• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Optical Screening

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
happydog

happydog

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Went today and it was really not bad. Lady who did the test was very helpful and explained everything to me. The drops do sting a bit but it soon goes off. She said that she will try to ensure that I get a test nearer home next time. A friend took me so that was very kind. I felt a bit sheepish as all the other people had driven there themselves with the exception of one. The person doing the test was very disapproving though. I met a lady who has been type 2 for 18 years and now takes 16 pills a day. She was very jolly about it though and said "well I am 78 so I don't expect things to work well anymore". She had staved off the pills for 5 years on diet and exercise. Thanks for all your advice and help, I felt a lot less scared than I would have done without it. 🙂
 
Glad to hear things went well, and glad you managed to sort a lift out - no need to feel sheepish about it. Had people driven to their appointments alone? They should be ashamed of themselves, it is not safe to drive with the drops :(
 
It's interesting - I was told it wasn't safe to drive for up to 4-5 hours after driving...so I suppose in theory at least those people might have planned to wait until the drops wore off or have asked to not have the drops? Maybe they don't live close to public transport or have friends / family who can help... :confused: Obviously driving whilst drops are still affecting the eyes is stupid & dangerous...but equally there's no help / support to get to / from these appts if you don't have helpful friends &/or can afford public transport. Once again an issue of access I guess...
 
They had driven there themselves on their own. Two of them said that they always do. They went straight off after having the screening. The lady doing the test asked me how I had got there as the hospital is quite a long way from where I live. I told her that a friend had given me a lift as I had been told that I should not drive by to good people on this forum. She said that no one should drive until 4 - 5 hours after the procedure and that if you were still unsure that your vision was clear you should wait until you felt OK to do so. She said that insurance is invalid if people drive straight after the test. Had my friend not helped me out I would have had to get a taxi costing about ?45. Hope my next screening will be nearer home. 🙂 Really good to have the screening.
 
Definitely don't feel sheepish, you did the sensible and responsible thing for yourself - and others. I can't believe so many people drive themselves, I wouldn't contemplate driving after having the drops as everything is dazzling and vision is not good at all. Glad it went ok for you.
 
newbs said:
Definitely don't feel sheepish, you did the sensible and responsible thing for yourself - and others. I can't believe so many people drive themselves, I wouldn't contemplate driving after having the drops as everything is dazzling and vision is not good at all. Glad it went ok for you.
Click to expand...

I'd be tempted to report them, in the same way that you should report someone who you know to have been drinking decides to drive off :( I think it is totally irresponsible. When I have had the drops I often feel disorientated, particularly if there is any brightness to the sky. I travel by bus and have found it extremely difficult to make out the numbers on the buses as they approach.
 
I wouldn't dream of driving after getting the drops put it, it's completely irresponsible. It's even worse for me as I wear contacts and I've been too lazy to get the glasses to go with them. So when I get the drops put in, my vision's completely screwed for ages. Without my lenses I can't see things in focus anyway, and I find that because the drops distort your pupils, you get a double whammy of having that focus made even worse and then everything's really bright as well.

My girlfriend thinks it's hilarious though, my eyes go like Puss in Boots' off Shrek.
 
Whilst I get my screening done pretty local, they only offer morning appointments so I end up having to take the whole day off work as I can't drive to the office afterwards, a good excuse to go back to bed 🙂
 
As it happened my GP told me on Monday morning that the usual mobile retinal screening van that always comes to the surgery in Feb, won't be coming till May.

Oh no I said, I won't be here! Not for the whole of May he said. Yes for the whole of May I said and as much of April as I can if not March and possibly some of June too. We're buggering off in our MoHo for just as long as we think we will, but definitely thinking at least 2 months. Any longer, I dunno cos I'll have to come back to get some more prescription meds at some stage LOL

Anyway so I looked the tel no of the service up and was given alternative choices of the main Uni Hosp, the satellite at Rugby (where I go for my D clinic appts anyway) or a health centre smack in the middle of Coventry. It's actually a Spire place but she said they could wangle the odd NHS patient in if it was 'necessary' LOL

So I'm going to Rugby middle of Feb as per normal time-frame LOL

Wasn't certain how they'd react, bearing in mind it's MY 'problem' not theirs - but was very pleased at that.
 
