Fighting_OM

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis.  At 33 yrs. old I was diagnosed with ocular melanoma (OM) this November and went through brachytherapy before Thanksgiving.  The procedure is straight forward and involves the placement of a radioactive plaque to the eye which contains seeds to irradiate the tumor.  Over several days the plaque remains attached before being removed.  The operation isn't painless but it is better than having the eye removed.  I've been recovering and am now ~ 3 wks post operation.  The eye feels very good but the vision isn't great yet for me.  Vision prognosis is related to a lot of factors based on tumor size and location, so you should speak to your doctor about the procedure.  My tumor was close to the optic nerve and my doctor was very clear that I would likely lose a considerable amount of vision in my eye.  Your case may be much different.

Obviously you have to get it treated or it will mean certain death eventually but the idea that OM = death isn't true.  Tumor size and tumor genetics have a lot to do with the prognosis.  If caught early when the tumor is small, the risk of metastasis is a lot lower.  The genetics will also be very predictive of metastatic potential with monosomy 3 generally having a poor prognosis.  Your doctor should be able to direct you on genetic testing as part of the surgical preparation.  Which brings up a final point.  Who does your surgery can have a huge impact.  I assume you live in Pittsburgh and fortunately Philadelphia is home to the world experts in OM.  I strongly suggest you go to Wills Eye in Philly to be seen by Dr. Shields.  I hope that helps!

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis.  At 33 yrs. old I was diagnosed with ocular melanoma (OM) this November and went through brachytherapy before Thanksgiving.  The procedure is straight forward and involves the placement of a radioactive plaque to the eye which contains seeds to irradiate the tumor.  Over several days the plaque remains attached before being removed.  The operation isn't painless but it is better than having the eye removed.  I've been recovering and am now ~ 3 wks post operation.  The eye feels very good but the vision isn't great yet for me.  Vision prognosis is related to a lot of factors based on tumor size and location, so you should speak to your doctor about the procedure.  My tumor was close to the optic nerve and my doctor was very clear that I would likely lose a considerable amount of vision in my eye.  Your case may be much different.

Obviously you have to get it treated or it will mean certain death eventually but the idea that OM = death isn't true.  Tumor size and tumor genetics have a lot to do with the prognosis.  If caught early when the tumor is small, the risk of metastasis is a lot lower.  The genetics will also be very predictive of metastatic potential with monosomy 3 generally having a poor prognosis.  Your doctor should be able to direct you on genetic testing as part of the surgical preparation.  Which brings up a final point.  Who does your surgery can have a huge impact.  I assume you live in Pittsburgh and fortunately Philadelphia is home to the world experts in OM.  I strongly suggest you go to Wills Eye in Philly to be seen by Dr. Shields.  I hope that helps!

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis.  At 33 yrs. old I was diagnosed with ocular melanoma (OM) this November and went through brachytherapy before Thanksgiving.  The procedure is straight forward and involves the placement of a radioactive plaque to the eye which contains seeds to irradiate the tumor.  Over several days the plaque remains attached before being removed.  The operation isn't painless but it is better than having the eye removed.  I've been recovering and am now ~ 3 wks post operation.  The eye feels very good but the vision isn't great yet for me.  Vision prognosis is related to a lot of factors based on tumor size and location, so you should speak to your doctor about the procedure.  My tumor was close to the optic nerve and my doctor was very clear that I would likely lose a considerable amount of vision in my eye.  Your case may be much different.

Obviously you have to get it treated or it will mean certain death eventually but the idea that OM = death isn't true.  Tumor size and tumor genetics have a lot to do with the prognosis.  If caught early when the tumor is small, the risk of metastasis is a lot lower.  The genetics will also be very predictive of metastatic potential with monosomy 3 generally having a poor prognosis.  Your doctor should be able to direct you on genetic testing as part of the surgical preparation.  Which brings up a final point.  Who does your surgery can have a huge impact.  I assume you live in Pittsburgh and fortunately Philadelphia is home to the world experts in OM.  I strongly suggest you go to Wills Eye in Philly to be seen by Dr. Shields.  I hope that helps!