Optician scared me

[quackerjackflewaway]

Since cataract surgery a year ago, I've been experiencing some visual oddities. At my routine eye test yesterday the optician said I have Posterior Vitreous Detachment. He has told me I must avoid various activities for six months. I'm happy not to ski or do boxing, but he also said not to swim, because of the sudden head movements, to discuss some the exercises I'm doing in physio, and not to hoover because of the vibration. When I joked about having an excuse to make DH hoover, optician got very serious and said you must take this seriously, you must protect this eye. Then said I can see you are anxious., I could refer you to the hospital, but they will only monitor you for 6 months as I am doing. They will want to avoid surgery in someone with only one working eye

I was very worried yesterday, but now I've read about it and slept on it, I wonder if he was being a bit OTT? Maybe even enjoying the power of scaring a younger woman?

I would be embarrassed to raise it with the physio - it is a small group and she is pushing us hard. It might sound as if I'm making excuses. I'm appreciating the tailored input and seeing progress.
I know I have form both for minimising and for exaggerating illness for attention. That comes from an an abusive childhood including a mother verging on Munchhausens. eg she spent years trying to convince me and various medics that I had TB and diabetes, but refused to take me to the GP for genuine recurrent tonsillitis. So I don't have a good gauge of reasonable responses to medical stuff.

Would I be reasonable to ignore the restriction the optician has tried to impose on me, and just act on the instruction to seek immediate advice if I get more visual disturbances?

I saw 2 different opticians before being sent for an eye ultrasound. I was then seen by 3 different consultants, the 1 overseeing my case and the other 2 just wanted a nosy because of my age. Retinal detachment was the main concern, but apparently once the gel has completely detached from the retina you're actually at a lower risk of retinal detachment. Its just the first 6 weeks during the process of the gel detaching is the risky period. None of them seemed overly concerned and stated its usually a natural thing that happens as you get older. In fact, they seemed relieved that this was the cause of my symptoms!

They will want to avoid surgery in someone with only one working eye

Is this literally the case, that you only have sight in one eye? And if you lose sight in that one, that’s it?

I have this and I think you are being very foolish to ignore the specialist’s advice.

Mine didn’t result in interrupted vision and was picked up by my optician on a routine visit when he took photos of the backs of my eyes. Straight to a consultant ophthalmic surgeon in a few days. Consultant did more scans and said the process of separation had almost completed. So I have no macular hole and won’t need surgery. BUT he said “it’s good you don’t have one as you really don’t want one of those”. He told me that they can be repaired but the results and the prognosis are nowhere near as rosy as the NHS website makes out. It doesn’t always resolve vision - it may leave you where you are now - and it may not stop the hole getting worse. He left me in no doubt that if I had had one it would be a serious thing.

The other thing is that when the vitreous is detaching it puts increased pressure on the retina as the process of detaching gets close to completion. What is left of the vitreous is exerting traction on a smaller and smaller area as the part it is attached to gets smaller. So the pull it exerts gets bigger. You are probably at a critical stage for the next few months while the process completes.

I had no symptoms at all while mine was detaching. You say you have. I’d be fucking terrified quite frankly. You want to avoid a macular hole at all costs and you don’t want to say “oh well I can just have surgery.”

I'd follow the advice of the professional....and let your dh do the hoovering :)

@Xrays I'm long-sighted, so that also puts me at lower risk. This does seem to be aearly PVD, but it may be because I have had eye surgery for a complex, early and fast growing cataract. The consultant who did that was unhappy that she couldn't find a reason for it coming on so quickly - put me through lots of general health tests to see if there was anything underlying that could expain it.

Apart from the ongoing problem I'm now having phsyio for, caused by a childhood injury that was mismanaged it seems I'm very healthy.

Your comments confirm my doubts about this optician and his advice.

Get referred to your local Eye Hospital. ASAP. Do not dismiss this matter. You do not want to go blind.

I cant imagine why you would ignore advice from a professional so as not to upset your yoga teacher, but carry on
if you know better!

I was told the same thing.

Another one who's had exactly the same thing. The consultant ophthalmic surgeon at the eye hospital I went to said there was no need at all to stop doing any activity.

optician scared me

also

Would I be reasonable to ignore the restriction the optician has tried to impose on me

clearly not that scared lol.

Anyway to answer your question above. No you wouldn't be unreasonable to ignore the solid advise . As long as you dont complain when you eyesight is fucked

How many of the people who have PVD have two fully functional eyes? My bad eye only allows me to see outlines not detail, so if you stood 6 feet away I could tell you were facing me, but not distinguish any features. Even with glasses I can't pick out words unless the writing is huge.

Listen to your optician or get a 2nd opinion.

Foolish girl.

Why would you ignore the optician? If he’s wrong you have a boring six months for no reason, if you’re wrong you damaged your eyesight and potentially go blind.

Perhaps they are being overly cautious because of you only having one good eye?

Also the previous poster who said she would ask her "bestie" unless that person is a qualified optician or she asked a qualified optician I would ignore . Pre tester have no qualifications

Get a second opinion, either from another optician or via your GP. Don't just ignore the advice of a professional, based on Google readings and mumsnet anecdotes.

And if the optician hadn't told you to avoid certain activities and you ended up being one of the 10-15% would you have been fine with that?

Either believe the professionals with all their experience or don't. But then don't complain if you do end up losing sight in that eye.

He spelled out for you the possible consequences of doing certain activities with the condition you have, I fail to see how that makes him 'enjoying exerting his power over a female'.

Do they not want to see you for a follow up?

Why take the chance?

I've had PVD now in both eyes - it's incredibly common.

My optician who I've been seeing for years and trust just told me to be careful for the next couple of weeks and to watch out for a lot of new floaters which could herald the start of a tear. I wasn't banned from doing things like hoovering (unfortunately) but just to be mindful of what I was doing.

Because if he didnt stress it too you and you did something which damaged your sight... you might them sue him.

I wonder if he was being a bit OTT? Maybe even enjoying the power of scaring a younger woman?

Why on earth would he do this? He's a professional.

You seem determined to ignore his advice, though, after doing your research, so crack on. 👍🏼

Do you have form for exaggerating about everything?
You were given advice by a medical professional and because it doesn't suit you, you've twisted it into being scared and him intimidating a woman.
I'm sorry but you sound rather dim and tbf women with your thought processes are a danger.

No, I was scared, there is no twisting. He scared me about the degree of risk
But now I've read authoritative information, I think he was exaggerating and I can't think why. And several people with the same condition have said they were not advised to restrict activity in the same way.