Hoofbeat Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I was just wondering if anyone here suffered quadrantanopia/hemiopia as a result of their stroke/SAH and has since regained part/all of their visual field as their recovery progressed? I suffered an intracerebral brain hemorrhage in my left occipital lobe on 14th Nov 2013 which has left me wth right inferior homonoymous quadrantanopia. When the bleed initially occurred I felt I was suffering with hemiopia, but within a few hours this seemed to improve to quadrantanopia. I didn't have any surgery/treatment (cause is still unknown though they suspect it was a cavernous angioma). I saw an opthamologist a few weeks after the bleed and she confirmed I have quadrantanopia (she also suggested that if it doesn't improve my chances of driving again are very slim). She advised me that in some cases the nerves in the brain repair and people regain their lost vision; in other cases, no improvement is seen. It's been 7.5weeks now since my bleed and I don't think my visial field has made any substantial improvements - some days I feel more aware of my visual field loss, then other days I almost feel like it is ever so slightly better (but I don't know if its just I'm more used to it). I don't have any other long term effects from the bleed - I'm still suffering headaches and fatigue, but I can feel that these are slowly improving and I've been assured that, in my case, it should't be long lasting. I'd love to hear of other's experiences - did you regain any of your lost visual field as your recovery progresse? Has anyone on here with right inferior homonoymous quadrantanopia managed to keep their driving licence (or get it back)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Mario Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I haven't had this but I do know that nerves can take a very long time to heal. If there is to be any improvement it could take months or even years. In other words, it will take as long as the nerves take to heal, if they ever do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoofbeat Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 Penny Thanks, that's basically what my opthalmologist said! I was told that most of the nerve recovery usually happens within the first 3 months, but that some recovery still occurs within the first 12 months and she has known people to make sudden improvements several years down the line. I would still like to hear of people's own experiences with visual field recovery (whether positive or not). At the moment my visual field loss is the thing that is most affecting me, as being unable to drive would significanty impact on my career and may well necessitate us moving house in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Hi I was told that my damaged nerves in my eye would take along time....the Consultant described it to me to think of a new hair growing. He said it would take months and then it has to reconnect. Mine did take up to 2 years, but it did mend Don't know if that helps at all xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 As a witness to my mom's loss of vision through damage to her optic nerve during her craniotomy, December 2012, for her menigioma tumor in her brain stem, I was saddened to find out that there would be little hope of recovery. If the visual field did not spontaneously recover within the first days after surgery, there was a very slim chance of improvement after that, so we were told.... My mom wore an eye patch (mainly for her double vision) for the first several weeks while in the neuro rehab, then continued until her first eye checkup at the opthramologist's clinic. He examined my mom, gave her a visual field test and diagnosed her with Homonymous hemianopsia. The doctor told us to come back in six months as this condition is usually permanent. I told him I would like him to have mom return in six weeks, not six months. I proceeded to share my story of recovery from both my SAH and my cancer, when the odds were stacked against me, and he was intrigued.... so, we booked mom back in six weeks for a repeat check. Guess what? Improvement! The doctor was skeptical, although the test is hard to cheat, but proof showed 50% improvement. The double vision had also improved. Mom continued to improve to the point that she was given the ok by three doctors to get her drivers license returned at the six month mark. She still has a small blind spot remaining, but can function well to do everyday tasks, plus no problem reading, writing, bowling, watching telly, etc. Of course the doctor was very interested in her recovery and wanted to know everything she did, including diet and nutrition, that could help other patients. I know she took special vitamins that are good for eye health and she religiously did online tests for visual field - I know because she showed me her test results every day. Not sure if this helps you, but the most improvement is through a positive belief that you will recover. I hope you are encouraged by my mom's story. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoofbeat Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 Tina, that's great to hear of a positive story. I've been told that my eyes themselves are fine but it's the visual processing nerves in my brain which have been damaged. I presume you noticed a gradual improvement over the 2 years, rather than a sudden change? If you don't mind me asking, what visual issues were you suffering with for those 2 years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoofbeat Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 Sue, thanks so much for teling your mum's story - it's great to hear stories of real people. Whilst I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that the odds are against me for regaining my peripheral vision, it's just nice to hear of real experiences (good/bad). Do you know what vitamins your mum took? As my eyes themselves are healthy, and its the nerves in my brain that have been damaged I have been considerng vitamins to help with nerve regeneration (previously, I've always been of the opinion that vitamin supplements are unnecessary in a healthy diet, but now I'm open to anything that might help me!). Interesting to hear that your mum did visual field tests online - I had no idea there were such things online! I'm definitely going to look into these so that when I'm feeling well enough I can do these more regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winb143 Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 I had an SAH and my eyesight has got real bad Hoof. I hold everything at arms length still cant see what it says !! I hold it closer to eyes