Anyone familiar with Macular Degeneration?

blade · Post by **blade** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 9:26 pm

Mom has one eye left and had a cateract removed a month or so ago, now she has this:
http://www.macular.org/wet.html

She goes in the 16th for that laser therapy thing mentioned down the page. After that she has to either stay inside for 4 days, or if she goes outside she must cover all her skin and wear dark glasses, if there is any sun.

Then have it again in another 3 months, perhaps every 3 months. It may or may not help.

For now she can see the TV ok, but not any fine print, like reading a newspaper or any text on the TV. Mainly just things close up, like she can't make our faces out too well.

Needless to say this has her very upset, being that's her only eye.

Just curious if anyone has been through this or know anyone who has, and how it went.

Karchiveur · Post by **Karchiveur** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 9:33 pm

Not sure,

But man your mom has had it pretty rough!

never give up hope!

Shadow250 · Post by **Shadow250** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:26 pm

my uncle has had this procedure. it is usually done on one eye at a time with a laser to cauterize small leaky blood vessels. it does work some but usually glasses or contacts are still needed. there is some risk involved as it could make it worse which is why they do one eye at a time. my uncle said for him it was worth it.

Viperoni · Post by **Viperoni** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:46 pm

dadx2mj · Post by **dadx2mj** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:59 pm

I have it. I have a rare form of it that takes place in the late teens thru early 20s. Usually it is something that only happens to the elderly. Has most around here know I am what the Govt. calls legally blind, that is far from totally blind. To my knowledge Macular Degeneration is considered un-treatable. Although there are a couple of types (wet and dry) Last I heard they were on the verge of a treatment for one type of the two. Unfortunately for me mine is not either the wet or the dry and like I said is very rare and little is known about it other than it is hereditary. Whatever they are going to do for your Mom must be relatively new. In my case they have told me that UV light (sunlight) is very harmful to my eyes. Only thing they have ever done in the way or prevention is add UV filters in my glasses which I dont even wear anymore as they do so little for me. I do make sure when I go outside I have on good sunglasses with UV filters in them. Best I can describe my vision is that I have blind spots that move and what most people have for periferial vision is what I have in my focus point. To give you an example I have a 19" monitor run at 800x600 and use large fonts, to read the screen my nose is 4" from the monitor.

renovation · Post by **renovation** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:30 pm

good luck to your mom blade -and i asked my wife she said she was not up on the treatments !

darcy · Post by **darcy** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 10:21 am

best wishes to your mom, blade. i hope the laser surgery goes well and that there is some significant improvement. keep the faith.

chottoED · Post by **chottoED** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 2:20 pm

I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope the procedure works out. Best wishes.

Executioner · Post by **Executioner** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 2:55 pm

Sorry to hear about this Mike. Hopefully the procedure will work and give her some piece of mind. Nothing worse than losing your eyesight.

blade · Post by **blade** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 7:46 am

Thank you everyone

Randy, I know you have eye troubles but I didn't know it was this. So yours has stayed the same since your 20's? Or has it gotten any worse or better?

My Mom has the worst version, the wet type. The doc said the treatments may help and may slow it down. Though from my net research, it doesn't look promising.

But hey, you never know.

dadx2mj · Post by **dadx2mj** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 9:40 am

Yeah Mike the form of it I have does it's damage during your late teens thru the mid 20's or so. My eyes have not changed any noticeable amount since I was about 27 (am 45 now). The wet form of it is definitely the worst type and I have to agree the success rate of the treatment is not the best but given the choice of the treatment or doing nothing depending on how bad her eyes are I would probably go for it. My eyes are pretty bad but I have learned to function pretty well with them. The only thing I dont do is drive and I did that for many years when I really should not have. Finally decided it was just not worth the risk to me and to others.

eGoCeNTRoNiX · Post by **eGoCeNTRoNiX** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 10:32 am

Hey Mike,

I'm really sorry to hear about all this.

I know it must be hard. I do hope that the treatments will provide her at least some relief if not restore her vision. I know that the best will happen, because you and your's deserve nothing less.

Chal

Augix · Post by **Augix** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 8:54 pm

I am sorry about his mike! but like I told you, a new year is coming with "ALL THE LUCK" you did not use the this year. so good luck! and please do not get paranoid reading on the internet, every person is differnt and every case is a world apart. SO

BUENA SUERTE!

blade · Post by **blade** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 9:18 pm

Thank you Chal and Augi

Randy, I am so sorry you've had to live like that and for so long.

You'd think a cure could have been made by now. But at least it hasn't gotten worse and you can at least see.

Found out today that my sister in law's Mom also had this and had the laser treatments. Her last few months all she could see were shadows, everything was dark, black and white. Hopefully they caught this in time for my Mom for the treatments to work. They found it after the cateract surgery.

BUENA SUERTE!

?

eGoCeNTRoNiX · Post by **eGoCeNTRoNiX** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 10:06 pm

Originally posted by blade
?

Good Luck