Diabetes Talking

Question:

Derek Great , I am glad this is helping you. Be good to those eyes their the only ones you get. Di — X-No-Archive:Yes The soul would have no rainbows If the eyes had no tears. Visit http://www.diabeticnet.com

: I don’t care what anyone tells you about this being a "painless" procedure, : if they say that they’re liars. : : Especially if you get migraines from bright and or flashing lights like I : do. : : I had both eyes zapped a little over 1500 times and have to go back some : time next week to have it done again, then we’ll decide from their on what : should be the next step.  Optho says it should be enough next time to get : everything that we need to.  The next visit She wants me to take a valium to : help relax me.  Probably a good idea seeing how I gave her a lot of trouble : when it came to keeping that lense in place.  And she actually had to stop a : couple of times so I could try and relax my face neck and shoulders. : : The black spot is gone although my right eye is slightly blurry.  I get to : watch Dungeons and Dragons in an hour at the movie theatre. ;} : : It was more than worth the discomfort to save my sight though. : : One thing though, NEVER walk out into the sun light after having your eyes : go through this procedure without some serious sun glasses.  Not a fun : experience, it’s even worse than the procedure. : : Derek : spot free once again : :

Response:

I don’t care what anyone tells you about this being a "painless" procedure, if they say that they’re liars. Especially if you get migraines from bright and or flashing lights like I do. I had both eyes zapped a little over 1500 times and have to go back some time next week to have it done again, then we’ll decide from their on what should be the next step.  Optho says it should be enough next time to get everything that we need to.  The next visit She wants me to take a valium to help relax me.  Probably a good idea seeing how I gave her a lot of trouble when it came to keeping that lense in place.  And she actually had to stop a couple of times so I could try and relax my face neck and shoulders. The black spot is gone although my right eye is slightly blurry.  I get to watch Dungeons and Dragons in an hour at the movie theatre. ;} It was more than worth the discomfort to save my sight though. One thing though, NEVER walk out into the sun light after having your eyes go through this procedure without some serious sun glasses.  Not a fun experience, it’s even worse than the procedure. Derek spot free once again

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My first Hba1c with this endo was 10 my second was 11 now my third (1st since being on the pump) it’s 9.  Not as good as it could be but a definite improvement. Last night when I woke up to get ready for work I saw this black spot in the middle of my range of vision.  I closed my right eye it disappeared, closed the left eye and it came back, so something is wrong with my right eye.  I tell the endo about it, he looks inside and says he is going to call an ophthalmologist and he wants me to see her as soon as I finish with him. So I head over, get all the preliminaries out of the way and get the eyes dilated.  Go in meet the ophthalmologist and she checks my eyes.  15 minutes later and the beginning of a rather nasty headache from having those damn lights flashing in my eyes, and she tells me that I need to have laser surgery as soon as possible to stop the hemorrhaging in both eyes due to rentinopthropy.  She says the longer I wait the harder it will be for her to save my sight.  So I say okay but I have to call my insurance company and see if they will approve the surgery.  She says no problem I’ll speak to them for you.  So we place the call, she gets on the line and they approve 90% coverage

and I have the surgery tomorrow afternoon. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Now while she’s on the line with the insurance company I’m sitting there thinking "just how bad is this going to be?"  Doctor looks at me at that point and wraps up the call real quick and asks me if I feel okay.  I Say I feel a little sick, maybe I should check my BG.  So I pull out the monitor, and guess what, 278. and not one hour earlier it was 112 in the endo’s office.  Damn stress. The doctor then explains to me exactly what she plans to do.  Says I won’t even miss a days work.  Sounds simple enough.  So I ask why the rush . . .She says because both of my eyes are bleeding right now and we need to get it stopped before there is too much blood in there for her to be able to use the laser.  She said the reason that it is so pronounced in my case is because it has been going on for a long time. . .SNIP . . .Basically, I should have had this surgery several years ago.  As it is, I will have to have both eyes done at least 2 times maybe more. Don’t you just love this disease? Now that I’ve dumped this crap, I’m going to see if I can actually get some sleep before work tonight. The salad bar is my friend… The salad bar is my friend… The salad bar had better have some damn rainbow sherbet… The salad bar is my friend… Derek

  What struck me was that you saw a problem and became very aggressive in handling it. . .and you had aggressive docs.  Nobody dilly-dallied, nobody let anything slide and a bad situation that could have degenerated into catastrophe was  stopped in its tracks.  I read:   Notice black spot Tuesday night   At Endo’s office Wednesday day   Get opthamologist appt yet on Wednesday   Cleared insurance during opthamologist appt   Surgery on Thurs   A lesson to us all — Old Al (T1x since 94, 35 units H + U via 4 injections daily)     A retired engineer who shares his experiences Before you buy.

Response:

My first Hba1c with this endo was 10 my second was 11 now my third (1st since being on the pump) it’s 9.  Not as good as it could be but a definite improvement.

lights flashing in my eyes, and she tells me that I need to have laser surgery as soon as possible to stop the hemorrhaging in both eyes due to retinopathy.  

