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Myopic Macular Degeneration

Hello, so glad to have found this community! I have posted in some of the other threads but will post my story here. High myope, started wearing glasses at age 6. Left eye was -14, right maybe minus 10 or 11. I’m 54. Was having gradually more trouble seeing, especially faces and driving at night. Treated for dry eye with Xiidra eye drops, this helped somewhat. A year ago had cataract surgery which was life-changing! I have about a minus two prescription which I use for driving and watching movies. Don’t even wear my glasses for work because my work is close up. It is so amazing to be free of my thick glasses!!!!

Posterior vitreous detachment and a small bleed

OK all was great until about four months ago. Had posterior vitreous detachments in left eye, then in right. I describe this as “saran wrap in my eye” because of the floaters. It seems to have improved or maybe I am getting used to it. Then 8 weeks ago had a small macular bleed on the left. Colored circle in my central vision with a blind spot and wavy lines in it. Kept hoping it was a migraine aura but sadly no.

Stopped driving at night

So I stopped driving at night which is fine with me anyway. Been followed by a retina specialist. Normal fluoroscein angiogram which means no “wet” component (good news) but that there is no treatment (not good news). BUT I have noticed the vision gradually returning! It is not perfect but much better! And I went back to the retina specialist who said the bleed has resolved! My vision in that eye went from 20/70 right after the bleed to 20/40 plus two (almost 20/30!). With my glasses on of course. So still an uncorrectable vision loss in that eye. But I was so very pleased. This was despite continuing with my hot yoga. So I guess I can continue that! In fact, the retina specialist even discharged me! Will follow up with my regular eye doctor in six months. And of course, return to the retina guy if he or I notice any changes.

Myopic macular degeneration

He was not able to tell me whether I would have more problems, but I do have “myopic macular degeneration”. He says this is less aggressive than the age-related form. He does see changes in the retinas, my regular eye doctor had thought I was developing an epiretinal membrane which apparently can happen after cataract surgery in younger folks, and requires surgery, but the retina guy said no, this was just changes of “myopic macular degeneration” and not related to the cataract surgery or to the recent posterior vitreous detachments. So no treatment. That is hard, wish I could do something to keep my retinas as healthy as possible.

Exercise, leafy greens, and legumes

Well actually I guess there is... I will continue to exercise and work to keep my weight down (had gained about 20 pounds over the past couple years, still at a normal BMI but want to get thin again…) and continue eating a ton of leafy greens🥬 and legumes (I’m vegetarian). In terms of vitamins, the retina guy said “they don’t help MMD) and my regular eye doctor said eating the way I do is the best way to get the nutrients. He did advise not taking vitamin E though.

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