Thanks, Anil. You are wonderful, and you have a truly infectious sense of
humor!

I appreciate you and this whole group so much.

Will, T2

Well, Chris, it is bad enough, so that if that were the only eye that I had,
I would be legally and functionally blind... Yet, I still see light,forms,
shapes, colors, movement, etc. just not much detail.... So if someone were
pointing a gun at me, or coming at me as though to do violence, I would
still be able to detect it and hopefully get out of the way!   ;-)

Seriously, I first became aware of the developing problem as I was being
given avandamet for the diabetes to reduce my BG right after diagnosis a
year ago... I don't know if anyone will ever be able to establish a
linkeage, between the avandamet and my eye condition,  but there was a
period there when I had several near accidents and finally had to be driven
places for a while. I even ran into the side of an underwater tunnel one
time, coming back from the Maryland Eastern Shore. Then, I switched to
metformin, and as my diabetes doctor had forecast, the vision improved, so
that I could function again, but it never really completely returned to
normal in the right eye, although it did improve significantly... Over the
last three or four months, especially after having heard your story, I
started really paying attention to my own vision, and I realized that if
anything, that right eye was starting to get a little worse.... That's why I
brought it up that day a few weeks ago, after which you and Alan insisted I
go to the opthalmologist's for a thorough workup... I do very much
appreciate your concern and advice on that occasion.

The doctor to whom I went today said the damage to the retina did not look
anything like the kind of damage he would associate with diabetes, but then
again, he huffed and puffed and said how rare this condition of mine was,
and that he would not feel comfortable doing anything other than referring
me to one of the very top retina specialists in this area. He kept saying
over and over that he had no idea of what could have caused it. Sadly, he
also stated such conditions do not normally get better, although he would
not say it was impossible to hope for improvement.... So, in the next week
or so, I shall go to the next doctor up the line and hope the research guys
know more than today's doctor did.

I do hope you are having continuing improvement in your eyes, Chris, with
each passing day. As you know, we often take our vision for granted, until
the possibility of blindness comes to the fore. Even though my situation
cannot be laid at the door of diabetes, it underscores the danger that those
of us dealing with diabetes especially face. For instance, it really
behooves me to take extra good care of my remaining eye, since my spare is
gone, so to speak.

Will, T2

Thanks so much Kate. And you have mine for your shoulders.... We are, as
they say, "the walking wounded".

Will, T2

That is a good question, Cheri. The doctor I went to was an older gentleman,
but he does have an excellent reputation. He simply said he had almost never
seen anything quite like it, and that it did not look anything like what he
normally saw in diabetic retinopathy, and thus, he could not say it was
diabetes related. He spoke in terms of the kind of damage that is caused by
fluid buildup behind the retina. At one point, he asked if I had been in any
traumas or under severe stress, to which I replied that every day is
stressful for me as a lawyer, but not what I would think of as unduly
stressful. Over the years, I guess I have had a few severe traumas, but so
have a lot of people..... And nothing in the way of severe trauma to the
head/eyes in recent years.

I will say that he performed quite a number of tests and fussed over my eyes
for quite a long time, probably longer than he spends with most patients....

Will, T2

Thanks, Wendy... I am in Virginia Beach, which is not too far from NYC.

Look for email later on... My eyes are still a little blurry right now.

Will, T2

Thanks for the kind words, Rudy. There is nothing to do, but do what I
must to see this thing through with the new specialist. One thing that
has been going through my mind, though, is some something I heard a
few weeks ago about people having similar complications from taking
avandamet. I was on avandamet for about 6 weeks after diagnosis, until
it became unavailable. That was when I first started having eye
problems of this nature.

Anyway, as in the title of an old book by Joyce Carol Oates, I have to
"Play It As It Lays." I am not looking for anyone or anything to
blame. I just have to get on with life and hope the other eye holds
out for as long as I need it.

Will, T2

Thanks for your kindness, Ricavito. I will just have to wait for
another week, or so, and see what turns up. Actually, I am far luckier
than many people who read this group regularly, and I do not want to
seem ungrateful for the comparatively good health I do enjoy. I give
the people of this group full credit for helping me to turn around the
downhill progression of diabetes. And, if I have indeed lost the
effective use of one eye to who knows what, at least I am more likely
to retain vision in the other one, as a result of controlling my
diabetes.

I'll keep you posted.

Will, T2

San, you are the precious one. Thanks for the hugs and prayers. I do
hope you are doing better and better yourself, these days.

Will, T2

ay be a possible treatment, depending upon the next round of tests.

Thanks, Alan. I have done some asking around about the new doctor to
whom I was referred... The concensus seems to be that he is one of the
best. If he cannot help, I may see about going to Wendy's doctors in
New York....

Hope you are having a good one tonight in Oz, Alan. As it is about
4:45 A.M. here, it must be about 8:45 P.M. of my future evening
there...

Will, T2

Rats! I hope the other specialist is able to do something! Is there anything
you need to do to be extra careful with your good eye?

Nicky.