Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD)

I was face down for 10 days, but they recommended I still go face down from time to time for the next three weeks. I got a face cradle off of Amazon, that looks like the top half of a massage chair. It has a mirrored system like a reverse periscope that you can then watch TV in, so the image is not upside down and backwards. All is going well. I have a thick black line in my field of vision from the gas bubble that will slowly dissipate over the next couple of weeks. Right now, its a PITA, because the black line is directly in the middle of my vision and it jiggles with any head movement or heartbeat. Above the line, the top 1/8th of my vision is starting to take shape. Everything else is just blurry. I can see colors and movement if its within 10 feet of me. It gives me quite the headache now as the day goes on. I tried going for a walk yesterday, but got dizzy with the bouncing vision in my one eye. Being face down for 10 days 24/7 also jacked up my inner ear something decent. When I could first go face up Sunday, I was dizzy AF. Sleep was tough. Face down or on my right side,with the head still turned towards the floor. I have a hard time on either shoulder as both have had surgeries, right one most recently two years ago with a SLAP tear and biceps tenodesis procedure. So, I slept in shifts. But, everything they said I would experience during recovery is happening.

I did ask my Dr if the CIA knew about how stitches in the eye feel, because that was an effective form of torture the first week post-op. It felt like you had a dozen dog hairs in the eye, and you couldnt get them out or rub the eye as it was patched.

 

So. Saturday about noon I started getting flashes of light in my right eye when I'd move my eye side to side. Freaked me out. Plus, it looked like my eyeglass lens was absolutely filthy, even though I cleaned it over & over. Millions of tiny dots floating around when I looked at a white wall or the sky. Also what I guess people are referring to as "floaters", which to me looks like I'm looking through very crinkled saran wrap that's randomly being moved around.

So, Monday I called my optometrist's office, explained what was going on. They said, in so may words. "GET YOUR ASS IN HERE STAT!"

OK.

Examination revealed superior temporal retinal tear. (fancy doctor talk for the upper right back of my right eyeball is ripped). No retinal detachment, thankfully.

They referred me to a retinal specialist just down the road apiece, and he basically tack welded my eye wall back in place with a laser . FREAKY ass sensation from the silicone lens they place ON YOUR EYEBALL to account for the curvature of the eye and focus the laser. INCREDIBLY bright light in the eye... DUH, it's a laser!!! Some pain, not intolerable, but major stress from the pre-frontal cortex overriding the body's screaming urge to get the hell away from the thing poking/shining me in the eye.

Right at 4 hours after that initial phone call I was driving home with the grandpa glasses on.

I went back to work the next day, but I'm cutting back on what I'm taking on. There's still a boatload of floaters in my vision, which move around when I move my eyes & head. All I can figure is that the visual input doesn't jive with what my inner ear is telling me, resulting in basically seasickness... which I thought I was immune to. Guess not.

They told me it was a good thing I came in when I did. This would have progressed to a retinal detachment, which it sounds like the OP dealt with and should've kicked that first doctor's ass about.

I guess make this a PSA... if you suddenly get symptoms like that, get it checked out sooner than later. I'm usually one to just put shit like that off, ignore it, hope it'll go away on its own. Glad I didn't this time.

 

Glad you got that fixed. Would the 30 year old version of you have called the doctor that quickly?

 

Shoulda gotten a new hip and your dentures fitted while you were there, young feller.

 

Absolutely not. 54 year old me was peeling up thinking it was going away on its own Sunday afternoon.

 

So this is exactly me two months ago. Flashes in my right eye, thousands of floaters.

Go in, they say vitreal detachment. No big deal, take it easy, welcome to your 50s.

Go back for a follow-up a few weeks later. Retina has a little tear. They lasered it. They say take it easy for a few days, come back in a couple weeks.

Week later I throw an Argon/Co2 tank in the back of my truck. Think that may have not been a good idea. Following day my retina full on detaches.

Had surgery March 2nd. Luckily I only had to be face down a week. They say it could be six to twelve months before I have whatever my final vision's going to be in that eye. Can't see much right now.

So my PSA is when they tell you to take it easy, do it and any new flashes get back to the doctor immediately.

 

Doesn't Europe do eye transplants?

 

Damn guys. Best of luck to all.

For me, my poor vision was blamed on teenage activity. Thank goodness they make contacts in coke bottle lens strength (-12.0, -12.5).

 

That’s a damnable lie!

It doesn’t make your palms hairy, either!

 

I think they do them stateside as well.

They told me that my surgery has a 90% success rate. You have to figure that the fails typically have other health problems so I'm fairly confident.

The doctors didn't really want to talk about it but if this doesn't work out there are other things they can do. The healing process is so long though you'd really like it to work out first try.