still a blur so I wear my glasses for reading. Good luck on recovery of your visual field. Love WinB143 xx xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Hi Chloe I will have to look back on my posts and notes to be able to let you know the exact time scale, but from having 5 nerve palsy which meant my forehead, eye brow, eye, side of face and mouth were completely paralysed and dropped down on the right side. My Surgeon had damaged my optical nerves during surgery. Plus cutting through the muscle on the side of my face and jaw as well, it all took time to repair. First my eye lid started to open just a tiny bit....I wore an eye patch. Then a little bit more but my eye was all over the place and I had no control at all. My husband bless him kept calling me Mrs white eye Eventually it opened in full and I could not close it at all. I wore a patch to protect it. If I did not wear my eye patch I felt sick, everything was moving up and down and side to side I had double vision as well. I could not judge things and was constantly bumping into things. I had no control of my eye. I could not sit in the front of a car as it was as if everything was coming at me and made me feel very sick dizzy and disorientated. I wore the patch as advised by my Eye specialist. After a while i took my patch off to see if by trying to focus if it would help my sight. I did this for half an hour then an hour and then increased. I found my eye got very dry and had to put drops in. I was like this for some months, but it did improve. I was also given glasses with a prysm, this did not help' When I got tired my eye would go blurry. My balance was awful too. I also did the online eye exercises when I could look at the screen which was not for very long. The first 12 months it was a very slow but gradual improvement. Even now when tired my eye goes blurry and balance goes. I also get a nasty pain around my eye and down the side of my face, have been told that is nerve pain. My eye brow is still paralysed and when I blink it twinges in my cheek. It did take me 2 years before my eyes were working together. For me it was a slow improvement over the months rather than a sudden change. Hope this helps xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoofbeat Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 Sorry to hear your eyesight has deteriorated Win I've worn glasses for over 10 years for short sightedness so am used to not seeing things clearly without my glasses. However the sudden loss of my right peripheral vision unnerved me - it's not like how things are blurry without my glasses, I just miss things without ever realising I've missed them. Win, I hope your eyesight doesn't cause you too many issues For anyone interested in testing their visual field oblibe, I've just used: http://dtx.novavision.com/novaassess/ and I found it gave me similar results to the test my ophthalmologist did several weeks ago. Obviously, it's no where as accurate as being tested by a medical professional, but I thought others might find it as a useful test to do at home in between appointments to see how they are progressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gill C Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 HI Chloe I had a full third nerve palsy when I was eventually diagnosed & operated it, once I was clipped I could open my eye straight away. I was told I should get all movement back but sadly my anni was pressing on the 3rd nerve for so long the damage is permanent. I have double vision which is too far out to be corrected by a prism & although I regained some side to side movement of my eye the up & down has not returned. My pupil is also still dilated & does not respond to light shone in it. As I have no field of vision deficit my left eyes vision meets with DVLA regulation & as long as my right eye is covered at all times to prevent the double vision I am able to drive. I do have problems with depth of field & often park in a space & think I'm only a few inches from the car behind or in front of me & when I get out its more like a couple of feet!! Still its better to overestimate than under? I hope some of that helps xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoofbeat Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 Giil, sorry to hear your vision in your right eye has not improved, but that is great news that you are still able to drive Sadly the visual field loss affects both of my eyes so currently I don't meet the DVLA's minimum requirements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carey Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 My stroke has never been officially diagnosed. I woke up one morning in July of 2013 with a terrible "blinding" headache. I had a short day at work, so I went to work, then home and back to bed. After getting a lot of rest for the next few weeks, but working every day, I felt better physically, but the "blindspot" persisted. There was slight improvement early on, but it never went away completely. A few years passed, and I finally decided to see an opthalmologist to find out if anything could be done about it. He is the one who told me I had had a stroke that caused the loss of vision in my upper right quadrant. By this time, I was being treated for a DVT blood clot with blood thinners and bp meds. My doctor agreed that it is the same treatment I would receive had I been diagnosed with a stroke. I never went back for the field vision test. It had already been more than 2 years since the incident happened. I had been driving and living my life as normal since then. I have noticed, however, that marijuana seems to help with my vision. It is illegal where I live, so we don't need to go there. CBD oil, though, is legal here, and I have wondered if that will help as well. I like the idea of it, also, because I don't like the idea of being 'high' when I'm driving or working. Has anybody had any experience with CBD oil? I haven't found much information online. This forum is one of the first places I was led in the search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Mario Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Carey, welcome to BTG. This is a UK site and I doubt very much that any of our members have ever tried CBD oil. In view of us possibly not being able to help you, might I suggest that you try this US based site who may well be able to assist you with the information you seek. http://www.helpforvisionloss.com/group-holder/2011-06-18-17-13-45/hemianopia.html I must add that BTG have no connection with the above site, it is just me doing a search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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