Share
In December 2005 I was diagnosed with a retinal tear and detachment in my right eye and was sent to Canberra from Cooma and onto Sydney Eye Hospital. I was operated on at midnight in the middle of the Cronulla Riots. I went home to Cooma - changing altitude slowly over 7 hours – with an orbital buckle and gas bubble.
A couple of years later I developed traumatic glaucoma as a direct result of the surgery, and have received various treatments since, taking care of both eyes as a precaution.
My ophthalmologist is in Canberra (1 ½ hours away) and as the conservative drops were not completely controlling the intra-ocular pressure or vision loss in my right eye, I was sent to Sydney for a deep sclerectomy, i.e. a flap for drainage, at a private hospital in a place called Chatswood. Two days later we returned to Comma (all very stressful and expensive and time consuming).
Since that amazing procedure I healed too well, and the flap created healed over. The Canberra ophthalmologist, under telephone instructions from Sydney, reopened the drainage channel using laser techniques – MAGIC!!
I’ve had low pressures since – left eye 11 and right eye 9! I am currently using drops twice a day with great effect. Six monthly check-ups in Canberra are mandatory and reassuring.
Patricia discovered she inherited glaucoma from her father after developing cataracts. She underwent a successful surgery and is now taking eye drops regularly. She now advises others to get tested early.
Annette was diagnosed with Normal Tension Glaucoma a few years ago, and despite the challenges of managing eye pressure and a pituitary cyst, her proactive approach with treatments and family awareness gives her hope for a stable future.
After retiring from 30 years in the Army, Lawrence discovered substantial vision loss in one eye and some in the other due to elevated eye pressures. Lawrence now encourages his family to get glaucoma checks regularly.