My Visual Field Test

[RoyaleMSer]

I had my follow up appt with the eye doc today and they did a visual field test. I have lost some of the vision in the bottom left corner of my left eye (I had ON in that eye). All else checked out and my vision is back to almost 20/25 in that eye. Yay!!

Other than that, all else is good for the moment.

Just my little update.

[NeuroNixed Craig]

Hi Raegan,

That is good news considering the ON situation. Who knows, it might even clear up a little bit on its own.

My ophthalmologist is very frustrated with my two visual field tests. Why? Because of my involuntary movements and lack of eye hand coordination. This means my head is constantly moving around, when I do see the little lite there is a major delay in me pushing the button, and finally, my hands spasm and jerk pushing the button when nothing is happening.

Luckily he has a sense of humor.

[Toomnyhats]

I strongly dislike taking this test!

The first 2 times I took it I need 3 tries to get it completed -- the technician would yell at me for pushing the little button too many times & we'd restart, I finally ended up just not pushing the button so they'd finish the test.

I know, I know but since they had the bedside manner of a prickly pear & I didn't fully understand what was going on I just wanted away from them.

Now I know more about the test & why I'm having it. I finished my last test on the first try and with no angry outbursts! Technician was compassionate & understanding, that made all the difference in the world.

[Portia]

irritating test

Yes, this test is a pain. The second time I did it, I did better, because, like the doc said, practice makes perfect. The red lights are sooo hard to see.

No health professional should make a patient feel bad like in the first experience you had. I have to have another of these tests the end of this month--oh joy.

[bballmom]

Me too!

Just chimed in to say I hate this test! Since ON is what led to my dx, the first time I took this test, I couldn't see anything at all so, it was very frustrating. I will say it wasn't so bad the next time which was after steroid treatment.

[Bob698]

I've got one coming up this month, not really looking forward to it again. As others have mentioned, this can be a pretty frustrating test if you have MS and ON although it was cool that I could see the little light in my bad eye. At least I thought I could see the little light...
"Just push the button when you see the light". OK. "No, don't push the button now. Blink your eyes a couple of times after you push the button". OK "Why are you pushing the button?". You said to...
This will be my second field test, maybe it would help if I talked to the tech before we start?

[gomer]

Count me in as a hate the visual field test as well.

I had it twice, never bothered to go back when I was to have another one last spring.

I just could not keep up, asked them to slow down, to no avail.

Doc Gomer Doctor of, Been There, Done That.

[bballmom]

[FONT=Comic Sans MSI had it twice, never bothered to go back when I was to have another one last spring.[/COLOR] [/SIZE][/FONT][/I]

I just could not keep up, asked them to slow down, to no avail.

Doc Gomer Doctor of, Been There, Done That.

I never went back for the third test last spring either.

[RoyaleMSer]

My doc wants me to do another in 6 months to see where I'm at. I didn't mind the test that much. And since my eye is still a little light sensitive I was nervous but the lights didn't really bother me that much. My hand was having a spasm every 4-5 seconds so I'd hit the button more than I saw anything but the tech knew about it. And still found out my vision is off down there!

Hi. I'm Raegan, and I'm weird.

[Bob698]

Hi. I'm Raegan, and I'm weird.

We're not weird, we're Unique.

[Toomnyhats]

[QUOTE=Bob698;1259363] "Just push the button when you see the light". OK. "No, don't push the button now. Blink your eyes a couple of times after you push the button". OK "Why are you pushing the button?". You said to... [QUOTE]

Bob, you perfectly captured the technicians of my first 2 tests & my thoughts (that did slipped out of my mouth)! I also was told I was pushing the button too many times.

I think I had ON once but it was after my official dx but before my 2nd opinion & I was still learning about sx.

Speaking to the technician my help. This last one was female & I felt a connection with her. Perhaps that's why the test went better for me.

I have to take another test in March b/c I have damage to my optic nerve.

[Redwings]

"Just push the button when you see the light". OK. "No, don't push the button now. Blink your eyes a couple of times after you push the button". OK "Why are you pushing the button?". You said to...
This will be my second field test, maybe it would help if I talked to the tech before we start?

It sounds like you got some terrible instructions from the tech! I've done dozens of visual field tests over the years [almost 200 (that's not a typo) individual tests in the last 4 years alone], so I can attest that there's a bit of a learning curve to taking them. But even a first test shouldn't go that badly!

You may have gotten one of those techs (who are surprisingly common in general ophthalmology offices) who got some quick and inadequate training, doesn't understand the test him/herself and isn't being properly supervised to ensure that they're performing their end of the test correctly, which includes giving instructions to the test-taker. Next time, definitely clear up any questions with the tech before you start.

I agree that the tests sure aren't any fun. (I do two different test patterns per eye every time, which comes to almost an hour of watching lights and pushing the button each time.) They're mentally tiring and physically uncomfortable. They're particularly frustrating for anyone who doesn't really want to do them anyway and then gets bad instructions. It might help to think of them as video games, but with different rules than you were expecting...