Debbie Havens

What do I like about my own eyes? That is a very interesting question, especially considering my diagnosis of Myopic Macular Degeneration. The process of finding anything positive may sound...

I recently read an article by Mr. Matthew Kelly, a New York Times best-selling author, that really impacted me that day. The article presented generally, how do ordinary people living...

My husband and I have been married for over 37 years. That is over half of my own age. There are times that this passage feels like a lifetime and...

Somehow the end of 2022 is right around the corner. This calendar year marked a big change in our lives, we are officially empty nesters. Our fourth child has successfully...

Myopic macular degeneration (MMD) has a sneaky way of making its presence known. My initial indication was one day, about 3 years ago. I had started a walking regimen in...

It is funny how quickly the year goes by. Just yesterday there were many complaints of it being too hot and too dry to do anything but try to stay...

I think time is a funny thing. One minute, time seems to fly by so very quickly and in another moment, time drags ever so slowly. With 6 weeks in...

The year I was diagnosed with myopic macular degeneration was 2019. Through a routine eye exam, this journey started. After carefully examining my eyes, my optometrist strongly advised that I...

My life these days with myopic macular degeneration has settled into a routine of sorts. My limits are easily defined. The days seem to revolve around lighting up my world:...

This myopic macular degeneration came into my vocabulary in 2019. Before that time, I really did not know much about this disease. I had consistently heard of age-related macular degeneration...

It was March of 2019 that I was diagnosed with myopic macular degeneration (MMD). Just in my right eye. The pathway of MMD begins with severe myopic eyesight. I have...

I have talked about my somewhat newfound obsession with art often. The opportunity to create new art appeared in my life after my husband and I retired over 8 years...

Our summer days are so much different now than when we were a busy household of 6, raising 4 kids. In those days, the end of school days for the...

It is amazing how it is already summer, it seems like just yesterday the new year started. Hearing the phrase “2022” sounded so futuristic and now it's just another number...

I have found a benefit of aging through the words of Sir Francis Bacon in his work, 'Meditationes Sacrae', published in 1597: “Knowledge itself is power.” I certainly find myself...

I have always had a certain preference when it comes to my writing equipment. As far back as I can remember, I would always gravitate to them: the bold, black ink...

It has been three years since I was diagnosed with myopic macular degeneration. Those years have included many appointments for treatment, with injections as needed. I had heard of macular...

"Geez, it’s hot." This sentence seems to be the opening statement no matter where I go these days. "Sure is hot out there." "Have you seen the temperature today?" "You...

I am always changing. As a newborn, I was helpless and defenseless. Time moves on. I grow each year, gaining independence and confidence and becoming the person I was meant...

Throughout this journey of myopic macular degeneration, there has always been a constant pattern. In the beginning, retinal visits were set for every 6 weeks; carefully monitoring potential bleeds and...