Why am I writing this blog?

I'm Alastair, I'm a doctor and surgeon for eyes. I have been a head of training for junior doctors, but I am not going to reflect on the political situation happening at the moment: too complicated and I don't think that is why you are here reading this.

Indeed for me the most important thing is that the time reading this needs to be valuable for you, I can't give you that time back.

I have not written anything in this blog for a while. I too have been a patient, not an eye patient, but was given a serious diagnosis a few years ago, that did cause me to almost faint when told (though I'm great with needles anyway) but was lucky to have the Professor of Maxillofacial Surgery lift my feet onto his shoulders, so that the blood didn't all run away from my head.

The coming months gave me an insight of being an inpatient, and it is very scary. You don't know much about the disease, you don't know about the treatment, and you don't realise until later how important the support networks need to be.

Back in treating patients, I am trying to bring some of my learned experience and try and offer what I can in clinic for patients with eye problems. My specialist area is glaucoma, and most of my patients have this condition. So I thought I would try and add to this website information that might be useful for those who are concerned they might have glaucoma, those who have glaucoma, and those who are already receiving treatment.

I realise the concept of these situations for anyone too can be scary. Glaucoma is the leading cause of irriversible sight loss, and glaucoma too is common. BUT for the vast majority people at risk or who develop glaucoma picked up early, they are not likely to have their vision affected. And for those who do have glaucoma that is advanced: there are MANY options, and with effort (sometimes a lot of visits to the clinic!! you get to know your glaucoma specialist very well) it is usually possible to stabilise the disease.

I'm going to sign off for today otherwise I'll be in trouble not helping with cooking dinner!