Macular Degeneration Diagnosis at Fifty Years Old

By CommunityMembere13ed1

1 min read

Over 22 years ago, I came home from work and told my wife that my one eye was a little bit blurry. I would have let it go, but she insisted that I call someone about it.

I called the eye doctor that I went to glasses for and they said to come right over. They took one look and started calling for an appointment with an eye specialist.

I had a long association with that doctor for about 20 years. At first, he was confused by the condition of my eyes for a healthy fifty-year-old male. I had the latest treatment at the time and later treatment on my left eye. It helped at first, but later the eye was damaged by the treatment and the vision in that eye had a dark spot with no vision. Now my right eye has poor vision from macular degeneration.

After 22 years, I can no longer drive and can't read except on a magnified computer screen. I now wait for medical advancements, which I do not think I will see.

How do you cope with losing vision?

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Brown Eyed Girl Moderator
<inline-mention username="CommunityMembere13ed1" user-id="3118738"/> don't give up yet! There are new treatments in the pipeline! My doctor was mentioning one to me just a couple of days ago. Do you have dry or wet macular degeneration in one eye or both? Wendy, Patient Leader. 
1. CommunityMembere13ed1 Member
 <inline-mention username="Brown Eyed Girl" user-id="3141081"/> Right eye both wet and dry , Right eye was damaged by laser treatments
CommunityMembere13ed1 Member
Rigth eye is both and left eye damaged by old treatments with llaser 
1. Brown Eyed Girl Moderator
 <inline-mention username="CommunityMembere13ed1" user-id="3118738"/> I'm sorry your eye was damaged by those early laser treatments. A couple of decades ago they thought laser was helpful for some cases of dry macular degeneration. There are new drugs on the horizon for dry macular degeneration. My doctor mentioned one which is awaiting FDA approval. She said I wouldn't qualify for it yet, but others might. Are you having injections for your wet eye? Wendy, Patient Leader.
CommunityMembere13ed1 Member
I have been reciving injections for years of several different drugs
1. CommunityMembere13ed1 Member
 <inline-mention username="Brown Eyed Girl" user-id="3141081"/> I have had injections with Avastin, Lucentis, Eylea. My old Doctor had me going to Wills Eye Instuite in Phila and some renouned Doctor in Manhatten, he had me sign a revease, so pictures of my eyes may make it to publication. I also take vitamins with Lutein. After and over twenty year fight I seem to be losing. The worst part is not having a diver's license, I have always been a pretty iindependant guy, I'm a retired firefighter EMT and people used to call me to fix their problems but this one can't be fixed. Sometime I get down but generaly I can even joke about it (a firefighter's way of handeling tings. I call my self deadeye 
2. Brown Eyed Girl Moderator
 <inline-mention username="CommunityMembere13ed1" user-id="3118738"/> well, you've certainly tried a few different medications and been to some pretty good places to have them! If the photos of your eyes get published you may be famous. But I guess it's not quite the form of fame that we would wish for. I'm glad you have your sense of humor to fall back on. After a lifetime of helping others, you deserve a little bit of help yourself, even though I imagine you might find it difficult to accept help. Wishing you all the best, Wendy, Patient Leader.
mrsbedbug Member
I was 55 when I was diagnosed with macular degeneration. Two years ago. Myopic MD. Both eyes. Right now I am doing pretty well, vision close to normal with glasses, but stopped driving at night. I have accepted that I need to plan for my future that will more than likely include declining vision. I am actually ok with that but the first couple years after I received my diagnosis was difficult. 
1. Brown Eyed Girl Moderator
 <inline-mention username="mrsbedbug" user-id="3117799"/> I share a lot in common with you in that my sight isn't too bad at the moment, although I am trying to plan for the future. I've had amd now for quite a few years. I try not to drive at night, although I get caught out occasionally. I hope they're working on better treatments/cure for myopic macular degeneration as they are for amd. Best wishes, Wendy, Patient Leader.