2024 52 Card Project: Week 1: Flashes and Floaters

[pegkerr]

This card pinpoints a moment when I noticed that I was experiencing what almost seemed to be something like flashes of lightning in my peripheral vision on one side. What's more, I realized, there were suddenly a bunch of floaters in that eye, too. I remembered a warning an eye doctor had given me many years ago: 'If you suddenly see a lot of floaters, and especially if you're seeing a lot of flashing lights, get into an eye doctor right away. You may be experiencing a retinal tear.'

Somewhat alarmed, I called the night line for my ophthalmologist and fortunately, they were able to schedule me for the following morning. I went in, and the news was reassuring. This was something, the doctor explained, that happens to everyone as they age. The viscous goo inside the eye pulls away from the retina, causing floaters to appear. The examination was interesting: he put drops in my eye and then carefully applied pressure along my eye socket...and suddenly I could see a ghostly image of my own retina.

To my great relief, I didn't have any retinal tears. He wants me to come in for a re-check in another four weeks. The floaters, he told me, would be visible for a while, but eventually (if I'm fortunate) the brain will learn to simply ignore them and they won't be as noticeable.

Just another consequence of aging.

(I created the 'floaters' in the picture by reversing the images of snowflakes in a snowstorm to a negative image).

Image description: Two views of the head of a woman (Peg), looking in two different directions, looking puzzled in one and squinting in the other. Background: the retina of a human eye, overlaid with flashes of lightning. Overlaid over everything are floating black specks.

Flashes and Floaters



Click here to see the 2024 52 Card Project gallery.

Click here to see the 2023 52 Card Project gallery.

Click here to see the 2022 52 Card Project gallery.

Click here to see the 2021 52 Card Project gallery.

Comments

[pameladean]

I had something like that many years ago; they called it a peripheral vitreal detachment. But, yeah, it was treated as an emergency because it might have signalled something more serious. I'm glad your retinas are intact!

P.

[pegkerr]

Me, too!

[dreamshark]

Happened to me in 2009, and I reacted the same way you did - was convinced I was experiencing a detached retina and spent 6 hours sitting in the ER, only to be told that it was just the Vitreous Humor Separation that happens to literally everybody.

It might be nice if the eye doctors that one sees over and over again for 40 or 50 years would at least MENTION this to their patients before it occurs.

I hope the floaters you are seeing aren't quite as bad as your depiction. But in any case, they will mostly disappear over the next few months. Anyway, mine did, for the most part.

[minnehaha]

Mine happened in Viet Nam. High adventure.

K.

[ndrosen]

I’m glad that you don’t have any retinal tears. I’ve been spared floaters and serious eye problems, although my luck may eventually run out, since I’m fifty-nine, and I am seriously myopic.