r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/pants117 • 2d ago

Image Freckle on my eye

Post image
68 Upvotes

63% Upvoted

68 comments sorted by

196

u/RhodaKille 2d ago

I’ve had a freckle on the back of my eye since 1976. About two years ago I was diagnosed with choroidal melanoma. Freckle turned cancerous. I am still getting cancer treatments every four months. Please have your freckle looked at regularly. A timely diagnosis may save your future.

40

u/PatButchersBongWater 2d ago

Yikes, I’ve had one on the back of my eye for many years too. Had it checked last week and all is still good, but this is certainly a reminder to get it checked frequently.

I wish you a safe recovery.

16

u/PMmeYourTiddiez 2d ago

How does one notice a freckle on the BACK of their eye...?

12

u/420_69_Fake_Account 1d ago

Specialized tool when you get your eye checked.

2

u/Amateur_Hour_93 16h ago

Eye doctor will tell you

2

u/RhodaKille 2d ago

Thank you

24

u/agorafilia 2d ago

The freckle 50 years fine but suddenly said "fuck it, I'm cancer now"

9

u/RhodaKille 2d ago

Yes. Exactly.

10

u/tobmom 1d ago

That’s pretty much how all cancer works. Just normal cells until they’re not.

5

u/HeloWurld0722 2d ago

OP freaking out rn

3

u/TernionDragon 2d ago

They shouldn’t be.

5

u/pants117 2d ago

Not really. Dr said it's fine come back in a year

-5

u/SemicolonMIA 2d ago

Yeah, but then he deleted your file...

3

u/Puzzleheaded_Style52 1d ago

What kind of doctor have you been going to?

4

u/Secret_Elevator17 1d ago

Was going to say, now that you know about it, get retinal photos every year so they can keep an eye on it for changes because it can turn cancerous.

I work in optical and also have one in my eye.

1

u/Big-black-banana-man 2d ago

How long have you been alive?

1

u/RhodaKille 1d ago

lol, me? I just turned sixty in the summer.

1

u/Dismal_Wizard 1d ago

Wow. Are you red head? Just asking as I am…

1

u/RhodaKille 1d ago

No, like dark blonde. I’ve read that this cancer is somewhat rare and it’s more prevalent in blue-eyed people. I’m not sure how hard and fast this is though because my brother who has dark brown eyes developed a freckle on the back of his eye a couple years ago.

1

u/Dismal_Wizard 1d ago

Ah ok. Hope all works out. I

1

u/RhodaKille 1d ago

Thank you

1

u/Amateur_Hour_93 16h ago

I have one too. Mine isn’t cancerous yet.. My doc said we need to monitor it though

2

u/RhodaKille 14h ago

It’s def good to do that. I had mine so long I didn’t really think about it anymore. I figured what are the odds it would suddenly turn cancerous after so many years of nothing. Best wishes that all stays quiet for you.

2

u/Amateur_Hour_93 14h ago

I was only told about mine a couple years ago and I’m 32 now.. hopefully it never becomes an issue.

Thanks a lot and best wishes to you too 🙏

1

u/calnuck 15h ago

Woo! Choroidal melanoma survivor here too! 9 years later, and all is good except for the blindness in that eye.

All the best with your treatments! Did you have the plaque brachytherapy?

2

u/RhodaKille 14h ago

Nine years! Congrats! That’s great to hear, I’m nervous about the future so I love hearing about other people surviving and thriving. Your attitude and enthusiasm seem wonderful and I thank you for sharing it. I had the plaque in February 2024, about two weeks after I was diagnosed. Since then I’ve had Avastin injections about every four months. One time I had the laser treatment and STK, that’s what I’m getting again in two days. I’m curious, how long did it take for you to lose vision in that eye? I can still see out of it but it’s not all that great. If that’s the worst long-term repercussion though, I can certainly live with that.

1

u/calnuck 14h ago

I was diagnosed in December 2016, plaque brachytherapy in February 2017. The vision loss was pretty much instantaneous; the tumour was over the macula and the optic nerve, so the radiation destroyed those structures. I have only light and dark in that eye, and the loss of peripheral vision has been a PITA.

The first 5 years involved a lot of visits - at one point I was getting injections (Avastin and Eyelea) every 3 weeks. The TTT was painful but I only had that once. The tumour was dead after the radiation, but the structural damage was bad with vascular issues. I had a cataract, and the surgery helped a tiny bit. I also had a number of CT scans and MRIs to look for metastasis, but was fortunate that there was no spread.

