First eye screening today

[HenryBennett]

I had my first eye test/screening today. I was booked in at 15:15 but had a phone call to ask if I could attend at 12:00 or 12:30. In NI we had an announcement that we’re going back into lockdown on Boxing Day (my birthday). Apparently a lot of people cancelled their appointments. That doesn’t make sense because we don’t know when the service will restart. Anyway, a man and a dog operation.

He had the time to darken the room and wait at each stage for my pupils to react so didn’t put in any drops. The scan looked fine but I’ll only get a letter in the New Year.

 

[trophywench]

Well in England the photos are checked by two different Opthalmologists before the pronouncement of the state of the eyes is sent to us, so it always takes a bit longer. But, I'm very happy with that myself!

 

[Vonny]

Glad you managed to get in before lockdown @HenryBennett 🙂 And encouraging that the scan looked fine.

 

[HenryBennett]

Well in England the photos are checked by two different Opthalmologists before the pronouncement of the state of the eyes is sent to us, so it always takes a bit longer. But, I'm very happy with that myself!

Hi @trophywench, long time no ‘speak’. To be fair to the chap who did the scan, I was paraphrasing. He did make the point that the images would be reviewed and emphasised that it looked ok to him.

However, we’d also been discussing the scan that opticians provide. I had a scan at Specsavers a few months ago and he confirmed it is the same scan but that the optician will be looking for and at a range of things. They are looking specifically for diabetic retinopathy and less likely to miss it. (you probably know this).

 

[nonethewiser]

Usually bang on when saying all is good, in own experience anyway. Dont fret about it my friend.

 

[trophywench]

Yeah - turns out Asda do them too, pronounced 100% fine when I had my eyes tested there 2 months ago to get new glasses (cos I have astigmatism which is still incurable) at which I chuckled but only to myself since my background retinopathy was identified first in the mid 1990s, and I still have it, but it later spread to both eyes. But there again, without drops to dilate the pupils properly, I'm pleased it wasn't apparently detectable! - cos I'll be 71 next April.

Never been to Specsavers since they made a complete lash up of my eye test and hence the specs were worse than useless to me, getting on for 20 years ago after I'd moved from Kidderminster to Coventry - whereas it was them in Kidderminster who originally discovered my retinopathy so I obviously went there next time after I moved!

And I reckon exactly the same as @nonethewiser, who like me has been having the proper screening for quite a while. Used to annoy me a bit years ago when the screeners went into great detail when showing me the photos they'd just taken, cos silly buggers - very interesting - but I won't be able to see properly in that fine detail for a few hours now and without my glasses anyway!

Now around here, they do not say anything, well they haven't to me anyway. Sigh. Just have to wait for the letter and live in hope in the interim!

 

[HenryBennett]

What I’ve learnt this year is that on the one hand we have to rely on the experts and the other we have to be our own doctors. I was just lucky today that I was the only patient there (unbelievable) and was able to engage in a proper discussion. How often does that happen? But sometimes you have to (nicely) press your case and ask questions.