[Closed] Detached retina what's your experiances

Have had a detached retina in both my eyes now. My eyesight was never the best ( wore specs since about 7-8) so to be truthful my prescription didn't change much. I take it by a full recovery you mean your eyesight will be back to your normal levels, I think the surgeon just means your eyesight will be worse, which means either a stronger prescription(like I say, not much in my case) or if you don't already you may need specs now. Took about a month to recover. Still beats being blind in one eye in my book, hope this helps

Follow the docs instructions. A colleague had to lie face down for a month after her op - only allowed up for toilet visits. Her's was quite bad.

I had a large retinal tear in my left eye that was stabilised using cryo-retinopathy 3 years ago. Last year I had a posterior vitreous detachment in my right eye which has left me with a Weiss Ring. In both cases I've ended up with an increase in floaters. I know that the right eye will either tear like the left eye in the near future or fully detach - just a matter of time

My prescription hasn't changed significantly (has remained -11ish) but I find bright lights difficult to deal with so have a set of prescription sunglasses and my everyday progressive lenses have Transitions coating

The only thing that I've altered has been that I avoid when possible driving at night and turning quickly can be a bit disorienting.

All the best, hope things go well, where did you have the operation?

The lying on the stomach is surprisingly hard.

Op at Darlington Memorial.  Please don't tell the place is crap my confidence is shattered at the moment.

Not being able to drive for a while is a real problem as is getting out on a bike.  Moan moan moan.

thanks by the way.

I had emergency op 2 years ago for a detached retina. Post op I had to lay flat on my back for 45 minutes in every hour for 7 days (with about 4hrs sleep) using various eye drops 3 times a day!!!!!!. This was very important to 'position' the repair. I followed this instruction to the letter (longest week ever in my life). Two years on my sight has probably returned to somewhere close to what I had pre-op. Couldn't cycle for 6 weeks and no mtbing for 2 months - too much jarring.
Since then I 'always' use cycling glasses when out on the bike.
Main point is if you 'see' sharp black flashes get to the optician fast it could save your sight. I did & they rang the hospital straight away & I was operated on the following day. Apparently, too many people it leave too late, and lose their sight.

Oh! they also advise the DVLA that you can't drive for 2 months.

mt- you're getting the best of care there, just be thankful you're missing 'Strictly...'

Let us know how you get on over the next few weeks

I have a chequered past,

have had quite a few ‘ black eyes’ mostly due to mis-spent youth.

got involved in a drunken disagreement in 2008 which resulted in a detached retiner and torn optical nerve.

I have no central and a limited periferal in my right (shooting) eye.

Had 3 operations to save the eye, last one involved me having to lie face down for 2 weeks to allow the lazer weld to heal.

horrible experience.

Life changing injury and not for the better. I remember at the time how much it affected every day normalities eg I kept falling off kerbs, bumping into doors and struggled to pour boiling water into a coffee cup.

My place of work back then didn’t simpathise with my long term sickness due to depression or cater for my new disability ( was a joiner ) so I jacked and signed on. Nearly lost the the house and me and the the mrs at the time eventually split, nobody understood or recognised my injury which added insult to injury, it’s a disabilitie that people don’t see.

i now have a shyte job that I hate but it pays the bills and me and new mrs are solid

I don’t shoot anymore and my riding has suffered drastically. My perspective of speed/distance disappeared over night and injuries used to be common because I was in denial and carried on riding like I used to. Took me a while to accept that speed and gravity riding is not for me anymore.

Old riding buddies just didnt understand why I didnt want to join them to ride extreme stuff anymore and i gave up trying to explain or justify why as it was a constant reminder of my injury (disability!) and it really got me down, I don’t really see them anymore.

had an eye check recently and I have developed a chatarct so things are going to change again, reckon I can cope with that now.

Hopefully your injury is not as bad as mine but you will find that you do adjust eventually.

I still ride XC and gravel now but miss the buzz of DH etc

quite upset as I wright this, thought I was over it, obviously not.

good luck mate, let me know how you get on.

@ap thanks. Suspected they are good, surgeon gave to me straight which was upseting at the time but I suppose he was trying to get it across that it was serious.

@oreetmon.  Thanks for your comments also.  If you you are int north east (you must be) I'll let you know when my first ride is.

Off now for eye drops, again.

NW mate 😎

Had been on a day sesh with the boys yesterday, got a bit emotional.

If your unlucky enough to loose some sight in the affected eye, take your time to accept it and adapt.

10 years since I got ‘injured’ and it’s now more of a **** annoyance than a disability.

Chin up and good luck