Bad News About My Vision from the Opthalmologist

M

maplebeez

Member
Hello!
Just learned my Macular Degeneration, which had been stable for years, is progressing. The thoughts of loosing my vision & my independence is frightening. There are treatments available, like Photodynamic Therapy & VEGF Injections which may slow down this progression. My eye surgeon wouldn't go into detail about these procedures during my exam, just scheduled me for another check-up in three months. Wanted to ask if anybody on this board has received these treatments & whether or not they were successful? Thanks.
 

My old Dad had Macular Degeneration, and it really limited his abilities in his later years. I talked to my eye doctor years ago, about this condition, and he recommended taking a daily Lutein pill...6mg, and a fish oil capsule. I've been doing this for at least 10 years, and so far, my annual eye exams just show a need for very minor changes in the strength of my glasses.....Knock Wood.
 
My stepson has been working on a cure for macular degeneration for years using his PhD in human genetics. His research is based on locating the gene that causes the retina to develop during the growth of a baby in the womb. He hopes to be able to trigger that gene to develop a retina in those who have the disease and then shut it of after regeneration. Progress, sadly, has been slow due the constant financial needs of the lab in his university. Money seems to go first to what brings in the greatest profits, usually to pharmaceutical companies. Blessings and prayers to you, maplebeez....
 

Don, My eye exams have been good, the MD has been stable, but the doctor thinks those 2 daily Lutein capsules I've been taking, couldn't stop the disease from progressing. This is turning out to be the worst day of my life.

Don M. said:
My old Dad had Macular Degeneration, and it really limited his abilities in his later years. I talked to my eye doctor years ago, about this condition, and he recommended taking a daily Lutein pill...6mg, and a fish oil capsule. I've been doing this for at least 10 years, and so far, my annual eye exams just show a need for very minor changes in the strength of my glasses.....Knock Wood.
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Sitting here thinking about it and I can't even begin to imagine how terrible it would be for a person to lose their eyesight......I wish you all the luck in the world.
 
maplebeez said:
Don, My eye exams have been good, the MD has been stable, but the doctor thinks those 2 daily Lutein capsules I've been taking, couldn't stop the disease from progressing. This is turning out to be the worst day of my life.
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MD is becoming more common as more and more of us are living longer. There is a wealth of information about this condition on the Internet, and it would be a good idea to read these informative articles, so as to better understand what is going on, and any conditions you might be personally noticing...so as to better help your eye doctor prescribe the proper treatment. There are some effective Laser treatments which have been developed in recent years that might be a workable solution, and some new drugs are showing promise in slowing down this problem. Here is a good article that contains some very good information.....

https://www.macular.org/treatments
 
I've been a patient of this opthalmogist for eight years, but what bothered me the most after getting the bad news about my MD, was his brusque manner, "just keep taking those eye supplements, then come back in three months for a recheck," before he walked out of that exam room, leaving me sitting there in the dark. I felt he thought my concerns about loosing my eyesight were a lost cause.

terry123 said:
Research the net and let your doc know you are willing to try them if you think it could help.
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Terry, I'm more frustrated than ever since talking with the doctor's surgical resident this morning. He told me the treatments I mentioned, only benefit patients with the wet form of MD. The dry type like I have is age related, can only be treated with vitamin supplements & I should get used to my vision being cloudy. I guess medical schools don't think it's important teaching doctors sensitivity or empathy.
 
maplebeez said:
Terry, I'm more frustrated than ever since talking with the doctor's surgical resident this morning. He told me the treatments I mentioned, only benefit patients with the wet form of MD. The dry type like I have is age related, can only be treated with vitamin supplements & I should get used to my vision being cloudy. I guess medical schools don't think it's important teaching doctors sensitivity or empathy.
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If you have "Dry" MD, that is probably better than the "Wet" version. The "Wet" usually causes more problems. Vitamin Supplements are certainly one of the best things a person can do, and you might also check into using some eye drops. I get Lutein pills from Swanson Vitamins, and the fish oil from Walmart....probably don't spend $25 a year, and so far my eyes are hanging in there...Knock Wood.
 
maplebeez said:
Terry, I'm more frustrated than ever since talking with the doctor's surgical resident this morning. He told me the treatments I mentioned, only benefit patients with the wet form of MD. The dry type like I have is age related, can only be treated with vitamin supplements & I should get used to my vision being cloudy. I guess medical schools don't think it's important teaching doctors sensitivity or empathy.
Click to expand...

It seems to me there is precious little compassion in the medical profession today, particularly from specialists. I think it's unconscionable for a specialist to drop troubling news on a patient and then give them basically the patriarchal "now don't you worry your pretty little head about it" treatment.

I think I would find another opthalmologist. It's bad enough to be facing scary medical stuff, without having your doctor treating you like you're only a number.
 
I think I would consult another specialist about those options the doctor mentioned. I would feel better having 2 specialists opinions than one. I know after I had my stroke I researched everything I could about my left arm and hand being paralyzed. Of course this is a lot different than being visually impaired.
 
Did more research & discovered two companies, one in Texas currently getting good results from clinical trials on a Dry MD eye drop & another Online Supplement Manufacturer, offering eye drops promoting vision clarity for MD patients like me. Of course those products contain the same disclaimer that neither product is a cure & won't work for everyone....just like all those over-the-counter eye supplements. But my doctor's office said anything I use without their approval/permission is "against medical advice." Go figure!
 
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