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I was hit in the left eye with a fully extended octopus strap. It destroyed the canals of Schlemm and at the time (1980) no alternative canals had been developed.
Dr Fred Hollows tried many treatments but none successfully. Eventually Fred had to go to hospital for the first of his cancer operations. During this time Dr Ivan Goldberg took over and performed a Trabeculectomy followed by injections of 5-fluorouracil into the eyeball to prevent growth of scar cells over the Trabeculectomy. A week or so afterwards my left eye pressures were 4 – 8 and the right 12-14 which is about the same as before the accident.
I have seen Dr Goldberg each 6 months since 1980 until he retired late last year (2022).
Since then, I have been seeing Dr Colin Clement who was apparently trained by Ivan in this glaucoma work.
I take no pills, no drops and the pressures remain in the range of 4-8 and 12-14.
Today rather than a Trabeculectomy the new procedure of inserting tiny tubes to carry the fluid away would probably be done.
PS. I had no reaction to the 5-fluorouracil…but it worked.
Living in York Peninsula community two hour's drive from Adelaide and with no optometrist in her local community, Debra booked an appointment as soon as she could. That’s when she received her life changing diagnosis.
When Bette Smith’s cousin told her they had glaucoma in the family, she did what all Australians should be doing, she got her eyes checked.
My mother was diagnosed with glaucoma when she was about seventy, so I was closely monitored. When there were indicators that I could be following the same path, I was referred to a glaucoma specialist.