Posted on 11/17/2003 3:53:10 PM PST by SarahW
My husband (Patrickhenryinva) and I ask for you to pray for our dear child. He's 13.
He might have an unusually-presenting glaucoma. The alternatives are even worse. If it's LHNO, he could lose the other eye in similar fasion before Christmas. He might also have a brain tumor.
Glaucoma is suspected because His intraocular pressure is elevated, and he has optic nerve "cupping" that is typical of glaucoma.
He has completely lost the central visual field in his left eye, though the peripheral vision is completely intact. Usually, glaucoma knocks out the peripheral vision and spares the central vision. Visual losses from glaucoma usually creep up on a person. His happened virtually overnight.
He came to me Thurday afternoon, inquiring about what the cloud that had descended over his left eye, obscuring his vision, might be.
Friday morning at the opthamologists, I realized he could see nothing. Refraction didn't help at all.
(TWo months previously he had a mostly perfect routine exam. His pressures had actually been borderline high but there was nothing else "wrong". Drops are not usually started with pressures like he had then, and I wasn't referred to an opthamologist, or given special advice.)
If it's LHON, which doesn't usually get higher pressures, but can have cupping and sudden onset and central field defects and pop up in kids his age, then if his case is typical he will lose his other eye in time for the new year, perhaps christmas.
The prospect of this is utterly terrifying and devastating. Some kids/adults only have the one eye affected, though. Sometimes their vision even comes back, sometimes completely!!!
He's going to see a glaucoma specialist thursday, with an MRI for the first part of next week to rule out tumors that can mimic glaucoma.
Prayer is so needed for my child. Please pray for him. There is hope. I'm praying alone right now.
I was thinking about your family today. I hope all is well.
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