Hello everyone,
I have searched this forum desperately and as most thread are a few years old, I need some new information on my condition.
I have recently been diagnosed with central serous retinopathy in one eye after experiencing the very first symptoms of it about 5 months ago. During this time, it did not go away on its own as it should in most cases. The area affected is at my seven o clock, halfway between my central and the very edge of my visual field in that particular eye. My central vision is unaffected, I can see just fine, but the symptoms that I see every time I blink or look a bright background are very annoying. After being diagnosed, my doctor put me on 30 days medication. One month later at the follow up, the bubble of fluid decreased very little, so I was given another 30 days to see if the condition resolves itself. At my next appointment, if nothing changes again, I am due for a Fluorescein angiography and either face the option of having intra ocular injection with a drug called Avastin or laser to seal the leak shut.
I am currently studying for my ATPL theory exams and this diagnosis, alongside with what looks like a really bleak prospect of the condition resolving itself, has really put a downer on things. I would like to ask you guys for some suggestions or information about what particular options I have, or what the best course of action would be in notifying the UK CAA? I currently am not doing any flying and do not hold any JAA license because I am converting an FAA CPL. However, I have a valid UK CAA Class 1 medical that was needed in order to be admitted into the ATPL theory course.
My big dilemma is:
should I should tell them now over the phone just to be safe,
should I go to Gatwick in person, tell them about ti and have them consult me in person in the hopes they will give me some advice
should I wait until my doctor says I need a medical procedure done if the condition persists until my next checkup, then let them know,
should I go thru whatever is needed to get my eyesight healed first, then just put it down on the form when I renew my medical and deal with it then?
If I do have to go thru with some form of surgery, I would still like to seek the advice of the AME in Gatwick beforehand. But once I tell them, I do not know if they will automatically revoke or suspend my currently valid medical, or not. In case I face suspension and my school is notified of this, I'm worried about not being able to continue my ground studies and JAA written exams, going over the time limit, and losing credit on all of my exams already taken. I would like to keep studying under my current medical, while concurrently, my condition will hopefully heal, but obviously not at the cost of being untruthful to the CAA.
Any ideas or suggestions? I'm not yet fully familiar how the medical reporting works here in the EU, but in the US, as far as I'm aware, if a condition that affects your flying exists, you shouldn't go fly, however you do not have to report anything early, until the medical appointment comes up. Things are getting really stressful at this point and I would just like to double check that I not being too hasty in decisions that could possibly be detrimental to my career but at the same time, not to break any rules of the game.
Thank you for taking the time to read this
Hope everyone stays in good health!