Hi All
Not sure if you remember but have had probs with eyes recently, 2 appointments at optician followed by visit to specialist at local hospital. Nothing to report, specialist made me feel was wasting his time, waited for 1 hour and 15 mins to see him, then spent 5 mins with him and said nothing wrong and didn’t see why couldn’t wear lenses.
Anyway to cut long story short, went opticians this morning, had letter from specialist saying OK to wear lenses again so gone for daily disposals, but left eye still fairly dry and not producing moisture. On my way out the optician said, maybe I would like to consider having a look in the back of eyes, where I have drops put in to enlarge my pupils enabling them to see the back of eyes, as because have secondary spread, maybe have spread to eyes and could have a good look.
This has really and truly freaked me out for some reason, I asked him if thought I had something there, he said no, but as his job, feels he would not be doing properly if didn’t suggest it. I really don’t think I will have it done, as “Do I really want to know” and have to cope with more crap!!??
Just feel a bit crap right now and wondering Oh My God!!!
Sorry for rant
Dawn
xxx
Dawn - you must be in pieces - these things just keep coming don’t they. I’m sure there is nothing to worry about and he is probably right to advise you are checked thoroughly.
When I went to the GP recently she insisted in checking my eyes because Avastin has given me high blood pressure - as soon as she did this my head was whirring but as soon as she said everything looked fine I was able to get on with things.
Take Care Geraldine
Hi Dawn
I guess this is going to happen to us all in one way or another. What would be an innocent sore eye has us worried that its secondaries or a bad back etc etc. It doesnt help when health professional, who mean very well, jump on the “could it be cancer” bandwagon. Went through exactly the same with my son who had cancer as a baby. I got so fed up taking him to the GP with what I was sure was a common or garden cold only to be rushed off for blood tests and scans “just to rule out…”. I have spent so many nights in paediatric wards up and down the country only to be told its ok and have a few more years knocked off me in stress. I am sure if your specialist had the tiniest suspicion that you had secondaries in your eyes he would have investigated it.
Hi Dawn
I am so sorry you have been out through this. I suppose in one way it is good the Optician is doing his job well, but on the other it just adds to the stress you are already under, and is there more Crap to come. I would of thought the Specialist at Hosp would of looked for any signs of C - he should of known about your history. No-one can advise what you do - it is up to you -but you will be supported in the decision that you make.
This bloody BC has changed all our lives for ever - nothing will ever be the same again! As Cathy says they will always give us the full treatment - gone are the days when we just have a cold!!!
Thinking of you, please take care, love
Anne x
Dear Dawn
can understand why you’re freaking out. I’m putting off having my eyes tested because I hate the thought of something being found… My mum and grandad had glaucoma so I always get a very thorough test. I want some new glasses cause mine are a bit old fashioned…but keep delaying the appointment.
I think if you’ve seen a hospital specialist they would have checked the back of your eyes…could you ask?
B***y c*** all of this. Thinking of you.
best wishes
Jane
Hi Dawn
I totally understand why this freaked you out- I really do.
You know what - I agree with you…dont do it. because the optician is not a cancer specialist and he would be looking for something that you havent complained about, I don’t think he is doing his job by asking you this - it would be different if you came in about flashing lights or vision disturbances, but you haven’t. You have been seen by a specialist and they couldn’t see anything strange or wrong…so I agree stick with that. Is till have dry eyes following chemo myself- its a bit better than it was but still get very gritty in a way they didnt before.
take care
love
Cathy
Hi Dawn,
well I suppose we will all have a different ‘take’ on this! You haven’t really asked for opinions so I am just going to speak for myself 
My optician always has a very thorough look at the back of the eyes - they are certainly trained to spot anything there that is not normal. I know that for me the worry would not go away if I said no. Because the doubt has been raised there would always be uncertainty - so I tend to go for the ‘clean bill of health please’ approach. If you are going to have doubts then why not speak to your oncologist and ask what they think about the optician doing the check.
