Warning long post: sudden vision issues ongoing 3 months need advice
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Hi everyone,
This is my first post. It's going to be a long because I want to provide as much info as possible. Warning this one is long
Narrative:
My name is "Bob", Age mid 30's, Black American, 6'5", 350lbs-370lbs, my current blood pressure readings is 133/75 with 81 BPM. I currently take amplodipine/Valsa 10-160mg (sometimes 5-160mg). I also have a prior bilateral viral conjunctivitis in 2019.
On the week of 6/17 to 6/23 my vision in both eyes started to become slightly blurry while eating an apple pie in my car. When I stopped, my vision would return to normal, but when I would eat something sweet again, my vision would go slightly blurry again so I assumed this vision problem was pre diabetic in nature and would go away if I worked out and reduced sugars and bad foods. I still ate some sugars but not as much as before and on the week of June 26th to July 2nd I woke up to my vision being fully blurry for about 5-10 minutes. My vision looked something like the picture below
https://www.everlywell.com/blog/hba1c/why-do-i-have-blurry-vision/
Once this happened, I went to either my primary or an urgent care doctor and explained what happened. The doctor decided to have me blood tested and urine tested for diabetes. My blood test came back a 5.2 (5.7 would be pre diabetic according to their charts). But my Ketones Urinalysis came back at +1 which is a warning of diabetes. So in my mind, my urine test provided an indicator as to why I had that blurred vision. I continued eating clean and losing weight from 420 on the week of 6/17 to 6/23 to 355 as of 7/13. But during that period I had at least 3 more incidents of waking up with complete blurred vision for 5-10 minutes.
During the day my vision during has some slight blurriness on wording on signs that are further away, but for the most part I would say my vision was normal. At night I had and still have trouble seeing a signs and words at night and apparently I had trouble seeing wording inside of buildings as well unless I'm close in range. My night vision problems doesn't seem to be much of a factor with solid objects, but only lights(at night) and wording. Literally when I look at signs or letters that are lit up it looks like the color of the words or signs is running off. Also late at night I still have trouble making out peoples faces from far away. I also developed eye floaters and some flashes. But the flashes weren't a major problem and I didn't think the floaters were either(I was wrong). Below are some pictures off the internet to show how my vision looks
https://www.neurogroup.org/2017/02/01/misdiagnosis-and-what-to-do-about-it/
I wanted to go straight to an Ophthalmologist I saw for bilateral conjunctivitis, but my primary doctor said I had to go through an Optometrist and get a referral to an Ophthalmologist. On 7/14, I saw my first Optometrist and she determined that I needed glasses based on my vision test. My left eye was 20/20 and my right eye was a 20/25 but with blurriness. She did an exam was normal, the slit lamp was normal. She noted that the conjunctiva had mild injection OU. During this visit I didn't tell her about the floaters or small flashes because I thought it was part normal eye sight. I'd seen these things my entire life.
I got a second opinion with another Optometrist on 7/15 and she determined that I didn't need glasses right away. My vision test was the same as the first one. She also said my retina looked healthy. Again I didn't tell her about the floaters and small flashes.
The 1st optometrist scheduled me for a 7/18 appointment to conduct more tests. On the morning of 7/18, I woke up at 6am with slightly blurred vision, I went back to sleep and I had no vision in my left eye.
This cleared up in about 3 to 5 mins and resulted in more pronounced flashes and sensitivity to light. The sensitivity to light went away, but the flashes were a little more noticeable. I went to the emergency room and told the doctor what happened. The doctor used a fundoscopy on my eyes and told me I had a small case of hypertensive retinopathy, but I should see an ophthalmologist to confirm.
Later on I went to my Optomtrist later on 7/18 who wanted further testing and she conducted an ERG test and my eyes tested abnormally. She told me that the ERG could accurately predict future blindness in 5 years(Someone let me know if thats true). I told her what happened that morning and she advised that I go to the emergency room and get my carotid arteries imaged. She also suggested that what I had could have been amaurosis fugax.
So The emergency room imaged my arteries and did an MRI on my brain and both images were normal. The MRI doctor still diagnosed me with amaurosis fugax based on what I described happened. The emergency room recommended that I see an Ophthalmologist.
I saw two ophthamologist. I saw the first one in late July. He did ask about the floaters and flashes, but I remember telling him no because again I thought it was part of my normal vision. I did a vision test and it was similiar to my the ones with my optometrist. He also dialated my eyes and did a slit lamp exam and determined nothing was wrong other than some eye dryness. He recommended taking artificial tears.
I saw the second ophthamologist on 8/3/2022 and he concluded the same as the first doctor. He advised that I used artificial tears and and retaine for a month and come back if my vision doesnt clear up for a consult of a neuro-ophthalmology consult and hematology consult for clotting abnormalities. I asked about the ERG abnormal result from my first Optometrist and he said ERG's aren't accurate.
So from 8/3 to about the end of August I stayed true to the regimine and since I started my diet I was taking vitimin A and eating food for vision. During August I fell off the wagon with my diet but continued exercising and taking my eye medicine. My weight stayed the same, but my blood pressure went up slightly.
I stopped taking my eye medicine because I didn't think it was working and was planning to reschedule with the doctor. My vision was still like I stated above with blurrness, night vision issues, floaters, some flashes etc. I think it was on the week of 9/3/2022 where I ate some sweets and starting experiencing pulsating in my head around the middle ridge and right side. It also drove up my BP, but by going back to my diet and exercising the symptoms went away. But now the flashes I had before were more pronounced. I could tell because normally when I turn off the lights in my room its closer to streak black. But now when I turn off the lights it looks like a fire work show. But I was thinking that's what happens with headaches or migraines.
Last week I ate sweets on Turesday, Wed, Thurs and started experiencing a a sensation between the middle of my eye brows that goes down to the ridge of my nose and to my right eyebrow area. The sensation can be dull and sometimes have pain. But here's the kicker, now I can't ignore the flashes, the floaters. My DIA number was higher and when I tried to go for a walk(work down the high BP), I felt so woozy that I thought I was going to pass out. So I called the ambulance. They didn't take me to the hospital just back home to rest. Since then, I've felt additional symtoms. My peripheal vision is there, but it feels like something is there, this might be psychological, but I can feel it. Another symptom I noticed was when I look at white screens or back drops. Its never just solid white or whatever bright color. I describe it as looking at a flag where there's various but very subtle light dark spots. Its gotten better but its still there. One last thing I noticed is sometimes I like to nod off and borderline sleep. But when I wake up, my eyes adjust from double vision into being normal.
I have an appointment with the doctor on 10/2022 but I'm going to get it moved up as an emergency. Here's why I put all of my symptoms and the top results was a migraine(which is weird migraines don't last 3 months or shouldn't last 3 months), Retinal Detatchment, Open Angle Glacoma, Cataracts, Open Angle Glaucoma.
After doing some research, a retinal detachment sounds like the likely culprit. But it seems all of my doctors have ruled it out when I looked at past reports. They also ruled out glaucoma and cataracts based on slit lamp testing. I also look up Macular Degeneration and it seem like it could fit me based on my weight, years of HBP and my time spent in the sun. But I looked at the imaging of what it looks like and what my imaging looks like and its not even close.
I strongly think these doctors are somehow missing the retinal detachment diagnosis. I read research about eye medical malpractice and as it turns out retina det commonly missed. I think by me not quite catching onto the floaters and flashes is what made them dismiss my claim that it may be retinal detchment or something much more serious.
But what do you guys and gals think? Opinions on what it might be?
Anyone has any advice on how to persuade docs not to dismiss something that's potentially serious.
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