Here's one for you all...
I've just had my third session of lasering on my left eye. When I was last seen by the consultant in March, he stated there were new vessels in both eyes but that he'd leave them for the time being but if I got pregnant he'd treat me more aggressively. At the time my HbA1c was 7.5%, which NICE & the NHS seem happy with (as on it's own, my HbA1c was too good for a pump). At this level, evidently my eyes were sustaining damage, as these vessels were new (bear with me, keep reading)...
This week, when he checked my eyes again, it seems that one eye had effectively repaired itself due to my reduced HbA1c, which since the summer has been 6.4%. The other eye had relatively minor growth, which, as I'm pregnant, he treated aggressively & zapped.
To achieve this 1% reduction, I have been testing maybe 10 times a day, giving myself a generous background dose and correcting where necessary. With a new life on board & dependent on my maintaining good control, I am quite prepared to take on anyone who suggests I'm testing too much, as control seems to change from day to day at the mo! But it's interesting to me that at the HbA1c the pros are happy with, my eyes were worsening...and at a good HbA1c I am being told to test less, reduce my doses, etc etc ie cost reduce...
In a nutshell, I can only assume that laser treatment is considered way cheaper than test strips & insulin, and the thought of the loss of tax / cost in benefits when I'm unemployed because I lose my job because my eyes have deteriorated too much to drive (can't get there by public transport & too far to bike) doesn't bother anyone because it's a different budget from NHS costs! I wonder if our wonderful politicians have considered this "big picture"?? Extremely frustrating.
I've just had my third session of lasering on my left eye. When I was last seen by the consultant in March, he stated there were new vessels in both eyes but that he'd leave them for the time being but if I got pregnant he'd treat me more aggressively. At the time my HbA1c was 7.5%, which NICE & the NHS seem happy with (as on it's own, my HbA1c was too good for a pump). At this level, evidently my eyes were sustaining damage, as these vessels were new (bear with me, keep reading)...
This week, when he checked my eyes again, it seems that one eye had effectively repaired itself due to my reduced HbA1c, which since the summer has been 6.4%. The other eye had relatively minor growth, which, as I'm pregnant, he treated aggressively & zapped.
To achieve this 1% reduction, I have been testing maybe 10 times a day, giving myself a generous background dose and correcting where necessary. With a new life on board & dependent on my maintaining good control, I am quite prepared to take on anyone who suggests I'm testing too much, as control seems to change from day to day at the mo! But it's interesting to me that at the HbA1c the pros are happy with, my eyes were worsening...and at a good HbA1c I am being told to test less, reduce my doses, etc etc ie cost reduce...
In a nutshell, I can only assume that laser treatment is considered way cheaper than test strips & insulin, and the thought of the loss of tax / cost in benefits when I'm unemployed because I lose my job because my eyes have deteriorated too much to drive (can't get there by public transport & too far to bike) doesn't bother anyone because it's a different budget from NHS costs! I wonder if our wonderful politicians have considered this "big picture"?? Extremely frustrating.
