Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic First shot

Normally, I'd just say prayers, but I know that not all of you are Christians and I don't want to exclude anyone.


For those of you that have been around since Feb 2001, you will remeber that I temporarily lost my eyesight to something called optic neuritis. It was not MS realted last time and I am pretty sure it's not this time.

Only it's going much faster this time.

Last time, I got eye pain in January and didn't develop blockage of my vison until Feb 25. This time I got the eye pain on Jan 4th. They tested my eyes and everything came back negative(other than I am extremely near sighted.).
This last Sunday, the 11th I woke up and I didn't have any blockages per se, but I noticed a dimmness of the vision in my right eye. By the evening I was already noticing the constant shifting patterns that has started to overlay everything. In 2001 this didn't happen until the first week in March. At this rate, I should not be able to see at all in my right eye by the end of the week.

If the pattern continues, I should start loosing my vision in my left eye by the end of the following week.

On top of all this, about 3 days prior to Jan 4th, I was starting to feel cold all over and was expecting to to come down sick with the flu. instead I started to get the eye pain.

Two days later, I had some difficulty with constantly needing to urniate. It got progressviely worse and it was interfering with my sleep to the point that I have not been getting more than 2.5 to 3 hours of sleep. this is causeing me to have the shakes and to be rather irratable at ti9mes.

I found out on thursday thatr i have Prostatitis. its very painful, to say the least.

so i am dealing with both conditions at the same time.

I could use all the prayer support I can get.

So could Elisabeht and the girls.

Oh James, you'll be in my prayers, as will Elisabeth and the girls. I hope and pray all will be well soon. Take care.

Oh, I'm so sorry James. When it rains, it pours. You and your family will definitely be in my prayers.

God bless,
JD

James - all of you are in my prayers...

Carol

James, you and your family will be in my prayers.

So sorry to hear that, James I wish you the very best!

Michael

I am so sorry to hear about your health woes, James. You and your family will be in my prayers.

I am so sorry to hear that. Losing your eyesight must be scary, to say the least. (I hope you can still read it - or get Elisabeth to read it to you...) Of course, you're in my thoughts and prayers, too. *hugs (chastely)*

ahhh, I'm so sorry to hear this, James!

/sends good thoughts and positive vibes.

Yes, Lara. So far his vision loss is only in one eye. The vision lost is a gradual dimness with ghost images that dance all over the place. Since the pain is in both eyes, it's possible that the vision loss will be in both eyes this time, as well.

For those who don't know, optic neuritis is almost always associated with multiple scleurosis. James has been tested for it twice and he doesn't have it. (If for no other reason than he would have more than the one disorder in seven years time.) They know that it is caused by inflammation around the optic nerves, but the cause of the inflammation wasn't definitively found last time.

Anyway, thanks for your prayers. God has been faithful and we really are at peace, even if we are so loopy that we're tired.


Elisabeth

I'm so sorry to hear this. You and your family will be in my prayers.

Take care and, I hope it's not too cliché to say, try to have a positive attitude.

Bob

I am so sorry to hear this, James. As someone who lives with MS on a daily basis, I'm glad to hear that you don't have that.

And, as you know, I've also been dealing with eye issues (2 major and 1 minor surgery on my right eye and 1 minor surgery on my left eye in the last 8 months) so I definitely am symphathetic.

You and Elizabeth and your family are in my prayers.

Nancy

I'm sorry to hear that, James. I'll be thinking of you and sending good thoughts your way.

Ann

I will definitely keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

I again have Optic Neuritis. Since last Monday, my field of vision in my right eye has dropped from 98% to <25%. The color saturation has dropped from 94% to 15%. I expect that by Thursday that I will stop seeing out of that eye entirely.

I have an appointment with a Neurologist, the same one that I had the last time. It is tomorrow at 9:30am. It is in Big Barnes, so we well have to leave at around 8am.

Until the infected prostate is taken care of, they cannot give me the treatment for the Optic Neuritis because the two would interfere with each other, to my determent.

As long as my left eye remains clear, I should be ok, except for driving.

I am sure that things will get better, it will just take a long time.

Please be in prayer for Elisabeth and the girls, as well as myself.

James, who is glad you your support.

James and Elisabeth, you both are in my thoughts. Hugs to the two of you and your daughters.

Mona

I'll be thinking about you and your family and wishing you all the best. Hugs to all during this difficult time.

From James who is too lazy to unlog Elisabeth and log myself in.
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Sorry, I've been in the hospital since last Wed. the 14th. As soon as the Neurologist talked to me he said that I should be hospitalized.

They ran all kinds of tests (x-ray(just because), MRI (I hate those) and Lumbar puncture, which is the new way of saying spinal tap. They have a new way of doing it so you only have to be flat on you back for 1.5 hours. I laid there for 2, just in case.)

I was poked and prodded about every hour or so.

Yesterday(friday), by told me that I would need to be hospitalized for at least another 4 days. And that they had a tenetive diagnoses neuromyelitis optic (NMO)
Here is the linke http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/neuromyelitis_optica/neuromyelitis_optica.htm

They won't have a firm diagnosis until Monday or Tuesday next week. But they are pretty sure.

The prostate issue isn't really involving the prostrate directly. the NMO is causeing the problem.
It not only affects the eyes, but anything attched to the spinal cord. This time it nailed my bladder shut. So they have be doing a straight Cath to my bladder to relieve the pressure. It isn't fun let me tell you!

Anyway, around noon they sent up physical therapy nures to put me through the paces and had an outpaitent PT nurse put me through the paces. 30 minutes later a nurse came into instruct me on how to do my own straight Cath when I was at home. They were going to let me go home! I missed my family, but I didn't think I was able to go home yet. Oh, I also have to give myself my own infusion of the steroid for the treatment. I am having a home nurse come in to show me how to do it. They were even new enough to give me a new IV port before I leave.

I found out that this was Insurance related. GRR!

Anyway, I had my first steroid treatment and the results were greaat. Instead of only being ro read the first line on the eye chart and part of the second line. I could read the top three lines (mostly). The mild pain in my chest went away. So definite an improvement.

As you may have guessed, I am at home. I've cathed 2 times but I am not as good as a nurse but I do get some relieve.

Please pray that I can urninate on my own soon, I'd rather be half blind and can urniate then not urinate!

I guess I should be happy that it got locked in the OFF oppsition, huh?

That is all for now.

James

James and Elisabeth -

You continue to be in our prayers. Am sorry about the insurance issues . Glad to hear about the improvement. Please keep us posted.

Carol

I'm sorry to hear you still have problems, but I'm glad to hear you are better, James. I hope the bladder problem gets better soon.

Ann