# Some good news!!



## Twitchy (Jan 4, 2010)

Yay!! Had my eyes checked at the hospital again today, and no more lasering is needed (at the mo!)  HURRAH!!!  WHOOOOO-HOOO!!!  (Sorry, bit delighted about this!)

It does look like there's been another bleed (thankfully more minor than before) & some slight new vessel growth since last time, but nothing to warrant more lasering - the new vessels (ie which shouldn't be there) are quite shriveled looking already, so it seems that the last load of lasering has for now at least done the trick!  Thank God!!!!!   

It's been really scary this pregnancy as at one point it felt like the retinopathy was accelerating off the scale - I was starting to resign myself to the idea of losing my driving license and job before I'd even given birth,  but this is fab news.    The doc wants to see me again in 6 wks time (I'll be 34 wks - hopefully not admitted by that stage this time round! ) so that will (all being well) be the last check prior to delivery...PHEW!!  

Just wanted to share the good news - what a super late Christmas pressie!

Twitchy x


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## Northerner (Jan 4, 2010)

Excellent news Twitchy, so pleased for you!


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## Steff (Jan 4, 2010)

Thats really good news twitchy so pleased for you-well done x


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## rachelha (Jan 4, 2010)

That's great news, you must be really relieved.


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## ChrisP (Jan 4, 2010)

Thanks for sharing your good news.
We get so much negative news that every time someone shares some good it feels like a small victory for all of us!
At least it does to me.
Chris


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## Emmal31 (Jan 5, 2010)

That's brilliant news twitchy I'm really pleased for you! xxx


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## am64 (Jan 5, 2010)

ChrisP said:


> Thanks for sharing your good news.
> We get so much negative news that every time someone shares some good it feels like a small victory for all of us!
> At least it does to me.
> Chris



ditto twitchy and ditto chris P ...


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## Twitchy (Jan 5, 2010)

*Oh Bugger...*

Spoke a bit to soon maybe - think I've had a bit of a bleed again tonight as loads of speckly dots in the dodgier eye again...trying not to panic though, as they do seem to be dispersing a lot more rapidly than previously & I was warned that I might see something happen bleed wise...still, still chuffed I didn't need lasering yesterday, so not too gutted!   That'll teach me to brag, eh?!!


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## Steff (Jan 5, 2010)

ooooh no twitchy sorry to hear that hun grrr, sods law if you would of said now tbe ok


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## Admin (Jan 6, 2010)

Hope it hasn't reoccured...I had to be laserd when I was pregnant - I was gutted. Been OK since though!


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## xxlou_lxx (Jan 6, 2010)

hey, I just wondered if eyes become more of a problem as ur pregnancy goes on or if it depends on what they were like b4 hand? I had a screening a couple of months bk im coming up for 30 wks on sunday... the results said I had mild micro aneurism in one eye and cotton wool spots in other but said no action required, I believe I had this b4 I got pregnant so wondered about the chances were of it getting worse? I have been diabetic for 21 years nearly! 
Its weird though coz there are so many of us suffering from it so you would think a bit more progress would of been made by now in regard to preventing problems like this as apposed to dealing with them when they arise (which they are good at, dont get me wrong) lol 
hope everything works out ok with ur eyes twitchy  xxxx


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## Twitchy (Jan 7, 2010)

Hiya,

As I understand it, if you have *prolific* retinopathy before you get pregnant the chances are that if it does worsen during pregnancy it will be more rapidly than it would otherwise...from the research I've done on the 'net pregnancy seems to just make things worse in this case even if BP etc are fine.  It's also a bugger in that a rapidly improving HbA1c can actually seem to accelerate the deterioration...but a quickly improved HbA1c is what you often want when pregnant!! 

I've had diabetes for 31 yrs now, I had background retinopathy prior to my first pregnancy (when I'd had diabetes 28 yrs) and although my eyes seemed fine during pregnancy, in the couple of years afterwards I needed two sessions of lasering in both eyes.  This might have been triggered by the difficulties i had with my control post the birth & the emergence of a strong dawn phenomenon...or it could just have been on the cards - who knows?

It was a really scary decision to try for another baby, as it was possible that things would deteriorate again.  We decided to take the "rational risk" following discussions with both the eye specialist & consultant obstetrician (the pregnancy & birth were really scary also from PE, kidneys & diabetes points of view, let alone the eyes) and went ahead - but rationally this will have to be the last pregnancy, whatever the outcome (hopefully, please God, a healthy baby!!).

This time round, they were keeping a close eye (pardon the pun) on things & the doc said from the get-go that he would treat any deterioration "aggressively"...hence I guess two further bouts of laser on the left eye to date.  During this pregnancy has been the first time I have been aware of bleeds, which has not been fun.  It's mainly an annoyance & just very disorientating, but it is a bit scary too.  I also end up feeling really tired!!!  (Stress?!)  I also feel like I'm winking at everyone because sometimes it's just easier to close the affected eye & I don't realise I'm doing it!  (She says, with her eye closed as she more or less touch types!!)  

After the first sessions in both eyes I told the DVLA & had a visual field test - because only the extreme periphery had been treated there has been no problem to date & I still have my license.  As I understand it, on advice from the doc, it's only if both eyes are treated that you need to let the DVLA know, otherwise it's common sense applies...hence at the mo I'm refusing to drive until this left eye bleed clears.  At the mo it's all a bit blurry... 

I must say that the lasering was not nearly as traumatic as I had expected - partly because I know someone who's had it done so they told me what to expect (no other briefing was given!).  It is definitely "uncomfortable" (!!!!!) though, and I struggle with vdus, fluorescent lights etc for quite a while afterwards.  Ho hum.

I don't need to be at work for a few days, so hopefully that will give this bleed a chance to clear...


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