I'm recovering from after a detached retina operation - your advice would be great!

[loveyouradvice]

Hi...

I had a detached retina just two weeks ago and got the most brilliant advice on Mumsnet - I'd no idea what it was, and whizzed into A&E once Id heard from all of you and they operated fast as it was so bad.

Now two weeks on it hasn't healed as well as they might hope... a fuzzy line across the middle of my vision, the line where my retina detached up to, and waviness above and below... They have said this will hopefully settle over the months to come.

Has anyone had this happen to them, or to someone you know?
And what happened next?

And top tips on helping healing? I know there's no real evidence base, and they're clear not much makes a difference but anything that might I would like to try. So far I've got:

• eating lots of green leafy veg, highish protein, fish oil, taking Macuguard and a multivitamin,
  
• wearing sunglasses and a hat
  
• not carrying heavy loads but otherwise normal activity including swimming and dancing - and plenty of rest, not too much "eye-work" (reading etc)
  

Seriously love to hear any thoughts .... thank you!

[Claireshh]

I remember your post! I’m glad you got prompt treatment once at the hospital. I cant offer any advice but I hope you do continue to improve. X

[Lwmommy]

Did they do a vitrectormy and put in a gas bubble? If so it can take a few weeks for that to disperse and your vision to restore.

I had vitrectomy, Retina reattachment and lens replacement 2 years ago, vision is t good in that eye, but that's because of a long standing defect, the operation was just to stop it getting worse.

I'd say it took a good 3 months for my vision to stabilise after the op.

[loveyouradvice]

Thanks Lwmommy.... yes a vitrectomy and most of gas bubble now gone and has left behind the haziness... Glad it took at least 3 months to stabilise - that gives me hope!

I wasn't sure if surgeon was being kind in saying he hoped to see improvement over the coming months or realistic!

[LittleDidIKnowThen]

Was it a partial or complete detachment OP?

[underneaththeash]

You will get a lot of improvement over the next few months, both in the eye itself and the adaptions that your brain will make.

Diet advice is good and yes there is some evidence that resting your eyes helps too - so you want to avoid anything too strenuous. Oh and any contact sports.

[loveyouradvice]

Thanks underneath - both reassuring and good to know that resting the eye might help. I had guessed it might, and had started to find my eye gets tired if I do too much reading or computer stuff, so am going to be cautious over the next weeks.

I'm guessing resting the eye means having a couple of hours "off" in the day rather than going round wearing an eye patch - or not??

[carrielou2007]

Hope you are recovering well OP. I’ve had detachments to both eyes (along with quite a bit of other eye surgery) and found it took much longer than I had thought for me to get used to the changes.

My recent detachment was in April and the gas took 8 weeks to disperse. I tried to go back to work in mid June but it was too soon. I work term time so went back recently after school holidays and though still finding things strange it’s manageable.

My main advice apart from rest (who really ever does that as an adult and with boisterous young DC but you really really must) is sunglasses!!

The other thing I found was my mental heath really surprised me. I’m a ‘just-keep-swimming’ type that’s my coping mechanism yet I really struggled with the helpless feelings. I’m blind in my other eye from unsuccessful surgery so sat st home like a cabbage for 8 weeks and was really surprised at how I felt rather than my usual just get in with it.

A friend who struggles with her mental health and depression was really kind and talked with me so it’s not just your eye that needs time to heal.

Yes yes to looking after your overall health, diet, gentle exercise and yes again try not to spend hours on your phone or straining your eyes.

Wishing you a speedy recovery