Looking out the front window at our snowstorm this morning. None of the previous snow from two weeks ago has really disappeared except what was on the road. It's snowing fast and furious - quite a culmination to a very different sort of week for me.
Monday at 10 am we had our RSV shot. Other than a sore arm I thought I was doing okay. That evening while cleaning up the kitchen after an early dinner (Dan had a meeting to go to) I started having flashes of light in my left eye. I sat down and told Dan about it but assured him I'd be okay. He was to go ahead to his meeting and I could call Emily if things got worse.
After he left I checked myself: I could raise my arms, I could smile and I could speak. Not a stroke. Slowly the flashes went away. They had been on my left traveling in an arc to the middle. When I closed my left eye, my right eye could see them to the left. Strange.
Tuesday was homeschool day here with granddaughter #1 who turned 12 this week. After lunch I sat down while she was prepping to sign on to her zoom Spanish lesson. The flashes started up again. I sent a text to Dan so as not to alarm granddaughter. He came in and suggested I call the doctor. I demurred. Instead I timed it and took a closer look at what I was seeing. It lasted 20 minutes and it was like a crude incomplete drawing of a sun. I told Dan if it happened again I'd call. It didn't on Tuesday.
Wednesday came and I sat down at this computer and the flashes started up again at 10. This time I agreed to call the doctor's office. Nurse on call immediately said I needed to go to the emergency room and call the ambulance to get there. The reason for the ambulance was what they could do for me on the road there and priority I'd have. We decided that Dan would drive me. We'd get there faster.
We went to the Alice Peck Day Hospital Emergency Room. They took me in right away. It wasn't even 11 o'clock but flashes had long since disappeared. All sorts of vitals taken including blood sugar level. Eyes tested. They ruled out a stroke but decided I needed to see an ophthalmologist ASAP at Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital. They arranged an appointment for me for Thursday morning at 8 am. I left there just after 12 noon. The shortest time I've ever spent in ER.
Thursday arrived. Went to the appointment. More extensive eye exams with pupil dilations. I told them I had had major floaters 20 years ago and a hole in my retina was identified, monitored for a couple of years by a retinal specialist and then at my yearly eye exams. Pictures taken of my left eye. Lots of waiting between all this. Finally the resident handling my case came to me and said the only thing they found was the old hole. Bottom line: they don't know what caused my flashes. We left there before noon time.
Now I have my theory. When we went to the ER I mentioned the RSV shot. They poo poohed any relationship between the shot and my flashes. I didn't mention it at the eye appointment then. But the RSV shot was the only thing different in my medical regime. For me there must be a relationship.
I haven't experienced any more flashes since Wednesday!
What would you have done?
Vitreous Detachment | National Eye Institute - NIH
ReplyDeleteI have had a few similar experiences but not for a few months now. They lasted for about 20 minutes, and I lay still in some trepidations. I've not had a recent recurrence.
ReplyDeleteI think you handled it well. Here's hoping for no recurrence!
ReplyDeleteSounds and looks from your drawing like ocular migraines. They last up to 20minutes, rarely with a headache. I get them from too much screen time particularly early morning. I did call my eye doctor with the first and he walked me through how to determine if it was retinal detachment. He said it's stress usually.
ReplyDeleteOcular migraine it happened to me they took me into an eye specialist. I went through it all and that is what they came up with it didn't take long before it went away. It has happened one other time.
ReplyDeleteCathy
Thanks for all the comments and identifying what it was. Funny that D-H Hospital as big as it is made no mention of it being a ocular migraine. I see my optometrist at the end of this month for a regular check up. I'll see what he calls it.
ReplyDeleteWhat an experience! Scary too, I imagine. I think you might be right about the shot. I hope you have seen the last of this, Marcia.
ReplyDeleteThat would have scared the dickens out of me, but you did all the right things. I'm just sorry that you had to deal with it. I also hope you've seen the last of it. I read with great interest what your blogging friends had to say. Hoping upon hope you've seen the last of it.
ReplyDeleteForgot to say what a pretty video. You had big flakes! A nice snowy photo too, now roll on Spring :)
ReplyDelete