Saturday, February 5, 2011

In a Blur

Not being able to see like you have always been able to see is not fun. Glasses seem like a simple solution, but not when you think you are going blind in one eye. That is how I have felt since Thursday. This morning I finally headed to the quick care clinic in hopes of finding out what was causing some pain and blurriness in my right eye. Because we don't pay for vision insurance, I was hoping to find out that I had some sinus pressure and that I could get an antibiotic and everything would be hunky dory. As I was handing in my slip to the receptionist she asked what kind of eye pain I was having and then after discussing with the nurse practitioner went on to tell me that I needed to go see an eye doctor instead. They were able to rule out sinuses mainly because I did not have a sore throat or runny nose. After learning that the local Doctor's Value Vision was open on Saturdays I headed there. Fast forward to two hours later, I was sitting in an exam room with an on-call ophthalmologist who graciously came over to the clinic to see me. He and the eye doctor at the clinic had determined that I had a swollen optic nerve, something that is normally treated with a high dose of steroids. So high of a dose they recommend people with this problem to go to Vanderbilt to get a 3 day IV dose. The problem is I am 12 weeks pregnant and as far as we can tell no one knows what could happen if a pregnant person took this treatment. Trials have only been conducted with animals and the results weren't so great for them. As of right now, the ophthalmologist is awaiting a call from the head neuro-eye doctor at Vanderbilt to see what he says. I am awaiting a call from the ophthalmologist, and am praying that this whole thing will just magically be fixed. (Any additional prayers would be appreciated and I should have an update on Monday after going to see the ophthalmologist in his own office and getting some advice from my OB.)

4 comments:

  1. Oh no Stephanie! How frustrating! As I was reading I thought I felt your pain, having to wear an eye patch in the past because of my ridiculous vision problems (that was NOT a fun time in my life), but I can't imagine how much worse it would be to also be dealing with 1.5 year old and being pregnant. I will definitely be praying for a quick, easy, and safe solution!

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  2. I'll be praying for you too! You may have to double check with your insurance company, but most plans cover "medical" eye issues, just not routine eye exams. This definitely sounds like a medical problem, so hopefully you won't have trouble on that end, and we will pray for a solution that is safe for your baby.

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  3. oh my goodness. We're hoping this gets cleared up quickly and safely for you!

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  4. Bless your heart Stephanie...I am so sorry to hear this and am putting you on my prayer list. Please keep us posted. Love you...

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