Saw the optha and I don't know why I am amazed..

[sixpack]

I added a message on my "rain and pours" thread earlier about my eye.  Basically over the last month I've had a blob that was intermittingly dark to brownish in my eye.  It took up most of my vision.  It has gotten progressively worse in the last few days.  So 90% of my eye has a blob across it.  It makes things darker like shardowed --although I can see through it--and colors are less vibrant.  It has shot my vision to hell.  I mean I can't really see words well AT ALL.  If I close my left eye and look with my right lights are reduced by at least 1/2 in brightness.  Even words or text is about half the size of what I see in my left.   So that is what I'm seeing.  YEAH me!!

The girl who does the first intake tests was concerned.  I could plainly see that.  The doc comes in looking at my "results" and seemed conerned too.  Anyway he does the optha thing.  He tells me that he sees fluid behind my retina.  I was sent off to have an OCT which is a machine that takes pictures of the retina.  He comes back in and says,  "can I call them or WHAT?".  Yep I have fluid behind my retina.

It is called--- Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

be arsed scary word!   BUT what causes it is STRESS.  All of those stress hormones like cortisol that I've been pumping through my body because of all the crap going on in my house in last few weeks, are pooling at the back of my eye.  YES proof positive that stress and anxiety DO cause real physical stuff. 

Doc told me that 95% of the time once the stress is relieved, the vision will return to normal.  So my orders are to relax and make sure I keep exercising.  LOL.  which, now that much of the horribly stressful stuff going on about my mom is over, AND now that I know that all of the eye stuff is due to the stress,  I'll be able to relax over this stuff.  I have an appointment in a month for another round of retina picures.

So as I've said countless times here,  It doesn't surprise or amaze me what anxiety and/or stress can do to a body  AND yet this one really did amaze me.  I mean my vision is VERY compromised.  It isn't just a mind playing tricks on me sort of thing.  There is a physiological thing going on in my eye that is causing my vision issues.  Thing is what caused the physiological thing was STRESS and an over abundance of cortisol.

So moral folks:  anxiety/stress really REALLY does impact a body physically  I mean, DAMN,  I'm halfway blinded in one eye.   


so the next you have X happen to you,  just think about this thing with me.....   I had a major amount of stress going on, then my eye went BLEWY on me, which caused me more stress....  which kept the cortisol a flowing...........



remember that is why it can takes weeks/months for a body to go back to a more normal or non reactive state... just because you are not, in the moment, anxious doesn't mean your body is non reactive.

and remember I can pinpoint my stress that set my eye thing off.  Often, around here anyway, the stress that is the BIGGEST or most immediate villan, are disease fears and symptom fixaton that are endlessly chased around here.  THAT my friends is what is mucking with most.   

[greend]

Sixpack, this just shows what stress can do to the body.  It is so unbelievable.  Boy, this site and this story has really opened my eyes.

I am happy your eye thing isn't serious.  I guess, just rest and exercise and everything will get back to normal.  I'm sorry you've had to go through everything you've been through in the past while, but it sounds like things will start to settle down for you soon. 

[mollyfin]

Holy CRAP that's insane!  I hope it clears up quickly...I knew stress can cause physical symptoms but I never thought something that drastic could happen!

[SighNoMore]

Wow! Thank you for sharing and reminding us that stress jacks our body up something crazy :) Sorry it is happening though! Hoping it goes away quickly!

[sixpack]

interesting stuff our minds/bodies.

I called my dear friend who said I should have my eyes checked today because I know she was worried.  She could hardly believe it either. She was glad that I called with the update. She said "when you told me about your eye, I knew of some very scary things it could be."   I told her that I did also.

so soooo glad it wasn't. 

[tinam7]

Am surprised and not surprised. Stress is the pits. For brother and me I am sure it was a major contributor to strokes. He had repeats. So far I've been lucky: 2 years and no repeats.

But I also work very hard at keeping stress away. One key effort is twice daily meditation. Go to the bathroom, close the door, not to be disturbed in any way, and sit for 15 minutes am and pm. You can start slowly, maybe just 5 minutes, let's say, and increase gradually. Just sharing what has worked for me. And, in fact, that is where I am off to right now. In a way this is good news, SP, and you will be better in no time. Thanks for sharing.

[sixpack]

 I am glad meditation is helpful to you for reducing stress.  It seems to for a lot of folks.

 I find exercise and hobbies are the good thing for me.  Luckily stresses like what happened with my mom are few and far between.