"I am only getting old"

by Jutta
(Tasmania)

Dear Leslie and everybody else,

During the last year I have spent quite a lot of time reading your stories and information on this webside and found lots of interesting bits. Sometimes I could relate to stories very well and wanted to answer but I found it very difficult to write something 'helpful'.

I was a bit surprised to read that this website does not come up in google search anymore and hope I can support you, Leslie, by telling my story now anyway:

Last year I (46)went to my optometrist because I lost my glasses at the beach, not because I had problems with my eyes. We did the usual eye test. After testing the same thing over and over again, he said that I refused to tell him all the numbers/letters on the board. I only saw 4 out of 5 signs. The middle was missing. After making more tests he told me that I had the first signs of dry macular degeneration and that there is nothing he can do.

He kept repeating that it has something to do with healthy food. This surprised me a bit because I always thought I am cooking very healthy. I have children who constantly complain that they miss out on junk food and I have a partner with a health problem, which is the reason that I cook fat free and lots of vegetables etc. So I asked if I should go to a GP for a check up and the optomerist agreed to this, but also said I should google macular degeneration to get more information.

As I was working as a sewing/embroidering machine operator my sight is really important for me. So I started hopping around on internet pages, doing different eyetests and getting all sorts of information, which was mostly - scary...
I did suddenly realise that I couldn't see all the lines I was supposed to cut or sew. I did also remember that years ago letters of small prints started jumping in front of my eyes. (Back then my optomerist said, I just wasn't concentrating) and I also did get a bit impatient reading about people who are twice as old as me and getting blind.... sorry, but I thought, that is just not me.

So I called the GP for a general health check.
The results of a blood test were all 'very good' and 'no problem at all', so the doctor laughed at me. "you are only getting old, it is normal to have problems at your age".

I asked her if she is pulling my leg and if she could refer me to a specialist, which she did.
The specialist - who did not laugh - told me I am imagining things. "I know the signs of AMD and you certainly don't have this" is what he said.

I told him what the optomerist said and asked him to check again. This second check seemed to change the doctors mind a bit and he said there might be a tiny problem, but nothing to worry about, sent me back to the GP, who is still smiling and telling me all about getting old. "We all use bits and pieces, some move slower, some use their eyesight, .... and you won't need that much sleep anymore, have you realised that?"

Honestly, I would appreciate to sleep less and have more time to do things, but as things happen, I am usually tired very early in the evening after extremely busy days. And yes I had times when I was very stressed and spend more time in bed reading and eating chocolate than anything else. But this is now appr. 2 years ago.

And I started bicycling regularly, running daily and looking after my health a bit more. So I did not agree with what the doctor said. Also, my eyes were still good enough to read on her computer what the specialist wrote to her, which was "Yes, there are signs of AMD, but due to her age treatment is not recommended" Does that mean, I am too old or too young for treatment?

At this point I stopped to bother about doctors, started to rearrange my eating plan. I eat everything which is on the list 'anti infamatory' and added some pills to my menue (fish oil and vitamins) which are supposed to help with macular degeneration.

I resigned my job because I spent most of the time comparing lines and not being able to sew straight anymore. I went to a school for a while and got to know a teacher who said, she knows about macular degeneration and she can help me with sewing. So we worked out together which bits of the material I could not see.

I bought a brighter light which helps a lot. I also use magnetic sewing guides so that I don't have to look for lines and needles which I can't see, but pull the material alongside the magnets, which I can see.

So for now I am working self employed (I received my first orders for fixing a couch and designing/sewing a work uniform). And today I will write an application for an embroidery position in another company. This time I will bring my own light and my magnetic guides and all the other bits and pieces I need to help me doing my job...

And although it is scary not to have 'proper medical support' all the people who wrote their story on this website and all the information Leslie delivered is helping a lot.

Thanks

Jutta