Medical input required. Mother’s eye exploding. Emergency room required

[Booberdawg]

My mother called me about this earlier tonight and said she had a blue thing floating around her eye that she could see, (but not visible in the mirror) floating around her eye and she was having blurry vision in that eye. She called her eye Dr. that just did cataract surgery in the OTHER eye to see if this was something important that she should come in Monday for and he said she should come on first thing in tomorrow morning to have it looked at. Her cataract surgery was 4 to 6 weeks ago.

She called me back 20 minutes ago and now she says that eye is bloodshot and now she can’t see anything. I told her we are not waiting till morning and we are going to the hospital NOW. She insists she must take a bath first and that takes her an hour so that’s why I’m writing instead of driving. She will call me when she gets out of the tub. I have already called the hospital to tell them we are coming.

WTF could this be? She says it does NOT hurt? But it seems to be deteriorating fast.

Is this a detached retina? I thought that would be painful?? I guess it doesn’t matter. We will find out in due time as soon as she gets her butt in and out of the bathtub!

Linda

[dflprincess]

1. I honestly have no idea what it is

but I do know my mom was warned about blurred vision and floaters after her cataract surgery. This sounds bad, you're right get her in NOW.

She sounds like my mom - she was having terrible pains all last weekend in her abodomen and refused to go into emergency. I got her into an internist Monday (her own doctor had hospital duty and wasn't available) who pretty much blew her off. My sister-in-law called her doctor's nurse who said get her in NOW. Mom still didn't want to go but my sister-in-law handles her better and told her the only choice she had was driving over or an ambulance. After an x-ray and CT scan her internist called a surgeon who went in and removed a bowel obstruction that was about to perforate.

[Must_B_Free]

2. could be a glacoma

requiring immediate medical attention

Acute glaucoma is a disease in which there is a sudden increase in the pressure in the eye
This usually occurs in one eye and is associated with sudden loss of vision
Acute glaucoma happens when the liquid in the eye is unable to drain correctly
It is more common in an older person who is long-sighted and is unusual under the age of 45
Symptoms include severe pain in the eye, decreased vision and sometimes nausea and vomiting
Initial treatment is aimed at lowering the pressure inside the eye
The final treatment is by laser or surgery to prevent the problem from recurring


What are the symptoms and signs of acute angle-closure glaucoma?
Symptoms include:
Decreased vision -- the person can often only count fingers held right in front of the face.
Severe pain in the eye, described as a deep ache in and around the eye.
Nausea and vomiting are common.
The eye is engorged and red - visibly swollen. The surface of the cornea is dull. The pupil does not respond to differences in light - fixed and non-reactive - is semi-dilated and often slightly oval in shape.


http://xtramsn.co.nz/health/0,,8065-1669868,00.html

[rumguy]

3. sounds like a possible detached retina

if so, get her in asap...

[blondeatlast]

16. That's how it happened with me. I no longer have sight

in my left eye.

Hope things work out; it can be fixed but it needs immediate attention.

[gmoney]

4. Damn... call the freakin' ambulance!

And everybody else here, get your eyes checked once a year.

[Jack_Dawson]

5. Detached Retina

Is my guess. Similar symptoms w/ my gf's Mom the other day...had to be rushed in for laser surgery

[Booberdawg]

6. She took my advice to took a FAST bath

and just called me that she is ready to go. It is more bloody and is starting to hurt.

Why do I think detached retina???

I'll update when I get back home.

[area51]

7. your mom

I hope your mother will be all right.

[grasswire]

8. gadzooks

Her eyesight could be jeopardized because she had to take a bath before she could go to the ER? Oy.

[flamingyouth]

9. I'm very sorry to hear this

I hope all goes well - I will be thinking of you all. Please keep us posted. :grouphug:

[REP]

10. Vitreous Detachment

or retinal detachment or opthalmic migraine, or stroke with some sort of hemorrhage. I've had those hemorrhaes - they look like your eye is bleeding but it doesnt hurt. Opthalmic migraines are painless but cause temporary blindness in one eye. They mimic retinal detachment so it' important to have the eye checked even if one has a history of opthalmic mirgraine (I do, and even though I fear the eye doctor the way most people fear the dentist, I have it checked out each time).

[Valerie5555]

11. Notify your mom's regular eye dr.

ASAP. Sooner the better.

[Booberdawg]

12. UPDATE: It WAS a detached retina

They said it requires surgery and can't be put off for very long, and surgery will probably this weekend some time. They allowed her to go home and she has to go back to see another Dr. tomorrow.

So, I took her back home.

I think the rest of this, my, weekend, is fucked.

:hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover::hangover:

[Kool Kitty]

13. Well, keep everyone here posted and I

hope she's going to be all right. I understand about the bath, though. When I was in labor, real labor-water broke and everything, I didn't want to go to the hospital until I shaved my legs. That was an adventure in contortions, believe me. I just didn't want my incredibly hairy legs up in the stirrups. :eyes:

[Booberdawg]

14. ROTFL!

Hairy legs during childbirth - that I can relate to. ;) You have time to shave legs and take a bath. They don't call it labor for nothin'!

And. Childbirth. There ain't NO fuckin modesty left after THAT experience. Nor would one CARE after that. *wiping sweat off of brow just THINKING about it*

:eyes: yourself


:D

;-)

[Booberdawg]

15. Update - temporary surgery fix today

I don't quite understand how this all works but this is what happened.

They put a plastic bubble in the eye to hold the retina up where it was supposed to be because it is torn away in 2 places. For some reason they had to do this before they can do the surgery to repair it. I'll take her back tomorrow for the laser surgery to repair it.

Wonder how something like that happens? How can your retina just tear out like that? She is diabetic but I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

[blondeatlast]

18. It has EVERYTHING to do with it.

They may discover some other (TREATABLE) problems as well. I've been insulin dependent since age 7; the year my son was born I lost sight in my left eye. It is called diabetic retinopathy, and it is treatable (in fact, full recovery is possible) if caught early.

Here's a great source to learn more:

http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/diabetic/retinopathy.htm

Even if she should lose her sight in that eye (unlikely--mine was pretty much a "freak" case) she will still be able to drive, read, etc. Even peripheral vision is reduced by only about 20%.

I still drive with no accomodation whatsoever.

Prayers for a great recovery. If you need some support or info, feel free to PM me.

Chances are very good she will be fine. Please let me know.

AND MAKE SURE SHE SEES AND OPTHAMOLOGIST EVERY 3-6 MONTHS FROM NOW ON!!!

[nostamj]

17. this has been said over and over

but...

you should NOT seek EMERGENCY medical advice on an internet forum.

now matter how well-meaning or knowledgeable an individual poster can be.

there have been MANY instances here on DU where questionable (if not 100% wrong and dangerous) advice has been offered.

imho, 'medical advice' threads should be locked or deleted. it's just not the place.

that said, best wishes for your mom's recovery. happened to a friend's parent recently. quick attention is important.

[blondeatlast]

19. Booberdawg, please see my PM to you.

[Booberdawg]

20. I think I made it pretty clear that I took her to the emergency room

last night. Or did you miss that? I was not asking for medical advice, just for other people's input and experiences on this.

[45th Med]

21. I concur with Detached Retina

Cataract Surgury gone bad. May lead to permanent loss of sight. I wish her good luck and God bless.