YIKES!!! - Bleeding in my eye is suspected - results in Secondary Glaucoma

[Sallying Forth]

I am sure glad I trusted my intuition last night, Thursday. I've been having this strange occurrence with my right eye. It happened the first time after I had a really intense retching after I vomited for two hours.

It would be like a fog coming over my vision. The first time it happened lasted 5 minutes, the second 15 minutes, the third 30 minutes.

This time it was 6 hours! It started around 4:20 PM and lasted until 10:30 PM. Then it disappeared. Luckily I got to the ER before it disappeared but the doctor couldn't find anything going on in my eye.

I told him about the retching and he got a gut feeling and did some research.

Meanwhile he ordered blood tests because of my ongoing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

He examined my eyes but couldn't see much except what looked like a possible injury to my eye.

The fog left.

Then I had to use the bathroom again. I went into a dark bathroom, then turned on the light. I came out into brighter and washed my hands. I sat down and within two minutes the fog was returning. I hit the call button.

The doctor came back and did another test on my eye. Then he talked to me about doing a more primitive method of testing for increased pressure. I wasn't so sure I wanted to do it. However, what he said next convinced me it was necessary. He said I could wake up tomorrow morning and be blind in my right eye. I asked him why and he said he suspects I have glaucoma.

I freaked out.

To make this long story short - that is what I have and it was brought on by the severe retching. Creepy huh? I am still scared because my eye may require surgery to relieve the pressure building up in it. It is the first case the doctor ever saw and ever heard of.

Apparently my eye is bleeding. I actually saw the red streaks of blood in my iris when I looked into a mirror. That is what made me go to the ER last night.

I see an Ophthalmologist at 9 AM this morning. I just got out of the ER at 3:30 AM Friday morning. Right now it is 5 AM.

The ER doctor was very nice and helpful and had great bedside manner! I am glad he was listening to his gut. And I am glad I was listening to my gut.

Those of you who pray, please keep me in your prayers.  Pray that my eye heals.

Thank you.

[Portia]

So glad you've done all the right things Sallying Forth, this sounds horrendous. Hope you're taking it easy before your appointment later and best wishes for when you're there. Take care and please let us know how it goes.... ((((((((((((((((Sallying Forth))))))))))))))))

[pennyplant]

I prayed for you just a few moments ago, Sally.  All my best to you.

Pennyplant

[moonlight52]

Dear Sallying Forth.

I am sending you wishes of health your vision is so precious I am glad you went to see the doctor right away.

I am sending loving thoughts for your vision also.

So much love to you.

Moonlight

[Plucky]

Hi Sallying,
I'm so glad you got good medical care finally!  I'm sorry this happened but I'm glad you will be taken care of.
My friend's son had something similar.  They caught it in time, and there are no lasting effects on his vision.
Once that is looked after, why are you ratching for so long?  Was it the Lactaid?
Plucky

[Sallying Forth]

Saw the Ophthalmologist today and she could not find the usual  problems which cause Glaucoma. However, there is an injury which caused an adhesion on my iris. This in turn caused blood clots which then burst on the lower portion of my iris. Then there was swelling and back pressure in my eye and didn't allow the fluids to drain normally. I have extra veins and other things which shouldn't be in the iris part of my eye as well. These are not changes that you would see in someone my age. They are also causing the fluid to not drain.

She thought I could have the female version of Ankylosing Spondylitis however I tested negative for that in 2000. And I don't have any of the changes in the eye which indicate that. And she says I don't have iritis which is common  in AS.

There is a very strong possibility that my N/V/D symptoms are all a result of the eye problem. Common symptoms are nausea and abdominal pain among other things. Sounds like a vagal nerve connection which could also cause diarrhea.

Interestingly on Thursday the precursor to the episode was extreme nausea for which I took Phenergan.

[Stormchild]

SF, you have your hands full just now, but ya know, you just might want to talk to a lawyer about the incident with the other doc, and her crummy attitude, and what it could have cost you. Your vision, for one. I know you are a woman of peace, but, umm. Something more than a simple letter of complaint seems to be called for here. If you feel up to it, only, of course.

I am very very glad you are getting the care you need, now. Please keep us posted - I know you will but I want you to hear that we want to know, that we care, that we'll worry if we don't hear from you. In this case I think I can say 'we' quite safely!

[Hopalong]

Sally, agnostic but wholehearted prayers aloft for you right now.
Stormy, I join you...the worry brigade.

Sally, I am so glad you've spotted this soon. I thought "retinal detachment" not glaucoma, but it sounds like a complex thing. But that certainly doesn't mean untreatable.

Have faith...keep us posted please!
Maybe all the physical troubles can be fixed in one go, if they're linked as you suspect.

hugs,
Hops

[Plucky]

Oh Sallying,
I'm so glad you/they caught that.  That first doctor ought to be whipped.    I'm so glad you will be properly cared for.  I'm so glad you had the mind to not give up after that first bad encounter.  Would this be a result of all the wonderfull inner growth you have been through?  Yay!
Plucky

[Sallying Forth]

This is part of what I wrote to my OCPD step-father about the care I received in the ER. That doctor spent nearly a solid 5 hours with me. The vomiting description is for my s-father who doesn't have clue ... duh ... explained it once already. I added more information for this forum about my wonderful new eye doctor.

The vomiting occurs when I attempted to eat dairy products by using Lactaid which helps with eating dairy products. It instead made me very ill and that caused the intense retching.

