Retinopathy

Well I have just opened my post and there it is... my invitation for my diabetic retinopathy screening examination! Ohhh I just cannot wait!! I had one done when I was gestationally diabetic when I was having Josh. It was OK!

Just remember that it's for the best. Once it's done, it's done.

{{{{{{Imz}}}}}}

I agree it's for the best, I book a medical appoint ment if it is a morning and half a day for the resy of the day. I do lots of close up work, plus I'd have to get to work. Haven't been lucky (or unlucky?) enough to get one on Friday afternoon just before a long weekend. Good exucse to get hubby and grown up son to make tea and cook dinner...

Hi Admin,

Just a thought ~ which hasn't been generally advertised as far as I know. With Diabetic Retinopathy tests now, they have gone back to the archaic system of putting drops in your eyes even if (and they should be ) use digital cameras.

They (NHS led) have stated that opticians (no matter what experience they have) have to do a NVQ if they are to perform these tests and report on them. They now take the pictures so that they have 2 sides of each eye showing.

I had mine done last week and couldn't believe taht they had gone back to the drops...oh and incidentally the older you are, the more drops you may need!

So be aware, if you suffer post drops as I do (can't see a damn thing except with sunglasses on for the next 12 hours) that
a) you may need someone to drive you home
b) you may have to wait and wait and wait for the drops to dilate you enough for the pictures.
c) you may (as I did) refuse the drops and they still got pictures good enough to assess and report on.
d) throw a hypo in the waiting room and in your daze watch headless chickens (if in opticians)
e) or as my optician told me ~ people are just canceling their appointments (not advisable) but totally understandable.

Wonder what moron thought this lot up?

Take care
Nick

I have high BP too and so when I had a normal eye test at the opticians they photographed the back of my eye - without drops - and then with the retinopathy test, they used eye-drops. I had never questioned it - but why the difference?

Thought I'd share my most recent experience of diabetic retinopathy screening. I am (and have been) under the care of an eye consultant at the local hospital following a pressure build up at the back of one eye, some 6 years ago. The optician of the day (way back then) scared me to death by saying I had a "bulge" in my eye and said that I would probably go blind. This sent me into a spiral of fear and depression, eventually having to pay to see a specialist some 6 weeks later as hospital appointments were running at the "maybe in 6 months" time bracket. The consultant I saw told me that I had some damage to both my eyes, but no bleeding and that the "bulge" was almost non-existent.

As a result of this I was referred back the the NHS eye consultant and I have refused to be removed from his list - once there, I'm not leaving! Last year he noticed a slight bleed in my right eye, and though the pressure is slightly up, he isn't concerned, has told me I do not have glaucoma and that he will see me again in 6 months. He is very impressed at my "30 year plus" diabetic eyes.

Now enter the local retinopathy screening. I received my appointment, rang them up, explained (again) that I am under the care of a consultant at the hospital, they asked me why they had sent for me? Errmmmm I don't know I said, well you'd better turn up for the appointment they said - I explained that I had done this last year, and that it was a waste of time, and I was told so by the optician I went to see.

So off I went again, explained again that I was under hospital care, they wouldn't listen, put the drops in (even though last year they didn't) I queried why, and they told me I must have been mistaken, of course they used drops last year - errrrmmmm NO, I said you didn't. Keeping in mind this appointment was just 7 days after my hospital check up - they then asked me why I was there - here we go again! So I wasted another morning, the optician told me I had glaucoma, or was at risk of it - I referred them to the hospital visit and their findings that I didn't have glaucoma - in the end I just sat through the exam, repeated my story again and again, and eventually escaped, to work on a VDU not being able to see a thing.

I have now decided not to return for any screening next year to me it is a waste of resources and I seem to know more than they do. It must be very frightening to be brought before these retinopathy screening people, when you don't have the benefit of knowing what is up with your own eyes, like I do - I would be terrified.

I would just say keep an open mind and get a second opinion - we seem to be just cogs in a big machine, they just open the door and shout next. (sorry I ranted - I know, but it's so annoying )

I'd like to point out here that RANTS ARE GREAT - get it off your chest - and inform others of your ideas and opinions - that is what this place is all about. I might make it a rule and you need to rant at least once a month about something (diabetes, your cat eating your hamster, your mother or simply that you can't work out what to have for dinner)....

Anyway, thanks for that - I definitely question everything these days - especially about diabetes because there seems like there are so many inconsistencies in care.

Hi Imogen,

Opticians get a very good view/idea of what is going on with your retina from the simple digital pictures they ahve been taking over the past years.

The reason for the drops is to satisfy the latest standards set by NHS for Opticians. It's so that they can see all sides of the eye and get 'better' pictures (allegedly).

This has only just come into being and most of the opticians haven't done the NVQ yet ! Probably it's still being written ~ then someone will lose the disc !!!

The way things are going and the fact that opticians almost look at diabetic retinopathy checks as a lost leader (no money in it), we'll probably all be backed up in a tiny room at a hospital waiting to be checked out by an ASBO holding, day release from a maximum security prison who was convicted of multiple murders by stabbing them all in the eye and who has passed the qualifying NVQ !!

(should I add that he would probably also be a VERY good friend of Peter Mandelson too???)

Nick