I forgot and drove to my test last time.

The lady taking the pictures said that she might well be able to take the pictures without the drops; I have a very good blink reflex so it's hard to get drops into my eyes anyway. she thought this was more likely to work in younger people (I didn't understand why - I think the drops are you dilate your pupils to give maximum view of the retina; maybe the pupils are bigger d/t tighter cilary muscles the younger you are?)

Anyway, she managed it and I drove fairly soon afterwards (as soon as I couldn't see the flash any more).

I did wonder whether I was being judged by the other people in the waiting room.
 
Got mine Friday, I struggle to get on the bus home would never dream in a million years of driving a car home,those that do need reporting as Alan said


Glad all went well HD
 
Hell, I had to go on the bus the once Steff, well no-one at the bus stop, so I had to keep sticking me arm out and saying to the driver, Sorry, is this a No 57 please? - until it was !

So embarrassing !
 
You don't strictly need the drops for the screening, I never have them as I'm allergic to eye-drop preservatives and they always get a decent result, from my good eye at least (I'm blind in the other from an accident age 4).

I believe they use atropine which relaxes the iris and the lens focal muscles so you may get a lot of light entering the eye and 'long vision'. If you normally have long vision then it might well be fine if it's not a bright day.
 
trophywench said:
Hell, I had to go on the bus the once Steff, well no-one at the bus stop, so I had to keep sticking me arm out and saying to the driver, Sorry, is this a No 57 please? - until it was !

So embarrassing !
Click to expand...

luckily only one bus stops at my bus stop and its one i need😛
 
eye screening

Its the `elves wot does it
or the post code
this month opticians yearly check, got the bus
no eyedrops, !
we don`t do that anymore, by the way, can you read the top line?
yup! clear as a bell
good, the americans call that 20/20 (distance)
I`ve told Swansea I need glasses for driving, not going to change given the hassle renewing my licence last month

end of last year, annual foot & mouth, or was it eyes check at local drop in centre
got the bus
Drops in for piccy`s and..
wear eye protection and don`t drive for "up to" 4 hours

couple of months back
drove to local hospital for colonoscopy
fed the meter
health check nurse...who`s your carer?
My wife, and you wouldn`t want to wake her at this time of day (was first on the list..diabetes has some small advantages)
Chucks pen on desk ..has hissy fit
you`ve wasted our/my time, we can`t do it without a carer present, you can`t be left alone or allowed out for next 24 hrs and you certainly can`t drive BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!😡
NEVER HAD THIS HASSLE BEFORE MY DEAR
WELL, you could always have gas & air and leave when you are recoverd

OKIDOKI....😎
GAS & AIR..........useless, the sods even tried to stop me using it as...
you will get faint and dizzy .....OH, YEEEEES PLEASE

as far as I can see, it all depends on the person you are dealing with and what frame of mind they are in
after browsing these forums regarding some of the advice given, its best to use common sense so if someone is mucking about with your eyes ...get a lift or the bus
He`s retired now :D but my GP , not so long ago told me "read the labels" when asked if taking some supplements for my joints was OK (do a bit of cycling now and again)
no reply when I told him I got all my junk in a cassette from the chemist, which he had approved
We can`t win .....but usually do 😉
 
robofski said:
Whilst I get my screening done pretty local, they only offer morning appointments so I end up having to take the whole day off work as I can't drive to the office afterwards, a good excuse to go back to bed 🙂
Click to expand...

I once had a parents evening after getting the drops in, and it wasn't till the next day I suddenly realised that the parents must have thought I was nuts as I left the light off all evening - and we're talking the middle of winter till 7pm - the light in my room seemed fine to me! 😉
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top