Hi All x 1 down 2 to go!
I saw the Ophthalmologist today - what an odd visit!!
My intraocular pressures are still up at 25 and 26 but he doesn’t want to diagnose glaucoma yet as he doesn’t trust the optician’s Glaucoma Refinement results - he says the ‘puff’ test is inaccurate!!!
I tried to explain to him that the optician - after the initial ‘puff’ test came back high - then used the same method/machine as the ophthlmologist used today in order to confirm the high pressure was correct. The refinement tests two weeks apart done by the optician showed IOP of 25 and 26 the first time - followed by 27 and 30 the next time!
He even denied receiving any report from the optician!! (I phoned the optician later and he was pretty peed off at the Opthalmologists comments and assured me he had sent the report and copied my GP in - and that he had used the proper equipment and would not rely on the ‘puff’ test!!)
The Ophthalmologist also said he was referring me for a disc scan (??) as my left optic disc is distorted/misshapen. (The optician also mentioned this in his report as well as a couple of haemorrhages).
Then to cap it all he put another patient’s name and address label on the scan referral form - lucky the nurse picked it up or I would have been waiting for it forever - yet another mix up!! EWWW!!! Do they do it on purposse??
He said he could neither confirm or rule out previous Optic Neuritis so no further forward on that xxjenxxx
Hi Jen, How frustrating! These medical personnel make it so hard for us to trust them. This sounds like a cock up from start to finish on the part of the ophthalmologist. I hope you get it sorted! Teresa xx
So you are no further really then. What a total shambles, good job the nurse was on the ball!
Lets hope its smooth sailing from now
xxx
I know x
I felt sorry for the optician! He said he has been trained ‘over and above’ to do Glaucoma Refinement Assessments and after the second lot of tests two weeks later showed abnormalities he also brought in his colleague to examine me and confirm his thoughts!!! I was in with him for over 45 minutes - a heck of a lot longer than the Ophthalmologist appointment today!!!
When I saw my GP this afternoon she was not happy either as she was able to pull up the report on the system (as well as the optician had copied her in when he sent her to the hospital) x she also said that the Ophthalmologist would have been able to access the report on the NHS system - just like she can!! And that my pressures had been cosistently recorded as up for over 12 months last year when I was under the hospital -!!
I just feel that every single specialist I’m seeing is like starting afresh all the time - as several reports/referrals are just going missing!!! Talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is bloomin doing!!!
I much prefer our local optician over the hospital opthalmologist, he is a lot friendlier for a start.
My daughter has a condition that means she is a high risk for retinal dislocation so she went to see the opthalmologist for more advanced tests. We were told it would take 4 hours and we were in for 15 minutes!!!
Can you ask for a copy of all reports from the different specialists so at least someone has them all together.
hi kizzy…gosh what a day you’ve had… every sympathy as my eye neuros didint trust my glaucoma drs pressure readings…and implied he had not taken them properly. I think it’s best ou get copies of all reports from your records and letters and take them with you on the day of apps. your gp can copy for you…as I have found too many go missing or never get to the dr concerned… it’s so hard having to wait for these to be treated by this…just as well the nurse was observant re scan …hope you get that done soon. em x
So your first visit of the week seems to of been a disaster ,I think im right in thinking you have got several this week havent you??
If you have fingers crossed they go better. At least it might help you keep cool if your weather is anything like it is here,or has you thermostat started to work again now?
Take care
Pip
Oh dear Jen what a mess-up. Working in the NHS I can say that even when reports are meant to be sent to the hospital they aren’t always and even if they are all it takes is for the secretary responsible not to have scanned them in. I’ve seen on quite a few occasions a GP referring and then saying here is the attatched report from so and so and then nothing! Of course you can’t rule out the consultant just being lazy!
The scan of the eye sounds like an OCT (optical coherence tomography). It’s used quite a lot in glaucoma/ macula degeneration (It’s almost like an MRI for the layers of your retina and optic nerve but no where near as long or uncomfy). The Dr’s may even want to look at things like your corneal thickness etc as this might give a false high or low reading even with the correct instrument being used to measure your pressure. And of course look at your visual fields.
As for the optic neuritis I’m not sure - it could be that becuase what’s happened isn’t acute looking at it now doesn’t give you much info particulalrly as you’ve had a few things happen to your eyes.
None the less all of this is still frustrating for you. I guess like everything else diagnosing what’s wrong isn’t black and white.
Try and make sure you keep copies of everything (it’s what I do so that if one medical speciality doesn’t have it - I do)
I hope you get some answers soon Jen. Hang in there.
Reemz
X