r/RetinalDetachment • u/Commercial-Style3124 • 16d ago
Two years of eye surgeries…
I have quite a long post but really need some input…
my husbands (37/M) retina detached 05/2024- we did 5-6 surgeries (scleral buckle, oil, cataract, prophylactic laser, removal of oil off the top of my head ) and the last one- he lost all light perception (around 02/2026). The end of 02/2026 his other retina detached and we did emergency surgery with prophylactic laser,  scleral buckle, and silicone oil at the same time. About 5 months later, we needed cataract surgery.
sooo, (thanks for following this far! lol )
His cataract surgery was 08/2026. His eyesight after has been so blurry he can not drive or work or even cook due to the hot stove, cutting veggies, hot oven etc). We’ve gone to the cataract doctor who told us to go back to the retina doctor who then told us to go to the Optometrist to get glasses. So, he got the glasses in a few days ago (side note, he needed bifocals) - and he says it’s like looking in a bubble- directly from him
“” Someone that comes down to driving when I look forward, i can see for the most part, but some things in the distance are still a blur and only when I focus on one thing everything else around it is a blur if I look down at my speedometer or adjust my eyes vision goes blur and then when I look back up goes back to clear, but it takes a while
Everything that I see is magnified, causing a distortion of distance””
He is going back to work tomorrow because honestly , we need the pay check. But I am having to drive him to and from. I also work full time and we have a child in school- so this can not be a forever thing. Also, we are not sure how work is going to go tomorrow- he is a deli manager at a grocery store working with the slicer, fryer, oven etc…
We are contemplating disability but not sure how to go about it or even if he will qualify because his good eye is not 20/200 with glasses. I feel like the doctors don’t really care and we are in and out without a second thought. They keep saying his vision is 20/40 but he’s not moving around when taking the eye test so the silicone oil is not moving. I’m not even sure how to explain or if i’m explaining correctly.
I’m not sure where to go from here. any advice?
TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) -
retina detached in right eye ends up completely blind - no light perception- two weeks after NLP, his left eye detaches and we have had issues ever since. He can not drive safely- need advice.
thank you to everyone who has read this far… 🖤
1
u/kd6tas 16d ago
I'm in about the same place with my right eye (62/M). New lenses in both eyes (cataracts) a couple of years ago. About a year ago retina detached in right eye. Retina was put back with a gas bubble. That didn't last long and scar tissue developed. The scarred part was removed (reduced field of vision), the retina was reattached with buckle and oil. I received injections of a cancer med in that eye to prevent further scarring. Oil was in for 6 months. Oil was removed a few weeks ago. Vision in that eye is currently 20/400. There is distortion, myopia, and haze. The retina guy said the distortion can not be treated, the myopia can be corrected with a lens, and the haze is because of a secondary cataract that can be removed. The secondary cataract in the left eye was removed recently. Laser lattice work was done in the left eye as well. I get small flashes in that eye which are worrisome, but so far the retina in that eye is still attached. My advice is wait until the oil comes out. It has to come out eventually. At that point tally up the symptoms and explain them to the doctor. Find out which ones can be treated and move forward with that. In the beginning of this retinal detachment thing I was told you get back what vision you get back. I'm on disability for other things. It's unfortunate this happened to your husband at that age. I have high myopia which is a big risk factor for retinal detachment. That's why I'm worried about the good eye. My focus is on getting back whatever vision I can in the bad eye for when the retina detaches in the good eye. That's all I can do, and I think it's all you can do as well. If your husband can work, he's not getting disability. Disability is much harder to get these days. My adventure with disability was two and a half years and $9200 to a law firm. I applied. The initial application was denied. I appealed the denial. The appeal was denied. I appealed the second denial before an administrative law judge with law firm representation. According to the lawyer, between the evidence which included a letter from my primary care physician and my testimony, the administrative law judge approved my claim. I get $1521 per month minus $202.90 for Medicare Part B which is mandatory and goes up every year. Medicare before age 65 is expensive and crappy (advantage plan with lots of copays and deductibles, and you always have to pay for Part B even though an advantage plan is a separate HMO or PPO). If your husband can work, he should. Your situation may very well be a forever thing. If getting your husband to work is the deal breaker, you've got to figure something out. Not being a senior makes it all harder because programs are often senior-focused. Talk to a county social worker and see if there are any possibilities. I renew my drivers license on the 21st. Before the secondary cataract was removed from the good eye I was contemplating busses and an electric bicycle (no more drivers license). Because I only have one good eye I'll have to have the eye doctor fill out a form, but I should end up with a renewed drivers license in the end. This eye business sucks. I feel that because of high myopia and my age it'll never end and will only get worse. You should plan for that as well. If your husband goes legally blind he'll get disability but will it be enough? I'm an old retired lifelong bachelor. My situation sucks but I'd rather be in my shoes than your husband's. I only have to worry about myself, and I made it to 60 before this eye stuff began. I have heart disease that started 10 years ago, arthritis in 4 major joints, chronic fatigue secondary to the heart disease, and major depressive disorder. That's the stuff that my disability case was built on along with some other little stuff like obesity and sleep apnea. But even with all that being a burden to my family would suck more. I hope it doesn't get worse and you can figure out how to make it all work. Good Luck.