Rob Oldfield
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi all,
My first post to this forum but I was an occasional visitor to a previous version so recognise some of the names.
I'm now 52 having been diagnosed with type 1 just before I turned 30. Control wasn't good up until about 7 years ago when my wife Aileen persuaded me to be more proactive and got onto a pump around 5 years ago. Since then, with pretty much a complete overhaul in care regime, control has been much better.
I've been having regular eye checks and they've been flagging up warnings of various severity for a while now and that led to checks using the expensive kit they have at the main hospital in Bath (if you've not seen the detail they can picture these days, it really is quite astonishing the level of detail they can get down to). There's been talk of problems before, but just things to monitor rather than anything urgent.
Another test today though, and things are worse - I have diabetic macular oedema (DMO) in my left eye. The intention is to put me onto a course of Eylea which will be six injections into my eye for each of the next six months. I'll also be called in for a review after 3 and 6 months to see how things are going.
Reading up a bit about Eylea I'm surprised at just how new the drug is. I seem to be one of the earlier people to try it but the consultant today described is a “wonderdrug” that is doing stuff that would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. It's a tricky feeling balancing fear of blindness with being part of a brave new world – though think my generally optimistic nature helps there.
The physical aspect of the procedure doesn't worry me (at least at an intellectual level). Paperwork that I've been given says: “You will be given eye drops that numb the front surface of the eye and an eye wash will be used to clean your eye and the skin around it. During the procedure your face will be covered by a special drape and your eyelids will be held open with a special device to stop you from blinking. You will be given the injection into the white of your eye. You should feel no more than a little pressure during the procedure.” That does remind me of the first time I injected myself – just how I was so scared of sticking a needle into myself when it was really nothing to be worried about.
We'll have to wait to see how this turns out long term but thought I'd post it here. It would be interesting to hear if anyone else has been through the process, but also to let others in future know what to expect. I'll try to post updates to go through what happens next.
My first post to this forum but I was an occasional visitor to a previous version so recognise some of the names.
I'm now 52 having been diagnosed with type 1 just before I turned 30. Control wasn't good up until about 7 years ago when my wife Aileen persuaded me to be more proactive and got onto a pump around 5 years ago. Since then, with pretty much a complete overhaul in care regime, control has been much better.
I've been having regular eye checks and they've been flagging up warnings of various severity for a while now and that led to checks using the expensive kit they have at the main hospital in Bath (if you've not seen the detail they can picture these days, it really is quite astonishing the level of detail they can get down to). There's been talk of problems before, but just things to monitor rather than anything urgent.
Another test today though, and things are worse - I have diabetic macular oedema (DMO) in my left eye. The intention is to put me onto a course of Eylea which will be six injections into my eye for each of the next six months. I'll also be called in for a review after 3 and 6 months to see how things are going.
Reading up a bit about Eylea I'm surprised at just how new the drug is. I seem to be one of the earlier people to try it but the consultant today described is a “wonderdrug” that is doing stuff that would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. It's a tricky feeling balancing fear of blindness with being part of a brave new world – though think my generally optimistic nature helps there.
The physical aspect of the procedure doesn't worry me (at least at an intellectual level). Paperwork that I've been given says: “You will be given eye drops that numb the front surface of the eye and an eye wash will be used to clean your eye and the skin around it. During the procedure your face will be covered by a special drape and your eyelids will be held open with a special device to stop you from blinking. You will be given the injection into the white of your eye. You should feel no more than a little pressure during the procedure.” That does remind me of the first time I injected myself – just how I was so scared of sticking a needle into myself when it was really nothing to be worried about.
We'll have to wait to see how this turns out long term but thought I'd post it here. It would be interesting to hear if anyone else has been through the process, but also to let others in future know what to expect. I'll try to post updates to go through what happens next.
I'm in a similar situation - have been having closely monitored for about 5 years now, and did have a tiny bit of laser a couple of years ago. Now, however, there is a problem which they have said will be treated with the injections, so I will be interested to read of your experiences. My eye hasn't yet reached the stage where the NHS would consider the treatment, and has been stable for the past year, but I do have another review in January (I have been every 4 months), so we will see what happens there. In my case the problems are too close to the macula meaning laser would be too risky.
