"I am blind in my right eye, I have never been helpless, I am afraid that I will not be able to see the sun when I wake up the next day, I can't watch my children grow up, I can't watch my parents grow old, I just hope for a miracle ......"
"At the age of 27, I lost sight in one eye, and I knew that no matter how confused I was, I couldn't stop, so I immediately went to the next city to give it a try, and I wish us good luck. ”
Recently, Ms. Fan, a mother in Guiyang, and her husband, Mr. He, posted a message on the Internet asking for help, she suddenly lost sight in her right eye overnight, and fell into unprecedented fear, worrying that her left eye would also lose light. Mr. Ho accompanied her to seek medical treatment everywhere, and was finally diagnosed with a central retinal artery blockage, but unfortunately the best time to save her life was missed. In order to find similar cases and treatment options, the two posted the situation online, hoping to get more people's help and attention with the help of online platforms. Currently, Ms. Fan is still actively seeking treatment.
I can't see in my right eye, and I don't take it seriously
The best time to see a doctor has been missed
On the morning of April 18, Mr. He described Ms. Fan's condition and the couple's arduous journey to seek medical treatment to the Yangtze Evening News/Ziniu News reporter in detail.
According to Mr. Ho's recollection, Ms. Fan's body did not have any abnormalities before the onset of the disease. In the early morning of April 7, when Ms. Fan woke up, she found that she had suddenly lost vision in her right eye. Mr. Ho originally wanted to take her to the hospital immediately, but Ms. Fan wanted to take a break to see how she was doing. However, after a period of rest, the situation did not improve. So, Mr. He hurriedly took Ms. Fan to a second-class hospital, but the doctor advised them to go to a third-class hospital for an in-depth examination as soon as possible.
Ms. Fan is doing a check-up
The couple then went to a number of tertiary hospitals and received the same diagnosis - Ms. Fan suffered from central retinal artery occlusion. Doctors pointed out that there was an emergency time at the onset of the disease, some said it was within 90 minutes, some said it was within 6 hours, or 12 hours, but unfortunately, Ms. Fan missed these critical moments. Doctors advised them to seek further treatment at major hospitals in major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.
Considering the possible risks of the long-distance journey, Ms. Fan first received emergency treatment in Guiyang, and although the blocked arteries were unblocked, the cells in the retina had died, and after the rescue, her right eye still could not recover vision. The doctor told them that this conservative treatment would try to prevent the condition of the right eye from affecting the left eye.
Ms. Fan undergoes treatment
However, Mr. Ho and Ms. Fan did not give up hope. They spent 2 days undergoing a full-body examination, and the results showed no abnormalities in other parts of the body. Western doctors told them that their vision could not be restored, so they pinned their hopes on Chinese medicine. After the diagnosis and treatment of many traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, traditional Chinese medicine has given hope that vision may be restored a little bit. As a result, Ms. Fan began to receive TCM physiotherapy, and although her right eye gradually developed a slight sense of light, she still could not see.
The husband and wife jointly posted an online request for help
Hope is still being sought
Mr. He said in a heavy tone: "This kind of thing is unacceptable to anyone for a while. In order to find a cure, Mr. He and Ms. Fan began to post online requests for help at the beginning of their medical treatment. They hope that through the power of the Internet, they will be able to find more information and treatment options for the disease.
Under the video posted by Mr. He, thousands of enthusiastic netizens left messages, sharing similar experiences of people around them, and some people privately messaged them to recommend hospitals. However, from the initial post asking for help to the final diagnosis, they only found a netizen who was in the same situation as Ms. Fan. This netizen said that he became ill half a year ago and sought medical treatment everywhere, but the results were the same, and he had no choice but to give up in the end.
Mr. Ho is a hairdresser and is usually busy, but since his wife lost sight in her right eye, he resolutely put down his work and wholeheartedly accompanied Ms. Fan to seek medical treatment. While their three-year-old daughter can only be picked up and dropped off by her grandparents when she goes to kindergarten, Mr. He and Ms. Fan embark on a long journey to seek medical treatment.
Ms. Fan was accompanied by her husband for treatment
Netizens recommended well-known hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Wenzhou and other places, and he called them one by one for consultation, and called nearly 10 hospitals in total. He even sent his wife's examination results to a friend in Guangdong, asking him to help him go to a well-known hospital for consultation. He also took Ms. Fan to Guangxi, Yunnan, Chongqing and other cities for examinations, but unfortunately, they still failed to find an effective treatment.
Ms. Fan is feeling if there is light in her right eye
Faced with the high cost of treatment, Ms. Fan wanted to give up at one point, but Mr. Ho firmly told her: "As long as there is a glimmer of hope, we cannot give up." So, they gritted their teeth and persevered, and they had already spent more than 100,000 yuan, some of which were borrowed. On April 17, they contacted an old Chinese medicine doctor in Shandong Province and planned to go for a check-up with the patient, hoping to find a glimmer of life.
Doctors warn that the disease is getting younger
The sooner it is treated, the better the results
Liu Wei, deputy director and chief physician of the Department of Ophthalmology of the First People's Hospital of Suqian City, told reporters that Ms. Fan's central retinal artery blockage is an ophthalmic emergency, which may lead to sudden loss of vision once it occurs. The main causes include arterial spasm, embolism, endarteritis, or atherosclerosis. If the blockage occurs for too long and is not relieved in time, it can lead to permanent visual impairment.
According to Dr. Liu Wei, the common high-risk groups include perennial smokers and drinkers, patients with high blood pressure, heart disease, and eye diseases. It is more common in older people, with an average age of more than 60 years. There are more males than females, and there is no significant difference between the left and right eyes. The incidence of both eyes is about 1%~2%. However, it is worth noting that with the increase of bad living habits and eye habits of modern young people, retinal artery occlusion is gradually showing a younger trend.
Liu Wei, deputy director and chief physician of the Department of Ophthalmology of the First People's Hospital of Suqian City
Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of retinal artery occlusion, we can start from the following aspects: adjust the dietary structure: it is advisable to eat more light foods such as vegetable oil, vegetables, fruits, etc., and avoid consuming excessive fat and greasy and thick foods to prevent potential diseases such as hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, and arteriosclerosis; Tai Chi and other exercises can help to promote blood circulation and prevent blood flow stagnation and cause vascular blockage; maintain optimism: avoid emotional agitation and mental trauma, prevent sudden spasm of blood vessels, and cause central retinal artery blockage; Middle-aged and elderly people should be vigilant for transient amaurosis: when there is sudden visual defect or vision loss, or even only light perception, pupil dilation and other symptoms, you should seek medical attention immediately. The earlier the treatment, the better the results.
Yangtze Evening News/Purple Cow News reporter Wang Saisai
Editor: Xiang Yanhong