Hello! Introduction.

[thatcomicsguy]

Hello everybody!

I found this forum after some sifting through the internet and discovered that this one seemed to have the highest traffic and user base, and a huge number of topics and subjects. Very promising.

My girlfriend (we live together) recently experienced a fairly serious setback which has resulted in vision loss. It happened overnight! Now she can't read or drive and has trouble navigating things like stairs without aid.

She's got type 1 diabetes, (the kind you get when your pancreas is damaged from disease), and suffered a serious sugar crash which left her unconscious and not breathing for a short time. When she came to, her vision was ruined and hasn't come back after several days.

We've been making the rounds in Canada's healthcare system, (frustrations abound), and have learned that her eyes are just fine. Healthy and undamaged. The eye doctor was baffled.

We're thinking.., brain damage is likely.

So.., I'm not sure where to post on this forum.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you for reading.

Cheers!

[agate]

Welcome, thatcomicsguy!

There's no forum specifically for diabetes here but you might find some useful posts if you do a search of the BT board, entering terms like "diabetes" or "blindness."

You might try the General Neurology and Rare Disorders forum:

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

If the eye doctor is baffled, I hope that that doctor is an ophthalmologist and not an optometrist. And I hope that your girl friend will be referred to another ophthalmologist or maybe a neuroophthalmologist because I'm sure she wants answers and help. Is there a neurologist in the picture?

It seems possible to me that the blindness might have no relation to the bad diabetic episode she had but it certainly does sound as if it is. In any case, I hope that she can find good medical attention immediately. When you say her vision was ruined, does that mean that she has no vision at all--not even for light? If it is that bad, it is considered an emergency. Even vision loss to the point where a person can't see to do normal activities is an emergency. I hope you and she can insist on the medical attention that is needed.

[thatcomicsguy]

Thank-you for responding.

We're heading out to a general practitioner tomorrow for her appointment. (Having to wait a whole week for the earliest spot. Yow.)

We did go to see a regular optometrist. He had some fancy equipment on hand and took pictures of the inside of her eyes and such, and declared her eyes very healthy with no visible damage to the various nerves and blood vessels and such. He was unable to correct her vision through normal lens means and seemed at a loss.

One of the problems with experiencing a severe low blood sugar episode is that organs begin to shut down and die. It's as serious as oxygen starvation. (I didn't know that; I've had to learn a lot very quickly about diabetes). In any case, the possibility of damage to the brain is on the table, especially if there is nothing physically wrong with her eyes. I asked specifically about this, and the optometrist agreed that the visual cortex, if damaged could present a host of issues. Sadly, this was beyond the scope of his expertise.

You need a proper MD to refer one to a specialist. We're hopeful that we can successfully navigate the Canadian medical system to something resembling help.

Thankfully, we've been making our own observations and tests, and my girlfriend's vision has been improving (slightly) day by day. Beyond what the doctors my have to offer, I'm exploring the idea of oxygen supplementation to hopefully aid in nerve tissue regeneration. There is something called a "Hyperberic Chamber" which, if filled with pure oxygen can increase healing by many factors. It's a legitimate medical tool with a good track record.

I'll keep people here informed as to our progress.

Wish us luck!

Cheers, and thank-you again for reading.

[agate]

thatcomicsguy, an optometrist isn't qualified to diagnose eye diseases. An ophthalmologist is. Someone just needing a glasses rx can safely go to an optometrist but anyone with diabetes should be seeing an ophthalmologist for eye care because diabetes has effects on the eyes.

I doubt that an ophthalmologist is regarded as a specialist in Canada. In the US a neuroophthalmologist would be regarded as a specialist but not an ophthalmologist. I hope that you can find an ophthalmologist without going through a lot of bureaucratic processes.

I'm somewhat familiar with hyperbaric oxygen chambers. Years ago they were popular for the treatment of MS, but later they became less popular. I think they are still used for other conditions though.

Hope you'll keep us posted about your friend's condition.