Laser treatment for retinopathy. Advice please.

[AnnieBond]

I've name changed as some details (location mainly) maybe outing & I want to be able to be specific.

The eye clinic at my local hospital have said my retinopathy is significant (suddenly) & I need laser treatment to prevent it getting worse.. I only had the appointment yesterday & they phoned me today to say they can do it tomorrow.

I'm scared ! I don't know whether to go or cancel, or to see about going privately.

I'm happy to give more information, just trying not to re- write war & peace in my OP.

any medical people around or anyone that can advise how to find out if my local hospital are any good for this or if I should be looking at going to a specialist??

it will absolutely be a specialist. I assume you mean diabetic retinopathy?
Try and keep control of your blood sugar, weight and do not vape or smoke to help keep it in check and ask if your eligible to have any other help for the diabetes.

If you have been booked in for laser this quickly it is likely you have new vessel growth on your retina and if left untreated this could lead to a vitreous haemorrhage or retinal detachment and permanent sight loss. I would absolutely go ahead with the laser treatment and then seek advice on how to control you diabetes from your GP/diabetic nurse. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is not a condition you want to waste time seeking private advice for.

Excuse me, but this is nothing to do with my OP, just the usual T2 bashing.

As I said in my OP, my blood sugar control is good.

I have never smoked or vaped.

My weight is fine

Thanks

Soon after I had the stroke, I had many annual diabetic eye screening appointment where the Macolopathy was discovered.

they gave me the option of injections or 'wait & see' (they said it wouldn't do any damage waiting to see, so I took that option)

There hasn't been any issue with retinopathy at the Macolopathy check ups I've had (about 3/4 this past year) .

Prior to the stroke I'd been diet (low carb) & exercise controlled T2 for about 13 years. After the stroke they put me on several medications which they said were basically protocol. I don't feel well on them. But I've persisted.

one of them is Metformin. I have increased my carbs (beans/lentils etc) as it seemed to help a bit with the side effects of the medication & my BGC was still ok, due to metformin I guessed.

I don't know how it's gone from 'Retinopathy ok' 2 months ago, to Prolific Retinopathy laser asap ??

Retinopathy is a reaction to poor sugar control. The barrier between the retina and the blood is breached and you get in the first instance haemorrhages and exudates and then new vessels break through, which cause bleeds.

When I was a young optometrist 30 years ago, almost every diabetic of 20 years plus couldn't drive and had significant retinopathy, as there weren't as good methods of monitoring blood sugar levels and treatments were poor.

Now, systems for monitoring blood glucose levels are so much better that the only people we see with significant diabetic retinopathy are those with uncontrolled blood sugar levels who are either not getting the help they need via weight loss drugs or intravenous ports or are not actually helping themselves through poor lifestyle choices.

I am absolutely not going to not post due to someone getting offended that they are being "fat shamed" or whatever the current woke term if for not helping yourself. Diabetes is really well funded and if you're having issues controlling it there are a lot of options for help.

thank you for the information 🌷

but I'm not being woke & I'm NOT 'not controlling my blood sugars'. I have been doing so by diet & exercise for 13 years!
& this is why it makes no sense to me.

2/3 months ago at my previous Maculopathy check up there wasn't an Issue with retinopathy & yet now it's 'prolific'

I eat low carb & have controlled my blood sugars through diet & exercise for 13 years.

No medication.

Due to the stroke I'm on a cocktail of medications. One of them being Metformin.

I have increased my carbs a bit (lentils/beans. I'm vegetarian) in the hope it would stop my medications making me feel so ill. But not hugely & my BG is still usually around 7.

Frankly the images really didn't look much different to me, but I'm not a specialist.

i felt pushed into accepting she did the laser treatment. It was a horrible experience & we only managed one eye - around 980 'dots'. I'm waiting for an appointment for this week to do the right eye & maybe the second session in the left. Apparently she thinks I'll need 3 on each eye.

How soon after a session would I know if anything had gone wrong?

She told me it was 'dangerous' that my eyes were moving around. But it's very difficult for your vision not to move when someone is flashing bright white & neon yellow lights in your eyes. I was doing my best. It's also very difficult to 'look up' without moving your head.

If something had gone wrong, how long would it be before I noticed floaters/black spots in my vision/reduced perineal vision etc?

it's a scary process & no way of knowing if I'm making the right decision.

You're following the Drs advice so almost certainly have made the right decision. They have all the training needed to advise the best course of action and are specialists. Good luck with the next treatment.

Thank you.

Unfortunately I've (& others) had some worrying situations in that hospital, so don't have as much faith as I used to.