Since I am diabetic, I see an ophthalmologist every year. Several years ago, my ophthalmologist referred me to a retina specialist. I kept skipping the referral until last week, and fortunately everything seemed fairly normal. The specialist did want me back for a fluorescein angiography and the appointment was this morning. Basically, the test uses a dye and camera to examine the blood flow in your retina.
This was the camera that was used. First the technician dilated my eyes with eyedrops, then took a lot of photos using the above camera. The red LED was what I was supposed to look at, and he moved it around to orient my eyes properly. Next, the doctor came in to inject some dye into a vein, and then the technician took a bunch more photos. There was a flash on the camera to illuminate the back of your eyeball, but since I was dilated, it was super bright and I was mostly blinded after the first few photos.
After the technician was done, he then edited some of the images on a computer for the doctor to review. They brought me to another room where I met the doctor, and he said the effects of diabetes on my retina was mild. There was no need for any treatment right now, but I will need to follow-up every six months.
I do not know what drops they used to dilate my eyes, but my vision was blurry until a few hours ago. I think I also had some minor reaction to the dye, so I texted work and took the day off.
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There was some dye residue at the injection site, and I could tell the dye was yellow or orange. Since this morning, my urine has been florescent yellow. I guess that means my sister’s kidney is filtering the dye out of my bloodstream. The doctor assured me that the dye would not interact with any of my medications and would not impact my kidneys, but I am still a bit stressed seeing bright yellow pee for the entire day.
Life with chronic diseases 