Maria with Stargardt Macular Degeneration

by Maria
(Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)

My name is Maria, 1984 year of birth (24 y.o.), born in Russia, now living in Canada.

Well, I was diagnosed with the Stardgardt's macular degeneration at the age of 16, when I was just finishing high-school and entering the university. My eye sight started getting lower when I was about 10 years old, but back then I had just a slight problem with distance vision and wearing glasses was all the help I needed. During one of my regular optometrist's visits, my doctors suddenly became more concerned with my eye vision. Much more than usual. I just wanted a new glasses prescription, but they wouldn't let me go. The doctors started proceeding with further examinations with special equipment and diagnosed me with this macular degeneration. Not that long after, I started noticing new kinds of difficulties seeing: to see an object I now had to look a little bit above of it - my central vision started going down significantly. I started having problems reading, writing, and working on a computer - I basically have trouble seeing in details, the function that the macula provides to our eyes. To see I use my peripheral vision now .

So anyways, my vision dropped to 2/40 (approximately - I can see only the two top letters on the optometrist's scale with the correction) in three years. That has kind of stabilized on that same level since then, I think. I also have trouble seeing in the dark and when it's very sunny outside. I wear contact lenses, but that helps to sharpen my peripheral vision (low distance vision).

It has been very hard to live with this new condition in my life, first of all, emotionally and, of course, physically too. It has become a lot better now, since I have found more ways to adapt and have gotten used to things. I use a monitor magnifier to work at the computer and sometimes while reading. It still brings a lot of problems into my life. I can't drive and do a lot of things I would want to do, but I try to take it as something that will make me stronger and that I can accept and live with happily. I know there are lots of people like me out there and we all have to help each other and know that this is not the worst that can happen to a human-being.


Lots of love to you,

Maria.