Well the Glaucoma specialist trip was good news. I have a type of Glaucoma that is rare, and simple to fix, and I might not need medication for the rest of my life. I am ecstatic about that. The treatment is an iridotomy - poking a hole in the iris with a laser. It is still open and working and that is good.
However, the chance of my left eye having the same problem and presenting with the same symptoms is very high. It should do so within the next 1 to 2 years. At least I know what to look for when it happens.
The laser made a clicking sound on the same tooth twice. The result was some type of nerve pain which has progressed into my tooth's nerve being exposed. I lost some of the filling and now it is more than just painful. It is down right nasty!
I was up almost all night in severe pain. This is the worst pain I have had in my life. Probably a 15 on a 0-10 scale. And worst part is when I put the eye drops in for my Glaucoma they exacerbate the pain. I found out why by looking on the internet and doing some research. The eye medicine makes smooth muscles contract. I called my eye doctor last night and the on-call doctor thinks it is all a tooth problem. I think I might call the Glaucoma specialist and see if there is a different answer to this problem.
I took some powerful pain medicine early this morning and it didn't even touch the pain!
I put ice on it and that helped some. I will be making an emergency appointment with a dentist on Monday. I am spiking a temperature too so that means infection. Not good!
UGH! When it rains, it pours!
After I recover from all these problems I plan to write several letters. After doing more research on the www I realized the cause of my adhesion I had when first seen in the ER. It means that I had an "attack" (as they are referred to) and lost some vision. I can confirm that as true because my former Ophthalmologist was stumped about my vision change. He attributed it to Diabetes, which I don't have. He didn't find the Glaucoma and changes in my iris. The head ER doctor missed the diagnosis. My former primary physician missed the diagnosis. The ENT specialist missed the diagnosis. The neurologist missed the diagnosis. My present primary physician missed the diagnosis. The first ER doctor at the new hospital missed the diagnosis. Pretty sad that all these professional missed the diagnosis.
The Glaucoma specialist was appalled by the comments, recommendations, and diagnoses all these doctors have made. She said that the rule out diagnosis by the head ER doctor was an unconscionable decision. I presented with the classic symptoms of Narrow-Angle Glaucoma: extreme nausea, severe headache, severe photosensitivity, seeing halos around lights, blurred vision, and eye pain. This is the only Glaucoma where you have these symptoms. The more common type, Open-Angle Glaucoma, is the silent taker of sight in the night. That is why it is important to have an eye pressure test every 2 years before age 40 and every year after that.
Interestingly this type of Glaucoma is also hereditary. I called my N-mother and asked her if anyone had it in my family she confirmed that no one has had it. More proof my father is my step-father.
The ENT doctor told me to stop lifting such heavy weights - 10 pounds - because it was causing my symptoms. And to stop cycling so fast and hard because that was causing my symptoms. And he said lose some weight because that is causing your symptoms.
Gee doc I did lose weight until the pain started. I lost 90 + pounds, dropped 6 pant sizes! Stupid idiot!!!
Then I gained my weight back because I couldn't eat right, couldn't sleep right, and couldn't exercise without causing more symptoms to arise.
I D I O T !!!! In a way my weight lifting was causing some of my problems by increasing the intraocular pressure when I held my breath. The exercise was decreasing it.
I D I O T !!!! However, that is not what the BOZO ENT was talking about. He thought I was going overboard in my exercise. I wasn't.
My Glaucoma specialist couldn't believe her ears when I told her about the ENT's comments. She had one word, unconscionable. She used the same word for the head ER doctor at the first hospital. She agreed that 10 pound weights are not heavy. She laughed about that one.
No thanks for those doctors. I lost some of my vision because I their lack of vision. Pun intended.
All this happens and I can still laugh because I didn't go blind. I could have easily gone blind. Those symptoms signal to a doctor that it is a life threatening situation and that the patient must be treated immediately. They all failed me miserably.
And there will be one letter of praise to the doctor in the ER who followed his gut feelings and knew the symptoms were about increased eye pressure. I am so thankful and blessed. That doctor saved my eyesight!