OH DAMN DAMN DAMN. She says the longer I wait the harder it will be for her to save my sight.  So I say okay but I have to call my insurance company and see if they will approve the surgery.  She says no problem I’ll speak to them for you.  So we place the call, she gets on the line and they approve 90% coverage and I have the surgery tomorrow afternoon.

WAHHHHHH Now while she’s on the line with the insurance company I’m sitting here thinking "just how bad is this going to be?"  Doctor looks at me at that point and raps up the call real quick and asks me if I feel okay.  I say I feel a little sick, maybe I should check my BG.  So I pull out the monitor, and guess what, 278. and not one hour earlier it was 112 in the endo’s office.  Damn stress.

OUCH Now we talked about why this would suddenly become so pronounced, especially after I’ve worked so hard to get under tight control.  And she explains that diabetics who were under poor control for a long period of time who were dealing with gradual damage from rentinopthropy will often experience a sudden increase in damage when they get themselves under tight control as

nodnod.  I’ve seen it mentioned on the pumpers elist.  Shocked the hell outta me. quickly as the pump allows.  She said this was slightly misleading.  Because it may appear that the damage is worsened by the tight control.  But what really happens is that it also practically stops where as those who are under poor control will continue to get worse.  

That’s very reassuring! She said the reason that it is so pronounced in my case is because it has been going on for a long time and that the optometrist is not the right person for a diabetic to see for eye care.  

ah Don’t you just love this disease?

<whimper Now that I’ve dumped this crap, I’m going to see if I can actually get some sleep before work tonight.

sleeeeeeeep sleeeeeeeep sleeeeeeeep sleeeeeeeep sleeeeeeeep sleeeeeeeep sleeeeeeeep sleeeeeeeep sleeeeeeeep sleeeeeeeep The salad bar is my friend… The salad bar is my friend… The salad bar had better have some damn rainbow sherbet…

d:-)   << wearing a hardhat The salad bar is my friend… Derek

– dx as Type 1 in Mar 00, pumpin’ insulin! "I’d rather be loved by only me,     than create a facade and be loved by no one." — wombn "Never give up", Winston Churchill www.mindspring.com/~wombn On ANY "advice" I give here: I expect you to research it and confirm it independently

Response:

My first Hba1c with this endo was 10 my second was 11 now my third (1st since being on the pump) it’s 9.  Not as good as it could be but a definite improvement. Last night when I woke up to get ready for work I saw this black spot in the middle of my range of vision.  I closed my right eye it disappeared, closed the left eye and it came back, so something is wrong with my right eye.  I tell the endo about it, he looks inside and says he is going to call an ophthalmologist and he wants me to see her as soon as I finish with him. So I head over, get all the preliminaries out of the way and get the eyes dilated.  Go in meet the ophthalmologist and she checks my eyes.  15 minutes later and the beginning of a rather nasty headache from having those damn lights flashing in my eyes, and she tells me that I need to have laser surgery as soon as possible to stop the hemorrhaging in both eyes due to rentinopthropy.  She says the longer I wait the harder it will be for her to save my sight.  So I say okay but I have to call my insurance company and see if they will approve the surgery.  She says no problem I’ll speak to them for you.  So we place the call, she gets on the line and they approve 90% coverage and I have the surgery tomorrow afternoon. Now while she’s on the line with the insurance company I’m sitting here thinking "just how bad is this going to be?"  Doctor looks at me at that point and raps up the call real quick and asks me if I feel okay.  I say I feel a little sick, maybe I should check my BG.  So I pull out the monitor, and guess what, 278. and not one hour earlier it was 112 in the endo’s office.  Damn stress. The doctor then explains to me exactly what she plans to do.  Says I won’t even miss a days work.  Sounds simple enough.  So I ask why the rush then if this is such a simple procedure.  She says because both of my eyes are bleeding right now and we need to get it stopped before there is too much blood in there for her to be able to use the laser.  Ah okay, I understand now.  I’ll be there on time. Now we talked about why this would suddenly become so pronounced, especially after I’ve worked so hard to get under tight control.  And she explains that diabetics who were under poor control for a long period of time who were dealing with gradual damage from rentinopthropy will often experience a sudden increase in damage when they get themselves under tight control as quickly as the pump allows.  She said this was slightly misleading.  Because it may appear that the damage is worsened by the tight control.  But what really happens is that it also practically stops where as those who are under poor control will continue to get worse.  She said the reason that it is so pronounced in my case is because it has been going on for a long time and that the optometrist is not the right person for a diabetic to see for eye care.  She said the optometrist diagnoses rentinopthropy correctly about 10% of the time.  Basically, I should have had this surgery several years ago.  As it is, I will have to have both eyes done at least 2 times maybe more. Don’t you just love this disease? Now that I’ve dumped this crap, I’m going to see if I can actually get some sleep before work tonight. The salad bar is my friend… The salad bar is my friend… The salad bar had better have some damn rainbow sherbet… The salad bar is my friend… Derek

Response: