What? A 'New' Diagnosis?

I have been living the life of one with the diagnosis of myopic macular degeneration (MMD) since the early part of 2019. I was in my early 60s when this way of living came to me.

My eye bleeds were stopped in their tracks

My original retina specialist was very informative and reassuring. I had placed all my trust in his expertise. I have received a fair amount of the injections deemed necessary to stop the destructive bleeds that I was having. I have counted down the weeks and the months in between each of those shots. I have also been very pleased that those bleeds were stopped in their tracks.

I have also enjoyed the satisfaction of not needing injections since early 2021. I was thrilled when I entered into the "every 6 months" checkup phase of my days. It is amazing how fast that time goes by.

Finding a new retina specialist

It is amazing how pleased and happy I am when I hear the words, "Your eyes are stable."

I have also had to endure a change in retina specialist (RS). Dr. B was fortunate to be able to retire, but boy, it was hard to let go of him.

My next retina specialist was another trustworthy and experienced individual. My time with him was a good thing, never needing an injection under his care. I was thoroughly confident in his care.

You can imagine my surprise when he, too, announced he was heading out into his retirement. Of course, I told him congratulations, but geez, Louise — another new doctor was on my radar.

My new RS questioned my MMD diagnosis

It was today at my 6-month recheck where I met Retina Specialist Number 3. I had to giggle a bit when I was told his name was Dr. Young. My thoughts were, "Please be young enough to last a good long time for me!" I honestly think he will be around for quite a while (I hope).

Thankfully, I heard my favorite phrase, "Your eyes are stable." This is where things got a little bit interesting.

He, the specialist, was questioning my diagnosis of myopic macular degeneration. From his viewpoint, he is finding it "interesting" that I have not needed any further injections in almost 5 years. He is thinking that perhaps I am dealing with yet another type of diagnosis. I was taken aback by this revelation.

What is degenerative myopia?

The new words in my dictionary are these: degenerative myopia. A quick Google search shows me this: Degenerative myopia, also known as pathological or progressive myopia, is a severe form of nearsightedness that can lead to significant vision loss or even blindness.¹

It is the severe nearsightedness, the elongated eyeballs that stretch the eyes tissues that can lead to retinal issues. The ones where I experienced the bleeds, leading to the wavy lines and blurred vision.¹

Treatment for degenerative myopia

The treatment for this "new" diagnosis is the same. Injections can slow the progression of degenerative myopia.

The bottom line is, there is really no cure. Constant monitoring of my vision is my best course of action.