[Karen W. (OP)]

Week before last My coworker and I were discussing the bugs everyone had been sick with and we got off the subject of her eye. She told me she had been seeing bright flashy spots in front of her left eye. I thought it sounded like what I seen when my bloodpressure was high, but then she said she was also having some weird thing where she could not see right next to her nose in front of her face. she said it felt as if she had a blob of something in her eye blocking the vision. I immediately told her that sounded odd and she should go have it checked because whatever was going on, was odd and that I did not think it was high blood pressure with the loss of vision. So on the weekend she saw hew Doctor Saturday. He looked at the eye ands immediately called in on call surgeons and they flew her out of Humboldt to Sacramento to have emergency surgery on her retina.

 Apparently the doctor said their is some kind of fluid exchange in the eye and this process some how tore her retina?? Can someone explain this to where I can understand it better.
I am glad she went to the doctor, she has been out for the week and will be back Monday with new protective sun glasses. But she has lost a little over a quarter of the vision in her left eye. I am so sad about this. Although her Doctor tells her it won't ever come back, but her brain will make the adjustment and she will get used to it! Confused about how normal fluid passage in ones eye can cause such damage?

[ROBERT]

Retinal detachment

Types:-
Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment - A rhegmatogenous retinal detachment occurs due to a hole, tear, or break in the retina that allows fluid to pass into the subretinal space between the sensory retina and the retinal pigment epithelium.

Exudative, serous, or secondary retinal detachment - An exudative retinal detachment occurs due to inflammation, injury or vascular abnormalities that results in fluid accumulating underneath the retina without the presence of a hole, tear, or break.

Tractional retinal detachment - A tractional retinal detachment occurs when fibrovascular tissue, caused by an injury, inflammation or neovascularization, pulls the sensory retina from the retinal pigment epithelium.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinal_detachment

[ROBERT]

Riding a galloping horse could cause a detached retina...
http://www.susannajsturgis.com/article.php?id=37

Boxing can also be the cause of a detached retina
(does your cowhand indulge in cowboy-style bar-room-brawls ?)

Glaucoma can increase the possibility of retinal detachment,
Glaucoma is detectable and treatable.

[Karen W. (OP)]

Nope on the brawls, LOL

She just started seing little floaty bright spots and had loast a certain amount of her her vision over about a months time. She descibed it as if she had a blob of something in her eye blocking part of her vision. I told her that sounded weird and she should have it looked at. It had been ongoing for awhile so I thought it strange. That was on afriday afternoon. she called the Doctor saturday morning and explained he told her to get in there now and she did and they flew her straight out to UC Davis and did emergency surgery on her eye Saturday Night! I am so glad she spoke up and called the Doctor.. one of the few times someone actually took my advice and sought a doctor . I am grateful, but only sorry she had not done it when she first had the symptoms. she thought she had pink eye or some infection or something. He said it was a ripped retina due to this transfer of fluid. Are you saying the fluid was not the cause but perhaps a result of other damage to the retina ..? I am not sure I am reading that right.

[ROBERT]

I need my eyes tested Karen. I misread "coworker" as cowhand [:I], (hence the cowboy references).

A detached retina can occur with or without a hole in the retina.
An infection could cause inflammation which could in turn cause "secondary retinal detachment".
Does your co-worker (not cow-worker  [:I]) use contact lenses ?,
if so a review of the hygiene involved may be in order.

[Karen W. (OP)]

I don't know  if she uses contacts or not. I will check! The doctor said she will not recover the blindspot in her vision. she has lost just over a quarter of her vision in her left eye!