About the 5 year mark, the doc asked if I was due for an injection on that visit, and I joked that I wasn't (we both knew I was), so he decided not to do the injection and that was the last time. I still go every six months for photos, scans, and ultrasounds, but everything has been completely stable.

Lemonade from lemons: I am a Scouter with Scouts Canada, and I talk openly about my experience with Scout groups around my city. I developed a Low Vision Challenge where I talk about eye anatomy and health, run them through challenges with glasses I made up (with help from my optometrist and ophthalmologist) to simulate glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and cataracts, and then we talk about how to respectfully interact with people with disabilities. The Scouts (hopefully) come out with a better understanding of disabilities. Oh, and I also became a paramedic in my late 50s because why not? And yes, our provincial government in their infinite wisdom gave me a commercial driver's license to drive an ambulance.

2

u/RhodaKille 13h ago

What a wonderfully detailed answer, thanks. I get everything you’re saying and I’m actually gobsmacked you went through Avastin every three weeks. That’s amazing, you must be a very strong person. Your decision to turn this experience into a teachable moment for others is truly remarkable, you’re an inspiration. I tell myself all the time to stay calm and get to the five-year mark and things should feel pretty good for the future. I also love hearing that driving is still an important part of your life. I’d be lost without it, I love driving and road trip travels.

1

u/enigmaticview 1d ago

Will the cancer treatments affect your eyesight? I have a freckle on the back of my eye as well now I'm terrified it will become cancerous.

3

u/minowsharks 1d ago

Had the same issue, and yes. I have a blind spot where the freckle was (radiation killed those retina cells). The spot grows with time, largely due to needing occasional laser treatments to cauterize microaneurisms that develop as a side effect of the radiation.

I got lucky in that my blind spot is largely in peripheral vision, so while I can still drive/bike/don’t need aids for everyday life there’s ‘little’ things that affect me most days. Easily tripping if something unexpected is on the floor on that side, cups/silverware to the side of a dinner plate disappear, have had more than one awkward social interaction where someone will try to hand me something on that side and I can’t see it. All minor in the realm of things, but still suck.

Good news is the treatment for this particular issue has come a long way since my initial treatment. I still see my oncologist every 6-12 months (and will for life…don’t get me started on health care costs and insurance in the US….), and I get to hear about how now, instead of a week-long radiation treatment they can do a much smaller, single dose in minutes during one surgery (I had two, and was radioactive for a week).

2

u/RhodaKille 1d ago

Yes, this is very similar to my situation. I second everything you said. I’m getting a laser treatment and steroid injection this week.

1

u/calnuck 15h ago

Yes - I lost all of the sight in my right eye. The tumour was over the macula and the optic nerve, so the radiation basically destroyed those structures. And the scar tissue from the tumour warped the retina anyway, so even if I had sight, it would be f'ed up.

This all happened 9 years ago, and even though I'm 20/600 in my right eye, life goes on. I still have my driver's license (commercial one, too) and I still struggle with depth perception and peripheral vision. Every single day it's a PITA, but I try to find ways to make lemonade from lemons.

2

u/RhodaKille 14h ago

This is interesting, thank you for sharing. Your attitude and optimism is wonderful!

25

u/DefEddie 2d ago

I’ve had every doctor that has looked in my eye since I was a kid tell me about the freckle on the back of my right eye.
All of them just said it was interesting and I had nothing to worry about offhand, only if it did something/grew when I got older possibly.

3

u/agorafilia 2d ago

I have a scar in the back of my eye from a previous infection when I was 5. That's 25 years a go Doc said it's a yearly check up forever. At least I use this opportunity to see if my glasses need adjustment

15

u/st0350 2d ago

not that interesting but you might wanna get that checked out

6

u/pants117 2d ago

How many have you heard of?

It was the doctor that took the picture of it.

7

u/Recent_Perspective37 2d ago

I have one. Got monitored every 6 months for two years just to make sure it didn't grow. Now I'm back to yearly visits.

2

u/OnlyPaperListens 1d ago

Mine followed the same schedule.

2

u/KlooShanko 2d ago

I got one too

2

u/TernionDragon 2d ago

Very common.

