Detached retina surgery, my story may save your sight

Hey everyone...

      I had heard of torn/ detached retina, but never knew of anyone who has gone through this. It looks like I will eventually get most or all of previous sight back in this eye. I hope someone reads this and sees how fast it can happen, and it isn’t just for seniors!!

    Two weeks ago, very suddenly, the vision in my right eye looked as though I was looking through a snow globe, just with black and gray spots instead of white. This wasn’t a couple spots or floaters, it was thousands covering entire spectrum of vision. I called eye Dr, and they set an appt for a day and a half later. 

    I learned at Dr office that the main culprits to this is being near sighted (I am, but not that bad) over 45 years old ( I am 49) and diabetic (which I am not). I have never had a severe blow to the eye, which can cause this for someone at any age or condition. The next 90 minutes was pictures and drops and light-following with my eyes. Dr said fibers in my eye  were beginning to break (common for older people) and that if got worse, to call immediately, otherwise see you in a month. Well.....

          By the next day, I was 90% blind in that eye. Ugh, we were to go to Orlando the next morning with our boys. I promised my wife I would go back in six days after we got home from Orlando. She insisted on now and dialed the phone and spoke with weekend emergency Dr. He immediately saw me and inspected my eye and said the retina had tore, and I would need immediate surgery or risk permanent blindness in that eye. He contacted a specialist for me, who I met at a neighboring office on a Saturday night. If I had waited till the end of week, I wouldn’t have had a chance. 

        My tear was too severe to be done at office, so the specialist scheduled my surgery in a hospital a couple days later. He told me to be as still as possible until surgery to not make it even worse. This entire process so far has been painless, but seeing different things in one eye, and different in the other will start to drive ya nuts!!

        I awoke from surgery, and Dr said went very well, now the fun begins. A gas bubble was put in my eye to help hold the repair in place. To keep gas bubble positioned right, I would have to be face down, day and night, for at least a week. ![AD827F3A-ACBD-447E-82B1-1744572EA7F2.jpeg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmerhfoc5X69ZCkYR1R4YKna7EvjaLZhFRavWLeDFHJmVK/AD827F3A-ACBD-447E-82B1-1744572EA7F2.jpeg)


        Got to spend days in a massage type chair with face down, and nights with a contraption attached to my bed to hold face down at floor all night. I’m a big guy, and this was hell on neck, shoulders, and back. But anything is worth saving my vision in this eye, I don’t know if or when it will happen to other eye, could be this year, could be never. Lots and lots of eye drops (only time allowed to lift head up).../ trying to watch TV, which I almost never waste time on, on a two way mirror, and reading. Can’t lift anything, as any lifting at all places tiny amounts of stress on the eye, who could reopen tear. 

      I’m on day 11 since surgery now. I have had several follow up appts, and retina tear is healing well. I still can’t see much, the gas bubble is in the way, but light and shadows are starting to come through as the gas slowly dissipates. Some normalcy to life will hopefully return in a few more weeks. I haven’t gone this long without working in over 30 years, my job will be waiting for me when I can return. 

       I am writing all this to tell everyone the urgency that must be used when big changes to your vision happen. You must react within hours and days, not in weeks..... that may be too late!! Without my wife pushing me to make a weekend call to Dr, I most likely wouldn’t have even had a chance!! Take care of yourselves everyone please!!