ANA Discussion Forum

Post-Treatment => Eye Issues => Topic started by: epifania74 on November 14, 2008, 01:50:41 am

Title: Corneal ulcer
Post by: epifania74 on November 14, 2008, 01:50:41 am
Hi everybody!!

Well after a year of seeing my opthamologist, a new student doctor looked at my eye and went on about blood vessels which were growing into the cornea. She then prescribed Maddex a steoroid ointment which would make the blood vessels smaller.  I followed the instructions and within two days the eye got infected and now I have white ulcer on the eye...coolio aye..ugghh

I went straight into the opthamologists office only to be faced with shaking heads and a five day hopital stay ending with 1/2 hourly eye drops 24 hours a day. So really no sleep..  @##$$$ student was all I was thinking.  I think she got reprimanded, hmm even better me sticking my foot up her @$$ soo mad.  Well anyway that was in April it is now November no change you can still see the ulcer with the naked eye..sigh such is life (Ned Kelly)

I take lacri lube at night and I think cellufresh evey hour. The eye tears well up but the dr said its due to the eye being dry..so have to put the drops in nonetheless. Well just thought I'd let you know..

Sharing so people keep your eye lubricated..make sure student drs are with a supervising dr..Well gotta go take are ANers!!! especially with your eye..
Title: Re: Corneal ulcer
Post by: Kaybo on November 14, 2008, 07:59:56 am
How awful - sorry you have had to go thru that!!  Thanks for sharing so that others can learn from our experiences!!

K
Title: Re: Corneal ulcer
Post by: Debbi on November 14, 2008, 04:21:04 pm
What a horror story!  How long is it supposed to take for the ulcer to heal?  It seems like a long time...  Wow - reminder to all of us with eye problems to be vigilant!

Debbi
Title: Re: Corneal ulcer
Post by: Jim Scott on November 14, 2008, 04:34:54 pm
Epifania:

I'm sorry to learn of your trouble with your eye, apparently brought about by an over-ambitious, woefully unsupervised medical student making a very flawed diagnosis.  I would have probably reacted a bit more vociferously to this foul up but you seem to be somewhat resigned to it at this point.  I admire your equanimity.  Still, this is disturbing information and does give one caution when dealing with med students instead of licensed physicians.  I can only add that, like many others reading this thread, I hope and pray that your eye ulcer will soon disappear.

Jim
Title: Re: Corneal ulcer
Post by: Jeanlea on November 14, 2008, 09:28:05 pm
Epifania,

I have something similar to you.  I have blood vessels growing into the cornea and a small whitish patch that I can see.  I think my doctor calls it keratitis or something.  It began after I had an eye infection after my AN surgery.  that was 3 years ago.  After treating the infection with antibiotics it cleared up.  The blood vessels are still going into the cornea and the white patch is still there.  It's all been stable for at least two years now.  (Maybe longer since I can't remember the last time there was a change.)  Along with my local opthalmalogist, I saw another local opthalmologist, and two other eye specialists.  One told me to put steroids in my eye and the second one said not to.  I ended up putting into ointment every day, every two hours for one year.  No change.  I'm back to putting gel in my eye during the day about every 2-4 hours and ointment at night.  My doctor thinks that part of my problem is that I have no feeling along with no movement in my eye.  He thinks that is what may be causing the problems.  Can't do anything about that except to keep it lubricated.  I do have moments of clear vision and its still good under all of the ointment and gel.  Didn't realize that the eye would pose such a problem after surgery.  But I have adapted.

Jean
Title: Re: Corneal ulcer
Post by: nancyann on November 15, 2008, 07:51:53 am
Hello Epifania:  I too am so sorry you are going thru this.   It's rough enough dealing with a paralyzed eyelid let alone dealing with the corneal ulcer.  I'm glad others who've had this issue were able to give you feedback.
Since my surgery in 2006 I realized drops are useless for me & have used Refresh PM lubricant exclusively.   I am lucky in that I can 'feel the burn' when my eye becomes dry, there are times when I've had to put lubricant in 1/2 hour apart, usually it's 2-3 hours; I have adapted to the constant blurriness in the right eye.

Hope all goes well for you,

Always good thoughts,  Nancy

(ps:  yesterday I had my 4th lateral canthal sling procedure - an oculoplastic surgeon did the work; he said when it's done right the lower lid shouldn't droop again - I hope he did it right !)
Title: Re: Corneal ulcer
Post by: epifania74 on November 16, 2008, 04:33:08 am
Thanks to everybody..yep I'm too nice for my own good instead of saying thankyou for giving me an ulcer I should have said @#$##.  ::) ::) ::)  I'm kinda glad I'm not by myself with eye problems when it comes to being an ANer we come or hail from a very select group and are able to share the dos and do nots.

My vison would get clearer at times, at other times it was like I was in a steamy shower..Now with my coolio new ulcer it makes the vision worse because where it is..hmm they're supposed to be white cells that rush in to fight the infection, but the cornea closes in and traps the white cells that are trying to fight the infection..thus the nice white patch you are left with..

Hmm yes I have no idea when this white patch will disappear..Knowing my luck maybe never..Well must go and put my hourly eye drop in..Goodnight ANers and thankyou for sharing!!!