Hi all, as if COVID wasn't bad enough (no swimming, no anything!), my retina detached 2 days after everything closed down here. I can't lift for 4 months, but per the surgeon, swimming is fine. (2 months post surgery). Of course, pools are closed here, but hopefully not for much longer. Has anyone had this surgery and if so, did your retina detach after you resumed swimming? I am terrified. I was lucky to catch is early and have a good surgeon, but suffered significant vision loss. Apparently, the retina can detach again.
Former Member
This sounds like such a nightmare, particularly for a child. Hope for quick recoveries with both swimmers being discussed.
Thank you, scy! Ironically, the only thing I could do at 3 months was swim, yet all pools are closed. Now, I'm still afraid with the virus. The last thing I ever want to do again is have surgery in the hospital while this virus is still around.
The hardest part of recovery was having to be face down (on stomach) all day with 10 min. breaks every hour for 8 days. All I could do was think, worry and sleep. Not easy for a Type A personality who worked out 2-3 hours a day. Fear of detachment is a constant.
Hey, I was scrolling around on here and saw retina detachment and I had to reply even though it's been a long time since this thread. I have had five retina detachments: one in my left eye that went well (gas bubble, no problems), BUT...my right eye detached a few years later and detached three more times within a year. Wouldn't take a gas bubble so she put in a silicone oil bubble, no buckle, and left it in there for THREE YEARS. Needless to say, I "retired" from masters for a few years, just too paranoid to put goggles on and run the risk of more surgery. The doc assured me I would be okay, but my other eye doc, the one I see all the time, made a face when I talked to her about goggles and everything and so I just stayed away. I took up racewalking which is no match for swimming, but it was something. Plus with the oil, I wasn't to be on my back for any length of time, it was crazy. LIGHT weight lifting, all that. Fast forward to 2020 and I had the oil removed but the cornea is so damaged I am legally blind in my right eye now. I got back in the pool though, and by winter 2022 I felt that familiar pain in my left shoulder (I had an MRI in 2010, showed a small slap tear). I went through PT three times and a PRP injection but here I am, recovering from shoulder surgery (I'm ten weeks out and doing great). Eyes intact, too, though I have glaucoma in the right eye now and am on drops. The vision is like looking through vaseline, but my left eye is solid. I also had two foot surgeries 2021 and 2022 and have nerve damage, can't walk for long periods of time. I'm a mess! But I'm back in the pool, if just floating on a noodle for now. Goal is to be at nationals next year but I will never dive off the blocks again and a backstroke start may be a push off the wall, but you know what? With masters, it's being there that counts, We all have stories and injuries and illnesses and I was touched by this string, had to respond even if it is years late. Cheers!
