[Ansteorra-chirurgeon] Retinal tear

[dsmallory at waymark.net]

Caelin and all,

Glad to hear you went to a specialist--as this can lead to blindness if not
taken care of.  I had a retinal tear in my left eye three years ago.
Fortunately, I was home and went to my regular opthalmologist for the check.
He did the laser surgery that same day and I went on to work.  You will have
lots of follow-ups--I've just now gotten up to one check a year after having
gone every three months, then six months.

Everyone, once you get over 50 this is something to look out for.  The risk
will increase if you have a risk factor like diabetes.  I noticed the
flashes at night walking my dogs.  This is caused by a shrinkage of the
gelatinous material inside the eye as we age.  As it shrinks, it tends to
pull the retina away from the back of the eye and you get a tear or in the
worst case a detached retina.

The floaters are bothersome and don't seem to go away even after surgery.
If they are bad enough, they can blast them with the laser too.  Getting old
is hell--but the alternative is worse.

Good luck Caelin.

Bella Donna