BS: Floaters, whew!

Subject: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: Fossil
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 03:42 AM

Some several years ago I had a great big floater in my left eye which lead, via the kind ministrations of a friend who dragged me into her car and took me to the (then) local Brussels teaching hospital, where I was first assessed, then lasered and then (very unpleasantly) cryosugeried, until the flotaer went away and my partially detached retina was firmly reattached,

Before Christmas, I had a moderate floater in my right eye, so I took it to our local opthalmologist, who sent me immediately down to the Wellington Eye Unit, where a partial retinal separation was reattached, and subesquently pronouned good.

Tonight, yet another floater, as I read through the endless interesting threads on the Mudcat. Bugger, I thought, visualising the endless forms of abuse and discomfort attending yet another retinal separation.

And then the ant walked off the bottom of the screen.....

Whew!

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: Morticia
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 03:49 AM

I was desperately cleaning and recleaning my windscreen this morning and eventually thought, damn, it must be scratched.

It isn't....my specs are.

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 04:10 AM

I'm really pleased the 'ant' has left the building, Fossil.

I hope you continue to improve and this is the last retinal problem you have to endure.

I remember my younger cousin having to have retinal detachments repaired, in both eyes, when she was still only a teenager. She's been fine ever since, and that was over 25 years back.

Get well. :0)

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 05:31 AM

The thread title conjured up a completely different subject matter.
On this occasion I was pleasantly surprised!

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: Michael
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 05:47 AM

Nigel - my reaction too! Used to know a bloke who worked in a "processing station" who called them 'Shredded Wheat 'uns'. His job(pun not intended) was to break them up with a long stick!!!

Mike

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: catspaw49
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 05:47 AM

Thought this was about having problems flushing the head perhaps............I mean it wouldn't be the first time we've discussed it and also whether or not "floaters" were a good indicator of fiber in your diet.


Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 06:46 AM

I have floaters in both eyes - wot fun! little clouds drifting across things, sometimes very obvious, other times I even forget I have 'em.

Mine never injured my retinas, tho I had an interesting time in the Eye Hospital after the second happened. I had seen an amazing optical illusion of wiggly shapes rushing off from my eye into the distance! Obviously I was seeing the veins & little floaty bits on the retina, but it caused the triage nurse to ask if I had taken drugs!, tho the Opthalmologist had known similar cases.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: kendall
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 10:00 AM

In NYC a floater is a dead body that has risen to the surface and is bloated with gases.

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: SINSULL
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 11:01 AM

Bet me to it, Kendall. Floaters are regular "finds" on Jamaica Bay.

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: Trevor
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 11:29 AM

My partner came out of the supermarket, went to drive away and stopped absolutely rigid - she told me her vision was going and she was sure she was having a stroke.

One of the lenses had fallen out of her specs........!

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: Rapparee
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 12:27 PM

I thought this was about bodies found in a harbor.

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: Charmion
Date: 20 Jan 09 - 01:06 PM

I am another survivor of retinal separation, but in my case it wasn't floaters but a grey shadow that I first took for a pillow feather caught in my eyelashes. My other eye is crossed and consequently already functionally blind, so it was a major emergency. The laser surgery was really quite nasty.

Four years later, I still have lots of clutter in my vision, and occasionally get scared by phenomena like the ant on Fossil's computer screen. Most recently it was a fruit fly on my spectacles ... Now, that was embarrassing.

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: Gurney
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 02:37 AM

Charmion, have you ever listened to Derek Brimstone?

.."The whipped him into hospital and operated on him for a hole in his heart.   It was a polo mint in his shirt pocket!"..

Polo mint. Sweet shaped like a lifesaver.

Sorry. Just reminded me.

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 12:22 PM

"The thread title conjured up a completely different subject matter."

To some, it may conjure up images of corpses and turds. To a son of Lincolnshire, it conjures up slices of 'Old' (i.e. large) potato, coated in batter and deep-fried. Yum-Yum (especially with HP sauce).

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 12:53 PM

Thanks for that information, Backwoodsman, in case I'm ever in a Lincolnshire chippy. That could have avoid a nasty misunderstanding...

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: SINSULL
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 01:02 PM

"in a Lincolnshire chippie" conjures up a few misunderstandings too.

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: Gurney
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 12:38 AM

'He stands on the corner with a fag in his mouth...'

Lots of them about, eh, SINSULL?

Subject: RE: BS: Floaters, whew!
From: GUEST,Allan S.
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 06:49 PM

Hi there mudcat.. One of the reasons that an M.D. would want to know if your stools [BM's] float is that you may not be properly digesting the fat in your diet. Fat rises in water.