________________
Hey C,
Yep, seems like my right side is really taking a beating. I got stitches in my right hand on my birthday and suffered bad road rash last summer on my right side as well - surely that must all qualify for some kind of special privilege!
Between being half blind or half deaf I'd take half deaf every time! Being half deaf means you only half to pay attention half of the time. Being half blind means running into walls and doors - not fun.
_______________________________
Thanks, Paige!
Thanks all for stopping by,
W
Post a Comment