Mum feared she wouldn’t see tot again when her sight became blurred and she suffered headaches
PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AFTER TRIP TO HOSPITAL
A NEW mum who started losing her sight after giving birth was terrified she might never see her baby again.
Lisa Narraway started to experience blurred vision and headaches, which she thought was down to sleep deprivation.
However, as time went on, she started to get concerned about completing day-to-day tasks, including looking after her four-month-old, Hollie, as her vision deteriorated.
The 38-year-old said: “When I started noticing my vision was getting worse, it was a terrible and surreal experience.
“Everything went dark in my right eye and I could only see strange shapes and shadows in my left eye.
“Reading any form of text was difficult and I was becoming really worried.
“I have a four-month-old baby who needed my care and attention and I wasn’t able to give it.
“I remember one time when I went to a appointment, I was in the car park with Hollie, and my husband was inside and I wasn’t able to pick my baby up to stop her crying which made me feel really bad and I just broke down.
“I went and got by eyes tested at the Specsavers in Uttoxeter, where I found it difficult to rest my chin on the testing station because I couldn’t see it and the optometrist, Sirjan Singh, carried out an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scan.
“The OCT detected optic neuritis, a swelling of the optic nerve and I was immediately referred to Royal Derby Hospital.”
Lisa , from Uttoxeter, stayed in the neurology ward for six nights and the hospital confirmed the diagnosis of optic neuritis, which was treated with steroids.
She said: “I also had a lumbar puncture, an MRI and the hospital sent my blood tests off to ensure there were no further problems.
“I still have some blurred vision and I’m continuing to take steroids, but I’m starting to see colour now, so my vision is improving every day.
“And thankfully I’m back home with my family and new baby now.”
Optic neuritis happens when the immune system attacks the fatty coating, called myelin, that protects the optic nerve. When the myelin is damaged, the optic nerve can’t send
I still have some blurred vision, but I’m starting to see colour now, so my vision is improving.
Lisa Narraway
the right signals to the brain and this can lead to changes in vision.
Optic neuritis can occur in both adults and children. It typically affects one eye in adults but both eyes in children under 10 years old.
The majority of people recover over a period of a few weeks. In chronic cases it can take far longer to recover but rarely more than one year.
In general, you’ll regain full, or nearly full, vision although problems with night vision or seeing colours washed out can persist.
Opticians say that regular eye examinations are important because:
Having your vision corrected can improve the quality of day-to-day life;
They will help detect certain eye conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, which could lead to sight loss
Poor vision could be a risk factor for falls.