What advice would you give to someone newly diagnosed with macular degeneration?

My advice is that it is okay to be scared, but take comfort in knowing that you can still live a very fulfilling life. There are very few things you can't do, but you will just need to learn a different way to do many things.

Reach out to others that are living with your diagnosis. This website is such a great start. There are also great YouTube channels that deal with vision loss. FaceBook is also a good resource, there are groups specifically for people with MD.

Hi , thank you so much for sharing your wise, encouraging advice! I love that you touch on the fact that's it's okay to be afraid, but that life can still be so full. We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and are grateful to have your voice in our community. Best, Shelby, (MacularDegeneration.net)

p.s. We also have a Facebook page, if you'd like to check it out and connect with others there as well - https://www.facebook.com/MacularDegenerationDotNet/ I agree, Facebook can be a really helpful tool in connecting with others!

That is a great question, .

A new diagnosis can feel scary and confusing. It is so normal and more than okay to feel those feelings! I recently wrote an article about this exact thing called "Buy the Tickets" that you can read here if you're interested: https://maculardegeneration.net/living/change-cope-vision-loss The best advice I received when I was newly diagnosed was to feel all the feels, but then move forward and not allow change to be a joy thief. Change really can 'grow' us as individuals if we allow it to.

And...if I'm being completely honest, macular degeneration has actually improved my life in more ways than not. It has given me the permission I needed to live my best life.

, you are so right! I really love what you said about finding comfort in knowing we can still live very fulfilling lives. We can and we DO! We all have the will, we just have to find our (new) way. This is exactly why communities like ours are SO very important! We have each other for knowledge, comfort, and just to vent if we need to.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! To read more about living and coping with macular degeneration, check this out https://maculardegeneration.net/living-coping

-Andrea, (MacularDegeneration.net Team Member)