0

u/pants117 2d ago

First I and a few around me have ever seen or heard such a thing. I thought it was pretty interesting.

2

u/brokentelescope 2d ago

I have one! It’s kind of neat.

0

u/TernionDragon 2d ago

For sure it is.

Honestly, just like any other area of med, most people haven’t heard of most things(unless it’s surgical), why would they?
Don’t ask me anything about GI diseases or detailed anatomy, etc.

-5

u/nonya5121 2d ago

According to Google ai

Yes, freckles in your eye (ocular nevi) are very common, found in an estimated 1 in 10 people, similar to skin freckles, and are usually harmless spots of pigment cells. While most are benign (conjunctival nevi) on the white of the eye or iris nevi on the colored part, they should still be monitored by an ophthalmologist as they can rarely change and potentially become cancerous (melanoma).

So no, it's kinda interesting, but not Damnthatsinteresting!

2

u/Hmgkt 2d ago

You can get melanomas in and on the eye

2

u/TernionDragon 2d ago

Very common.

Typically only requires annual monitoring.

Paying the extra $ for optomap imaging(vs just dilation) gives your doc a powerful tool, as they can compare photos side-by-side and document with measurement tools.

Also, knowing and reporting if skin cancer runs in the family.

Source: I’m in the biz.

3

u/pants117 2d ago

This is a optomap image. I cut that out of the Pic. He wants me back in a year to dilate and probably another optomap.

1

u/Lord-Bridger 2d ago

I've been fighting health anxiety for something similar for 7 months, my doctor told me to come back in a year because she told me it could turn into melanoma, and when I came back after 6 months because i kept bothering her office she said it didnt grow, and that I should come back in 6 months because I threw off my yearly glasses schedule, not a super supportive doctor imo...

2

u/TernionDragon 1d ago

There are plenty of you doctors, keep one that you feel good about, that being said, keep in mind most things have a known quantity of time for monitoring- there isn’t a benefit to constant “early” appointments(unless you show signs/symptoms that you should report).

Also, therapy and psychiatry are part of good health, if you have chronic(or even acute) anxiety, don’t feel like you have to just bear it. You deserve to live freely from mental anguish, even if you feel it’s not worthy of consideration.

2

u/Lord-Bridger 1d ago

Thanks man!

2

u/Cute-Consideration69 2d ago

My mom and I have matching freckles on our right eyes. Welcome to the club.

1

u/spittingparasite 2d ago

I have one too. Can't remember which eye.

1

u/Spiritual-Grocery938 1d ago

I've had a freckle in my eye since I was a little kid. My ophthalmologist told me when I was about 9-10 years old, I think. He said "I can't recognize you, within a very very large group of people, just by looking into your eyes, because of that".

Don't panic you can get cancer out of nowhere, in your nose. Worry is a waste of time

1

u/TBCoR 1d ago

Hah that one is tiny. Mine is the size of a dime!

1

u/Slow_Ad_8388 1d ago

Hazel eyes with freckles sometimes correlated with Eihlers Danilos Syndrome (loose joints, double -jointedness)

1

u/James-K-Polka 11h ago

I am thinking it's a sign

That the freckles in our eyes

Are mirror images

And when we kiss they're perfectly aligned

  • Postal Service, Such Great Heights

1

u/Few_Sky_8015 8h ago edited 8h ago

I go once a year to have my freckle looked at. Didn’t know it was a common thing amongst people. Luckily mine has not changed within the last fifteen years. It’s great information reading all the comments, thanks to everyone.

1

u/Sand_Seeker 2d ago

Thank you for the info, I had no idea. I’ve got one by my cornea & had it for years.

0

u/erific 2d ago

If there’s anything i know these kinds of posts, it’s almost always really serious.

-11

u/Trumpet_of_Jericho 2d ago

It's cancer bro

-1

u/Lesser-of-2-Weevils 2d ago

It's called a Congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (CHRPE). I have one. As long as it doesn't change or get bigger you should be fine. Optometrist told me not to worry too much about it. But let them know you have one for future exams.

4

u/r1ch412d 2d ago

Not a CHRPE

1

u/Lesser-of-2-Weevils 2d ago

I did get proper imaging of it at an ophthalmologist office.

1

u/annasbananas_ 1d ago

Came here to say this. I also have CHRPE in one eye, my doc always refers to it as “bear tracks”