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Newly diagnosed husband with fears over retinopathy screening test...

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catkeo

New Member
Hello!

I am brand new to this site, and to the diagnosis of my husband and diabetes...

He has just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (approx 3 months ago), and has been struggling a bit with a few things...well, to be honest, myself as well...

My husband is 54, and...well, might as well be transparent here, very over-weight, (me too!)

So, there is quite the struggle with food...

A pressing issue is the retinopathy screening test...
My husband has a HUGE dislike of the blurry eyes that accompany a person after having the drops.

It's just one of those foibles of his personality - he just really, really hates that after-effect, thus making it quite difficult for him to follow through with his appt.

We've cancelled the last 2 appts!

Is there anyone else whose spouse has the same feelings??

Also, he is on Metformin, which...he hasn't been taking the last several weeks, due to the very gaseous side effects he gets and also, because he hasn't exactly been eating a very healthy diet...
(Once again, neither have I!!)

I feel SO guilty for that...
Why couldn't I be strong in that area?

We both need to lose over 6 or 7 stone, my husband maybe needs to lose about 9 or 10 - it's crazy :(

He is also the type of man who does NOT like to go to the doctor!
Any other wives out there know what I mean?
Geez!

Thanks so much for taking a peek, and any info or tips etc would be greatly appreciated!

OH - one more thing, for anyone who has actually had that retinopathy screening, how long did it take before your eyes went back to 'normal'?

How long before you felt safe enough to drive?

Thanks!

Best regards,
Kelly 🙂
 
hi,
welcome to the group 🙂, i can't say that screening is the highlight of my year, however, if it can help prevent problems or detect them early which might help save my sight or prevent me from needed extensive treatment i think that a few hours discomfort is worth it! your OH may disagree!
if find the time it takes for the drops to wear off varies a bit, a few hours usually and i try not to drive for the rest of the day but i think your ok to once the drops have worn off. i sometimes have a sneaky nap after the screening and usually when i wake up i can see enough to do things even if the drops haven't worn off.
another thought, is he maybe worried about what the screening might show rather than the screening itself?
Ellie
 
Hi Kelly,

I am similar to your husband in that I worry about the eye screening. I HATE drops too and cancelled appointments for about the first 5 years maybe more. It turned out to be stupid, when I spoke to my doctor about it he reasurred me and when I went for my appointment I told them I was terrified of drops and was told I had big enough pupils anyway that I didn't need them. It might be worth discussing with your doctor to see if anything can be done to make your husband feel better about the appointment. I know that the reason I didn't need drops was because I am young (23) but was told that people up to about 60 years old can sometimes not need drops and it depends on the person.
 
Hi Kelly, welcome to the forum 🙂 I suspect your husband is actually Type 2, given the medication he is on, but no worries, we have all types and some in between here!

A diagnosis of Diabetes can be a real shock - I was 49 when diagnosed and very much like your husband - never liked going to the doctor and didn't like taking pills that didn't agree with me. But I have since learned that it is very important to take those pills if I'm not going to have big regrets down the line. Metformin is notorious for the side effects, but if he really can't tolerate them then there are alternatives that he can discuss with his doctor that he may find much better, such as Glucophage SR. This is important, her really must try and get his blood sugar levels into range or it will have all sorts of short term and long term consequences.

Ther is a possibility that he may not have to have the drops, so it is worth asking if the photographs can be taken without them - but do please persuade him to attend. Explain his phobia and I'm sure they will try their best. It's very important to get these early scans done in particular so that they have something that they can compare in future. I realise that it may be very traumatic for him, but has he imagined how awful it would be if he lost his sight? I'm sure he has, and this no doubt adds to his anxiety, he probably feels very caught by the situation. Perhaps he can plan a reward for getting it done - perhaps go and watch a movie he really enjoys so he can appreciate how valuable his sight is and what pleasure he gets from it?

I think the anticipation is often far worst than the event. Has he had this done before then? It may have been different, for different reasons so may not be as bad as he expects.

Have a look at our Useful links thread for lots of good information, and if there is anything you want to ask, please feel free! There are lots of lovely, friendly people here, and no question is considered 'silly' 🙂
 
I don't think anyone really enjoys the test but I certainly found it much easier than I feared.
I didn't think the drops hurt really, just a short feeling like soap in the eyes. The test was easy 🙂 Then when I came out it was just the sunshine that was a nuisance so the recommended sunglasses was a good idea.
I felt happy about the whole thing.
I do, however have some background retinopathy which showed up, so I have to have another check in September.
I am glad I went when I did as I hope this can be checked somehow before it gets worse.

Exercise in what ever way you like is a good help too ... For both of you maybe !!

I swim and walk quite a lot , others on here cycle and run... Lots to think about 🙂
 
Hi kelly. Welcome.

Could it be that your husband is afraid of the potential result of the eye screening, rather than just the drops ?

Sometimes, the tests we undergo can feel like being put in the dock and awaiting sentencing for past misdemeanours.🙄

But if he could see it as a chance to find out the reality of his health and start to get some control back instead of allowing it to eat away at him, I'm sure he'll feel far better for it.🙂

Rob
 
I have just had my retinopathy photo and for the 5th time got away without the drops. Wear sunglasses up to the test so your pupils will be at their largest. Can't comment on the effect of the drops as I haven't had them. As I have to drive home 35 miles from the hospital and 47 miles next year it would be somewhat inconvenient.

I'm afraid it's one of life's foibles that some people do not seem to be able to acknowledge that they have a life threatening problem and that their GP is there to help them. If you have scanned this forum you will see that lots of people have trouble with metformin (including me) and there are alternatives, victoza, byetta and possibly insulin. You must also tackle your diet and weight. Age 54 and overweight and diabetes is a warning for further complications, not far off the age I had my heart attack and was diagnosed diabetic. Its not easy and my telling you won't help, I'm sure you know. It's also like telling someone to give up smoking (been there as well).
 
Not everyone needs drops, so husband could turn up for appointment, consent to photography, but to drops. Picture might not be so good, but better than nothing. If he's been diagnosed 3 months, when / why did he have eye drops last? Retinopathy screening tests are usually done once a year, so perhaps he had eye drops for another reason or perhaps he's be recalled to follow up an earlier examination or perhaps it's a mistake? Worth knowing the situation.

By the way, are you sure he's type 1? It's unusual, although not unknown, to be diagnosed with type 1 at age 54, and as you've mentioned he's overweight, that makes type 2 more likely, as 80% of people diagnosed with type 2 are overweight at diagnosis.
 
Hi

i feel your husbands anxiety, i go for my very 1st test next wednesday and to be honest i cant sleep for thinking about it:(

i am so scared, of the drops, and what effect it will have on my vision, people on here have done their best to reassure me for which i am very grateful....but the anticipation is driving me nuts!! but th4 fear of going blind is much worse, if anyone know if the mobile eye clinic that visits the surgery can sometimes not need to give drops? i was affraid to ask if they could do it without drops?, i didnt want to annoy them. or seem silly

as for the weight issue all you can do is try your best, start with small changes each day, i think you really need to get yor heads round it and realise that diet has to change!! thats what i did, sugar is killing me...sugar as in high carbs not just the white stuff, do some reading and what about asking your nurse for help in losing weight?

x
 
Hi and welcome to the forum..

I've also got a T1 husband, and it's me who doesn't like going to the doctors🙄 (normally get if you come earlier blah blah blah)

As to the eye screening..

Not sure what you mean about blurry eyesight:confused: Yes you have extreme trouble vocusing on print and bright lights as my kids would say, caines big time.. But vision isn't blurred though...

I don't get on with the full strength drops as they take around 8 or more hours to wear off😱 And I suffer a banging headache with them.. So I have the half strength childrens ones brillient has these wear off within an hour or so and I don't even get a twinge let alone a headache with them...

They don't like taking photo's without the eye drop because this way they don't get a full picture of the back of the eye only part of the back..

As to his control, ask whether they do a carb counting course at the hospital and also ask to see the dietitan so that he can start learning how to adjust his insulin to carbs he's eating...
 
Kelly - don't wish to sound brutal but he really needs to go and get the screening done no matter how he feels about it. I ignored mine for years and am now having to have laser surgery for haemorrages at the back of my eyes which, had it been diagnosed earlier, could have been dealt with at the time. Trust me the eye screening is nothing compared to aggressive peripheral laser treatment which I am now undergoing.

Kind regards
Sue
 
It is important that you get this test. As others have said, you don't always need the drops. I haven't always and they wear off after about 3 to 4 hours with me. It's very reassuring too when the optician looks at your photos and says they look OK.
 
Hi Nomad
The drops dilate your pupils, which essentially makes the black bit if your eye as large as possible so they can get a good look inside. Everyone had a slightly different shape of eye and naturally that means that some people have bigger pupils than others. Mine are large for example so even when you shine a bright light and the eye contracts to try and keep the light out they're still pretty large. The screening programme where I live gives drops regardless though whether they're needed or not, so it's not always possible to avoid the drops. I have two retinal screenings a year, one for a non diabetes related eye condition and one for diabetes. In the first one they never give me the drops because I have very relaxed pupils and they acknowledge I don't need them, the diabetes screening techs always insist they're needed because they don't have the time to call people back 🙄
 
In my case it took the Opitican a few attempts when he did one with my eye test to do with out drops he could not get a good picture.
 
Nothing to worry about at all...it's just a little sting when the drops go in lasts about 3 seconds and the blurey eyes afterwards only took a couple of hours to clear and to be honest they weren't that blured at all.good luck and be brave.
 
Also depends on what they are actually trying to see with the drops, or what they want the drops to do, as to whether they hurt or whether you need em - also who it is who is going to gaze into your eyes - a technician who's been instructed Do This and has to follow that - or an Opthalmologist who knows exactly where he needs to look and after only a very quick glance - whether he can see that bit properly or not.
 
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