The thought of not being able to drive. It terifies me. Total loss of freedom.
We hear you,
. It can feel that way, especially if you are used to being able to come and go as you please, but there are some great alternatives. If you live in a urban or suburban area, you can use Lyft or Uber. They can expensive, but you will also no longer be paying for insurance, maintenance and repairs for a vehicle. I have a relative who hired a retired friend as a driver when she could no longer drive. In my rural area, many retirees drive for the Amish. It might help put you at ease to begin researching your options now. Hopefully, you will never have to give up driving, but having a plan in place might bring you some peace. Gentle hugs. - Lori (Team Member) For those with AMD and visual acuity close to that required in their state for a driver's license, photobiomodulation could help. Currently, Valeda is the only FDA-authorized treatment to improve vision in AMD. I am in my second year of using the device and have multiple patients whose vision has improved enough after treatment to qualify for a driver's license. It has indeed been a very emotional experience for these patients.
What about visual acuity? Any improvement? Regarding progression, the 24 month LIGHTSITE III data shows a decreased incidence of GA versus sham treatment of 24 percent (p<0.007) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41791029/ My visual acuity has been pretty good from the beginning except for the blind spot in the GA affected eye. My “good” eye is doing a remarkable job of compensating. What did the study say about subjects who started Valeda with GA?
what is Valeda? What kind of device. I have to renew my license soon.
Hi
. Valeda is a light delivery system that was recently approved by the FDA to treat dry ADM. Most Medicare policies still cover it, however, I'm not sure how many private insurance companies have followed suit. Here is a forum post about Valeda: https://maculardegeneration.net/forums/valeda-ligh-system-for-dry-amd. You'll find lots more information in the comments. I hope this helps. Best wishes. - Lori (Team Member) Valeda was authorized by the FDA in November 2024 to improve vision in intermediate dry Age-related Macular Degeneration. The procedure is called retinal photobiomodulation. To date, it is the only such FDA-authorized device. The majority of patients experience improvement in visual acuity of one line or more. Progression to advanced AMD is also slowed by 24 percent compared to no treatment.
The treatment regimen for Valeda is outlined in this forum: https://maculardegeneration.net/forums/questions-on-valeda-for-amd-treatment-regimen#reply-287679