It is rotten for you to have this worry - really feel for you xxxxxxxx
Dawn
Hi Dawn
I had a secondary spread to my eyes in December (and other places too). I had flashing lights - much like a migraine with no headache for several months before, the thing that sent me to the eye hospital was severe dizziness and a ‘blob’ appeared in my field of vision. Anyway, the worst was that yes it was a spread of cancer to the eyes, the tumours were not easily visible - and it is doubtful that an ‘ordinary’ optician would have the expertise or equipment to detect such things. The particular registrar I spoke to said that these were the third only tumours he had ever seen!!! Even my oncologist only sees about 9 cases a year.
Actually horrendous though it sounds, spread to the eye is usually succesfully treated with rads alone, I had this in January and will be seeing the Oncologists eye man shortly to determine the success of treatment.
Clearly we all hope that this will not be your experience but I just wanted to let you know that you need to speak to a specialist not an ordinary optician and/or your Oncologist.
Hope this helps
Jan xx
Hi Dawn
Eye tests freak me out as well. For some reason I can’t do the test where they puff air straight into your eye even when they put drops in. I was then told that the pressures were up a little and referred to an opthamologist who still couldn’t perform the test. I was supposed to go back for a follow up but with everything else I haven’t done it, it’s a bit the same with the dentist. I think there is only so much etc !! Hope all goes well
Best Wishes Kathryn
Oh Dawn
Had really hoped this “one” had been sorted for you after the visit to the specialist. As you know, I’ve also had problems with my eyes being dry (like Cathy as well) and my optician had said it was because of the chemo. He recommended 6 months without wearing contacts. Am pretty certain that you are having the same problem and that it won’t be spread to the eyes. Also am sure the specialist would have done more thorough testing etc if he thought this was even remotely possible. And what Jan has described is very different to what you are experiencing. So lots of indications that all is absolutely fine.
Whether you do have it checked out or not does definitely have to be your decision though. If you prefer not to, then just let it be. But if you can’t let it be and it is going to keep on worrying you, then it’d be better to get it checked out. And sooner rather than later - you don’t need the stress/worry.
Take care - hope you are out somewhere enjoying this sunshine with your muppets!
Lots of love (and hugs)
Kay xx
My eyes are red sore and my vision is blurred I have two ulcers on the white part of each one and have aeye appointment on 19-6
i
I am totally freaked at the thought of it in my eyes and cant get it out of my head its just one thing after another I was told by the optician it could be Tamoxifen caused but I ma not so sure I am now stressed beyond belief also waiting for the results of an MRI so really P****** OFF AT THE MO !!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG
maz
I just want to add my comments and say that if anyone does have spread to the eyes it is easily treated and is not a death sentence. My aunt had this and she had radiotherapy for it. Her eye is clear again now and there are no traces of cancer there at all. This was last year and she is fine. She’s 86 and said the treatment was a doddle! I don’t have secondaries but do have skin mets and know that finding anything out of the ordinary is terrifying. If I get a bad back I spend days worrying about it. We’ll always have this now after our diagnosis and I hate it so I know how you feel.
love
Sue
I freaked out when my routine eye test showed an anomilly with the pressure test. I hate that test and had to have it 3 times in each eye. Was then referred to hosp but after weeks of waiting and worrying,I went to my GP. She was furious as I was in bits. Not only had the optician forgotten to make the referral, the way he told me about the poss problem was very frightening.
My GP got the ball rolling and got me squeezed in for the hosp test as had already been waiting weeks. Had the eye drop test and back of eye looked at.
Eye pressure thing still not quite normal but they think it is just the way I’m made, and hadn’t shown up before because the new tests are more sensitive.
The eye specialist gave me the all clear, and said eye cancer is very rare, and even more so as secondary BC. Still I had weeks of worry. I hope you get to the bottom of your prob soon.
Irene
Hi Dawn
Tried to send you an email privately but got rejected.
I have been reading your posts you really are going through it at the moment. I don’t know if you were aware that when we met I had a very runny eye, my onc didn’t seem to know why I had it so I went to my doc he sent me to a specialist he looked carefully into my eyes put some drops in gave them a very good check and deduced that my tear ducts were probably blocked. Had them cleaned there and then didn’t do a lot of good but I am going to have a operation to sort it out I hope.
I really hope everything sorts itself out and you have been enjoying this lovely weather.
My hubby and I just went to the Cotswolds for the weekend had a lovely relaxing time, although I am now suffering with my feet as very sore.
Sending you a big hug
Love Beli