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At MacularDegeneration.net, we believe that we are stronger together than we are alone. Living with macular degeneration can be a challenge, but the more we share and support one another, the better off we will be. Whether it’s your own story of how you manage macular degeneration as well as manage complications, to tips on daily living, we want to hear from you!

So please submit your own personal story about macular degeneration, and check back often to read about the stories others in the community share. We hope these stories become a source of inspiration and support for our community.

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maison Member
I have a question about the Amsler Grid. When I first started using it, about a year ago, I had to wear glasses, and the lines were perfectly straight. Well, my visual acuity has improved to the point I rarely wear glasses except for the REALLY fine print. In fact... I drove into town and did my shopping and other running around and didn't realize I didn't have my glasses until I got home and saw them on the table. Anyway.... I have noticed when I look at the grid now without my glasses, the lines on the sides seem **slightly** wavy. But>>>when I look straight at thse lines and not the dot..they straighten up . And then when I look back at the dot....the side lines remain straight!!! It almost seems like a "focus issue" rather than a drusen issue, if that makes sense. Has anyone else ever experienced this phenomenon? I have totally changed my eating habits and eat lots of veggies, lots of berries,very little sugar, and I make a "green" juice every day. To get my lutein, I lightly poach an egg everyday (as runny as can be, but still be safe).
1. maison Member
 Hah! My "green juice" is whatever I have on hand, and the quantities vary, based on how much I have on hand. I use 3 or 4 goodsized handfuls of kale as a base, and then add about an inch of ginger root, (if I have some spinach or arugula, I throw a few handfuls in, too). If I have a beet, I use about half of it, a few stalks of celery are nice, a cored apple is good, a lemon is great. To finish off, I sometimes juice a sweet potato, but always end with as many carrots as I can fit in. Berries or grapes are good to add too....but they tend to clog the juicer...so I put them in early in the process, so the bulky items like the sweet potato or carrots can push the "berry mush" through the grinder and clear the channel. I think the lemon (or lime...and use the skin, too) and ginger are essential for good taste...…...
2. blairrk Member
 I test myself with the Amsler Grid once a week with my glasses on. It is very important to fixate on the central dot and not move your eye. If you have a focus issue then maybe blink your eye and then try again. I have been told that any change in the Amsler Grid is significant and should be discussed with your ophthalmologist. My ophthalmologist takes photos of my retina each visit and shows them to me. I have many drusen. Up until now an annual eye exam was good enough for me but now I will go every six months. My ophthalmologist also did a OCT scan of each of my eyes which gives him detailed information and can rule in or rule out wet macular degeneration.
blairrk Member
I have early stage dry macular degeneration. My mother (deceased) had both dry and wet macular degeneration. So far and thankfully my vision is OK and I can function with respect to reading, driving, walking around, etc. I have been taking AREDS2 eye vitamin and recently added an addition lutein / zeaxanthin supplement. My ophthalmologist has additional training with retina diseases. I had been going to him once a year for an eye exam and retina fundus photos. Now he has suggested two visits a year to follow my dry macular degeneration more closely. This week he did an OCT scan which lead him to conclude that I do not have wet macular degeneration. A close friend of mine who is a very knowledgeable optometrist mentioned an eye vitamin called Macuhealth. I am doing research on Macuhealth and AREDS2. I would be interested in hearing your stories about early stage dry macular degeneration, eye vitamins, ophthalmologists and retina specialists and the frequency of visits and tests performed, etc. Thank you very much in advance.
1. shelby-comito Community Admin
 Hi <inline-mention user-id="3124111" username="blairrk"/> , thanks so much for leaving a comment and sharing a bit of your story! I commend you for all the research you're doing and healthy habits you're incorporating into your lifestyle in order to help preserve your vision. I thought I'd share a few articles with you from our advocates with dry AMD: <a href='https://maculardegeneration.net/living/dry-amd-clinical-trials' target='_blank'>https://maculardegeneration.net/living/dry-amd-clinical-trials</a> <a href='https://maculardegeneration.net/living/dry-amd-community' target='_blank'>https://maculardegeneration.net/living/dry-amd-community</a> Here are also some articles on vitamins I thought might interest you: <a href='https://maculardegeneration.net/living/choosing-supplements' target='_blank'>https://maculardegeneration.net/living/choosing-supplements</a> <a href='https://maculardegeneration.net/living/vitamin-d' target='_blank'>https://maculardegeneration.net/living/vitamin-d</a> <a href='https://maculardegeneration.net/living/coq10-retina' target='_blank'>https://maculardegeneration.net/living/coq10-retina</a> Hope these are helpful, and I also encourage you to submit your story with us in our stories section so that others can find your story more easily and hopefully comment and share their experiences with you. You can share your story here at any time: <a href='https://maculardegeneration.net/stories' target='_blank'>https://maculardegeneration.net/stories</a> We're so grateful you found our community and we're here for you in this! - Shelby, <a href='https://maculardegeneration.net' target='_blank'>https://maculardegeneration.net</a> Team Member
2. blairrk Member
 Hi Shelby - Thank you for all the articles. I will read them. I hope you are doing well with your eye condition. Blair