Diabetic Retinopathy: What Is It?

I've had a few people ask me what is diabetic rentinopathy, what causes it and is there a cure.  This isn't something I talk about too much, if at all.  I keep it to myself.

I remember mine and James' first date.  He took me to the movies and I was in a panic because I knew the theater would be dark and I would not be able to see the steps.  I made it through the date with no problems.  It would be months later before I told James about my 'condition'.  He knew I was a diabetic, but had no clue how difficult it was for me to see, especially at night or in dark/low light rooms and places.

I was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 16.  As any teenager, I didn't want to be 'different'.  I wanted to eat whatever all the other kids were eating; pizza, burgers, candy bars, soda pop.  So, I decided to ignore my doctor and do what I wanted to do.  And I did.  When I became pregnant, I was put on insulin to help control my blood sugars.  I hated it.  I hated giving myself a shot everyday.  So after I had my daughter, I stopped taking my insulin and went back to doing whatever I wanted, eating whatever I wanted and never looked back.  When I became pregnant with my son, same thing.  I did what I was suppose to do; ate right (somewhat, the cravings were horrible!), took my insulin and kept my blood sugars in somewhat control.  The further along in the pregnancy, the harder it is to control your blood sugar.  But, I did try.  I wanted my children to be healthy.  And, they are.  I didn't think about myself or my future.  Even though I watched my own Mother deal with diabetes and the complications of diabetes, my thoughts were, "It will never happen to me."  Denial is such a bad thing.
My first 'date' with diabetic retinopathy was about 10-15 years ago.  I was sitting at work, when all of a sudden, I saw in my left eye, a orange-reddish color.  And it hurt, like someone had poked me in the eye hard.  They did laser surgery to stop the bleeding, and all was well once again.  If you looked at my eye, it looked like any other eye.  But, I could see the blood.  And it freaked me out!
Over the course of 6 years, I underwent many laser treatments to stop my eyes bleeding.  I have been lucky in that the last 8 years, I have not had any bleeding.

So what is diabetic retinopathy?  The simple definition is : a complication of diabetes that affects the eyes. It's caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina).  At first, diabetic retinopathy may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems. Eventually, however, diabetic retinopathy can result in blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy can develop in anyone who has type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. The longer you have diabetes, and the less controlled your blood sugar is, the more likely you are to develop diabetic retinopathy.(MayoClinic.com)

Now we know what it is and what causes it.  Even though my Mom went through this, and I watched her lose her sight, this would never happen to me.  Oh, was I so wrong.

So, is there a cure?  Yes and no.  According to the Mayo Clinic's website, "Treatment depends largely on the type of diabetic retinopathy you have. Your treatment will also be affected by how severe your retinopathy is, and how it has responded to previous treatments. Surgery often slows or stops the progression of diabetic retinopathy, but it's not a cure. Because diabetes is a lifelong condition, future retinal damage and vision loss are possible. Even after treatment for diabetic retinopathy, you'll need regular eye exams. At some point, additional treatment may be recommended.
Researchers are studying new treatments for diabetic retinopathy, including medications that may help prevent abnormal blood vessels from forming in the eye. Some of these medications are injected directly into the eye to treat existing swelling or abnormal blood vessels. These treatments appear promising, but they haven't been studied in long-term trials yet."

So, that is what it is, what causes it, and the treatment.   I have been lucky in that I haven't had any bleeding in many years, until recently.  Last week, I woke up and knew I had a problem....a really bad problem.  I can not blame anyone for what I am going through.  It is what life handed me at the age of 16.  I made a decision to ignore it.  And now, I am paying the price.  I fear that one day, I will lose my sight completely.  I won't know what my grand kids look like.  I will, somewhat, lose my Independence.  I try not to think about it.  It's aggravating.  It's maddening, at times, especially when I have active bleeding.  It is possible, however, to not go through this.  IF you have diabetes, if you are in denial, if you are NOT controlling your blood sugars, pull your head out of the clouds you live in and face it.  This is one disease you CAN control with diet, exercise and medication.  and get your eyes checked.  Remember, you are not alone in this.  There are more than 20 million people walking around with diabetes and even more that have it and they don't know it.  It is important, so important to get regular blood sugar checks when you visit your doctor.   I've heard that high blood pressure is a silent killer.  And, it is.  But, diabetes is, as well.  You will never hear of anyone dying from diabetes.  You will hear they 'died from complications of diabetes'.   Diabetes causes vision loss, kidney failure, amputations, heart problems, and many more problems to numerous to list.  You can prolong or even prevent these things from happening by doing one thing: Control your blood sugar levels.  Yes, it is that simple.

I go see my eye Specialist July 3rd.  I am hoping and praying all turns out well.  If not, this will be something I will have to learn to live with and accept.