However, nausea and vomiting are also symptoms of Glaucoma. So it is very possible the two are related.

My doctor finally referred me to a Gastroenterologist last week.

I went to the ER on Thursday night and saw an Ophthalmologist on Friday morning. She is an expert in her field and was very thorough. She might even have a specialty in Glaucoma. There is such thing as a specialty in this field because there are so many kinds of Glaucoma and it is considered an opthalmologic emergency when one presents with signs that I did. The ER doctor consulted with the Ophthalmologist WHILE I was in the ER.

The Ophthalmologist stayed on the phone while the doctor reexamined my eye after I received the necessary medication to bring my eye pressure under control. When the reading was deemed acceptable I was sent home. I was in the ER for 6 hours, nearly 5 of which were directly under a doctor's care and I was basically his only patient. The ER had 3 patients at that time. This was due to the seriousness of my condition. (I waited about 1.5 hours to see a doctor because two ambulances had arrived just before me.)

The diagnosis is Secondary Glaucoma caused by abnormal fibers in my iris. Normally this kind of condition doesn't appear until old age. That has the doctor stumped and me too. However it is there. I saw them too, visible due to the blood in my iris. The blood is secondary condition called Hyphema. It is usually due to trauma, being hit in the eye. That didn't happen and that is what the doctor believes was caused by the hard retching and prolonged vomiting. And of course the vomiting could have been caused and is most likely caused by the Glaucoma.

The treatment is lasering a hole in the iris. This is a minute hole which allows the fluid to drain so that pressure wont build again. The treatment will be done in the office on Monday.

In the mean time I am taking pressure reducing eye drops in the affected eye 4 times a day and a steroid in that eye 4 times a day to decrease the inflammation. There was lots because of the many tests my eye was put through in the ER and doctor's office. Also the steroid is given preoperatively (laser treatment) to keep inflammation down after the operation.

I have myself an expert Ophthalmologist and the best care. She is also intelligent and compassionate. Nice combination. She's an excellent diagnostician.

After a crappy regular doctor I feel very blessed.

Again I am glad I listened to my gut feelings to go to the ER.

It is very possible the regular doctor pooh, pooh attitude prolonged getting a proper diagnosis.

And now I realize the symptoms of the Glaucoma started at around 12:30 PM. I attributed those to low blood sugar.

Thankfully there is no damage to my optic nerve or the inside of my eye as is true in most Glaucoma. Both eyes look healthy back there. The Ophthalmologist has an interesting collection of equipment, one which can take pictures of your eye, inside and outside. All kinds of tests were performed. My h said I was inside the office for 1 hour and 45 minutes of which I spent only 10 minutes waiting after getting drops to dialate my eyes.

I will write more after Monday's laser treatment.

Thanks everyone for the good thoughts and prayers.

[WRITE]

good wishes for Monday (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

[Hopalong]

Sally I am so GLAD that skilled and kind people turned their fine knowledge on you at last!
Good for you for trusting your (ow) gut instinct to take your precious eyes to the ER!

Much strength to you on Monday and a bright outcome!

Hops

[October]

Those of you who pray, please keep me in your prayers.  Pray that my eye heals.

Thank you.

Keeping you in my prayers, Sally.  I am so glad you followed your instincts on this one.  (((((hugs))))))

[Sallying Forth]

Thanks for all the prayers!

Well I got to do something I loved doing today. I called that doctor's office - the bad lady - and told them my gastroenteritis symptoms have abated. I told them the reason why, I have been diagnosed with Glaucoma. That was the reason I had nausea all these weeks. That was so much fun rubbing that dumb doctor's nose in the truth. 

My eye doctor says that if my body's response to nausea is diarrhea and not vomiting then the diarrhea could be caused by Glaucoma. I actually am more normal in that region since taking the Glaucoma medication.

And today I found out my doctor wants me to go to a specialist in Glaucoma. I had a choice and chose the ones who wrote the book on Glaucoma. That is how the doctor described them. I see the new doctor the end of this week. They will be taking pictures of inside my eye.

I also called my former doctor and told her about my diagnosis. She was shocked and didn't know the symptoms of Glaucoma. She does now. 

The hole lasered into my eye wasn't as successful as the doctor had hoped because my eye bled a lot. That means it could form scar tissue more easily which could cause another adhesion. Yucky. She had to put pressure on my eye for a few minutes after the laser treatment. Then I had to sit still for 20 minutes. And finally I can't exercise at all until after I see the specialists and they give me the go ahead. Basically I am on bed rest for fear I could have a bleed again.

They happen easily. I can now trace my symptoms back to what I thought was caused by mold. It wasn't. I was my Glaucoma. They started in May-June of this year. In July I presented with classic signs of Glaucoma and the ER in a different town completely missed the diagnosis. They are a more advanced hospital than the one which diagnosed me. I was shocked to realize they missed it. I had eye pain and extreme nausea. They have the most advanced heart center in my state but can't diagnose Glaucoma in the ER. Very sad.


Continue your prayers for my next appointment. I keep you all update. Thanks for being there for me. Hugs! 

[Hopalong]

Sally, what an ordeal.
You have been so brave and consistent.
You'll never know but by communicating with the previous doctor about it, you may have saved someone else a lot of suffering.
It's good to know you're in such good hands...but I am sorry you have to go through this.

Sending every possible good thought that the night is short.

Hops