Diary: a brief history of scotoma

I visited the optician yesterday, an annual check-up as my father had Low-Tension Glaucoma.

What a scotoma can look like

Being organised, I prepared a detailed record of those weird scotoma events I've been experiencing this last year,. I suppose I secretly believed, despite Internet/Google reassurance, that something else might be implicated.

The optician read the note below with care.

Vision scotoma record of occurrences

1. 5th November 2016.
After weights exercise, visual illusion to the right of central visual field (both eyes separately). A flickering jagged arc. This is consistent with a scotoma. Same phenomenon with either eye closed. After half an hour it began to move out and enlarge while retreating further into peripheral vision. After an hour it disappeared.
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2. 19th January 2017.
This phenomenon reappeared 19th January 2017, again (some time) after exercise, at 6.10 pm. Visible duration 20 minutes. Started at the centre of the visual field, a flashing-lightning V-shape with vertex at 8 o’clock. Gradually got larger until it vanished past the boundary of the visual field.
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3. March 8th 2017
Same symptoms as before: jagged V-shape fading in five to ten minutes.
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4. March 26th 2017
Five hours after exercise, proximately after ice cream (!)
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5. Saturday July 29th 2017, 8.40 pm
While reading on the Kindle app felt a bit weird in the head and noticed an opaque, light grey cloud in the centre of the right visual field. I could see text clearly above and below (more above). The shape was like a large horizontal island from a great height; wider than tall with rough edges. The effect lasted about five minutes then vanished. I abandoned reading and went for a shower.
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6. Tuesday 22nd August 2017 8 pm
Visual field cloud (right eye) - repetition of July - exactly the same symptoms. Grey/brown rectangular/angular/jagged-edged opaque patch screening the visual field in the right eye. Centre of the visual field, could see above and below it. Around 8 pm while watching Game of Thrones. Felt like scotoma but lasted only a couple of minutes. Had done fairly intensive exercise the day before.

He then proceeded to confirm that it was indeed scotoma, entirely consistent with my advancing age and generally low blood pressure, and that a darkened room was the best way to recover.

During the rest of the examination, as a bonus, I got treated as an intelligent patient - almost a peer, I felt.

Cataracts - bah!

Busy day today. Started with the opticians for an eye test: they were very thorough. It appears that my eyes have degraded yet again - new specs! - and that I have early-onset cataracts. The effect, apparently is to make the lenses of both eyes rather misty rather than clear and transparent. Here are the typical symptoms.

• you may find it more difficult to see in dim or very bright light
• the glare from bright lights may be dazzling or uncomfortable to look at
• colours may look faded or less clear
• everything may have a yellow or brown tinge
• you may have double vision
• you may see a halo (a circle of light) around bright lights, such as car headlights or street lights
• if you wear glasses, you may find that they become less effective over time

I'm told to expect the operations (both eyes) in 3-5 years (just like my parents). Genes, huh.

After that excitement I joined Clare, very delayed, to hoover the church. I do this in a spirit of solidarity with my idiosyncratically-observant wife and for the exercise. I currently lose the hoover detritus but am open to offers from any spies who wish a DNA bomb to deliberately false-trail scene-of-incident genetic evidence.

Then I hit the gym to put it all behind me!

A recent post bemoaned my indecision as to how to use my spare time .. and Adrian's now-vacated bedroom as a study. I have decided to write some AI programs in JavaScript (calm yourselves - it's become a proper language these days!) which I can use to cheer up this very blog. Don't hold your collective breaths!