I’ve been getting my eyes checked for the past several years (type 1 for 24 years). Two years ago I was told I was starting to develop “senile cataracts” - great to hear when you are 30 years old!
I switched ophthalmologists because I used to love my guy but he was bought out by that place that rhymes with Believeland Cynic, and the overall experience went downhill. Went to a new one yesterday and was told that there is no evidence of retinopathy (“diabetes in my eyes,” as he said) or cataracts.
I can’t find anything out about this… is that possible?? Do I trust my new MD? (He seemed like he was just chugging through his job… trouble with the computer, probably ready to retire!)
It could be that two physicians are looking at the same thing and coming to different conclusions. One docs, starting to develop senile cataracts and another’s you look normal for a 30 year old’s eyes could be the same thing. I don’t know enough to understand what senile cataracts look like in a 30 year old.
Right, me either. I’ve never had any vision problems so am just doing the diabetes thing. I want to trust them but I work in a field in which I have seen physicians make silly mistakes, which is a big deal!
When I turned 18, I had to switch from a pediatric ophthalmologist to an ophthalmologist for adults. I stayed in the same office, but just switched doctors. My pediatric ophthalmologist was absolutely wonderful!! The new guy seemed fine. A few years later, he told me that he saw signs of an eye condition unrelated to diabetes. I don’t remember off the top of my head what it was, but it was something that older people tend to get. He said that there was nothing I could do about it, but that it would slowly get worse.
Horrified, I found the best specialist on that condition in my area and made an appointment. The specialist said, point blank, that I did not have that condition. It has now been 7 years since that time, and I’ve seen several different ophthalmologists since then, and none of them have said I have that condition.
Sometimes doctors make mistakes or might make a diagnosis that they’re not really qualified to make.
If I were you, I’d find a highly regarded specialist in your area and get confirmation that you don’t have cataracts. If it turns out you do, it’d probably be good to be seeing a doctor that knows his stuff anyway.
Thanks for the tip. I’ll see what kind of bill I get from this place before I figure out what to do lol… unfortunately I really liked and trusted the guy I saw before, but from a personal point really want nothing to do with the facility itself. May be worth paying the extra money and dealing with the extra headaches for it.
With cataracts, you know if it is something that needs attention. And if it’s not bad enough for surgery, well there’s nothing else to be done about it.
I had cataract surgery a few years ago because I was having obvious vision problems. It’s something you will definitely notice, especially if you’re attuned to it.
Good for you on being clear of retinopathy after 30 years!
I’m not a doctor, but cataracts are a clouding of the lens of the eye, and I don’t think that clouding can just spontaneously get better. So I would agree with others to get a second opinion on whether you actually have them or just a misdiagnosis.
I was diagnosed with cataracts when I was 18 or so and, although they are noted as severe in my records, surgery has all sorts of additional risks for me and has never seriously been brought up yet. My cataracts are a complication of the retinal condition I’ve had since birth, not caused by diabetes. Every time he lets a medical student look in my eyes, my ophthalmologist comments about how “unique” the cataracts are in appearance. Since my vision was already severely impaired to begin with, the cataracts don’t seem to have any major impact on my daily functioning, although I do notice some visual effects, particularly glare. I think I will probably need surgery at some point, but since mine have been progressing so slowly, hopefully it won’t be for a while.
Thank you for your thoughts! That could be why I couldn’t find anything about cataracts getting better. I think it was very minimal at diagnosis, so not sure if this guy just didn’t see them or what. I appreciate your story - also hoping you won’t need any surgery for awhile!
I don’t know, but this guy was around 60, I’d bet, and likely had no clue that I understand medical terms. Just like lots of people who have diabetes… argh. I had to put on my paperwork my career, so if he’d seen that he’d have known that I have a doctorate, too…
I had a optometrist tell me I had diabetic retinopathy like 2 months after I was diagnosed… so I booked an appointment with a specialist who said that’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard… except for every other thing he’d ever heard from that optometrist. I won’t go to optometrist for a medical exam again imo their whole trade is skewed to make medical diagnosis where there isn’t one so that they can bill medical insurance which pays a hell of a lot more than a refraction fee that they’re actually qualified to earn
The whole “diabetes in your eyes” thing is bizarre. When my daughter was little… like 4-7 years old I used to jokingly tell her junk food has diabetes in it… is that the level an eye doctor really assumes I function at?
Yikes. I’m really hopeful there are a only few bad apples out there, but I know better. Also, optometrists are not really qualified to be making medical diagnoses, I believe. That’s the opthalmologist’s job.
Well technically they are qualified to and that is the only way that they can bill medical insurance if they bill a medical diagnostic code is my understanding I don’t necessarily think it means that they are even doing it on purpose it was just a dysfunctional industry but yeah optometrist make medical diagnosis all the time and that is how they are able to bill medical insurance… In my opinion it is a grossly poorly designed arrangement…they are not doctors and shouldn’t be making diagnosis… The same moron wrote in my chart that I have diabetes insipiditis. He couldn’t even get the underlying disease right let alone the complications
lol… unfortunately I really liked and trusted the guy I saw before, but from a personal point really want nothing to do with the facility itself. May be worth paying the extra money and dealing with the extra headaches for it.