First and foremost, it’s been so encouraging to have your support and well wishes over the past few days – and, in all actuality, through my entire blindness transition. About two weeks ago, I noticed a significant decrease in my residual vision, which was accompanied with some pain and irritation. I was able to make appointments with two out of the three specialists I see, and I wanted to share the feedback they gave me last Tuesday.
I’ve had corneal transplants in my right eye most of my life. The most successful transplant, which lasted eleven years, rejected in 1998 and, unfortunately, it’s been a struggle for my body to keep the transplanted tissue since then. I received my latest transplant about four years ago and, for all intent and purposes, it’s held up well. The cornea specialist I typically see was in surgery, so I saw another doctor that was familiar with my case. He determined a stitch had come loose in my eye, which was causing the irritation and inflammation in my transplant. They removed the stitch in-office, adjusted my regiment of eye drops and scheduled a recheck in a couple of weeks. No big news there.
My retina is a delicate issue. I had the first detachment in 1998 and, since then, it’s detached two more times. To make matters worse, there are layers and layers of scar tissue forming on the retina, making it susceptible to future detachments. My retina specialist had a difficult time seeing in the eye, as the corneal inflammation makes the eye very cloudy, but he did determine that the retina was still attached. Again – good news, but no real answers.
It’s been tough for my doctors to justify “going in” to my eye and doing any sort of exploratory procedures. The scarring is significant and any alterations could cause irreversible damage. My suspicion is that the scar tissue has returned and is causing the significant decrease in light perception. Another cause could be the decrease blood flow to the optic nerve, which is also indicative of scar tissue formation. I, after three years of patience, asked my retina specialist if he would consider going into my eye to remove any scar tissue possible. As reluctant as he is, especially knowing the risks, he agreed to do this if my other doctors would consent to it. It’s a team effort and all players need to be on board, especially since it would require their involvement surgically.
I have two more appointments on August 24th. We don’t know what to expect, but know that I need to be truthful with my expectations. I told my retina specialist that, really and truly, the only thing I want my eyesight for is only three and a half months away. If they can give me vision for 30 seconds to see my son’s face, I’d be eternally grateful. I understand that, if the surgery fails, I could be left totally blind. I also recognize that if we do nothing, the same outcome is possible. It’s a risk that I’m willing to take – and hope my doctors feel the same way.
Just wanted to keep you all in the loop and thank you again for the encouragement. I value each and every one of you and the support you’ve shown me through this entire situation. More details to come.
