Day 76 of 365 Days of Being Thankful

      Today I am so thankful for my vision!   I have an appointment with my retina specialist today!

Over 15 years ago I was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration(ARMD).  I went to the eye doctor because I had gotten pink eye from one of my students and during the exam he told me that I had ARMD. 

I was shocked and thought he was crazy! He told me that I would lose most of my vison within 10 years.   I was thinking that I would be a living  example of an oxymoron( a blind reading specialist).  I was working full-time, loved my job as a reading specialist and we counted on my income. I LOVE to read, I can't imagine life without good books.  I always have one or two books going at a time.  I just finished reading Lab Girl for my book club.  It was excellent.  I also am reading When Everyday Matters for my Bereaved Moms group.  We read and discuss two books a year. I was a mess when I was diagnosed. I searched online and found a clinical trial I wanted to be part of.  At the time I was 46 and the required age was 50+.  I was considering buying a fake PA License ID online to be in the study.  I had never been dishonest in my life or broke a law,  but I was really considering it.   I went to Penn Scheie Eye Institute for a second opinion and met a wonderful doctor named Dr. Fine.  He told me that I was in the early stage of the eye disease and I had many,  many more years of good sight ahead and to calm down. I told him that I wanted to be in the clinical trial study and he told me that I was not old enough and that no exceptions could be made. (How could I not be old enough at age 46??) He also said that he didn't think it was a good clinical trial and I was better off not being part of it. He was the kindest doctor I had ever met.  Amy died a year later and he wrote me the nicest letter I have ever received.  Every time I would see him after that for an appointment, he would tell me that he often thought of me and Amy. When he retired a few years later, he wrote me another letter and recommended a new doctor to me. He told me that he would never forget about Amy. He had never even met her! I went to his new doctor but wasn't very fond of him. Dr. Fine was right about telling me not to be in the clinical trial years ago.  Lasers were used and most people had permanent damage(blindness) from the clinical trial.  So he saved my vision for me.

       These are the risk factors for ARMD.  Most people get it in their sixties or seventies(lucky me got it at 46).  I don't think there is any family history in my family.  It is more common in Caucasians so I fit that criteria.  And I don't smoke so that criteria doesn't work either.  It also is more common in people who drink alcohol and I don't drink at all. And another factor is that it is more common in people with light colored eyes, my eyes are dark brown!

 

        I now see a doctor from Wills who I really like. My eye disease progressed and I now have to get shots in my eye but I still have really good vision.  When you get a shot in the eye, it is such a weird feeling because the needle comes right at you and someone is holding your eye open so you can't close it. People say "I could never do that" but when it comes to your health, you can basically do anything even if it is scary or uncomfortable or painful  When Olivia had spinal fusions surgery and the complications of pulmonary blood clots, I had to give her Lovenox shots in her leg everyday. I was scared to give them to her but I knew I had to do it to save  her life.  And they were extremely painful but Olivia knew she had to endure them. We never appreciate good health until we don't have it!

The doc always says, "don't move or I'll have to stick you twice." I never move, one needle in the eye is more than enough.  It is weird to watch the needle coming straight for your eye and you can't stop it! You sort of steel yourself for the stick and try not to think about it! But that is hard to do because you are up close and personal and have the needle heading into your eye.  No one thinks they can do it but if the alternative is losing vision, it is not that difficult a task. One time he hit a small blood vessel in my eye and I watched the blood squirt out. That was kind of cool!  It was like watching from the inside out! He told me that I didn't have ARMD, I  had another type of macular degeneration. I have not had a shot for over a year, he told me that I am at the top 1% of people who don't need shots every month.  But I remind him that I was also at the youngest age to be diagnosed. I really like my retina specialist. We discuss new treatments on the horizon.  He is always amazed that I don't need a shot.  Whenever I have an appointment there, it is a long day.  The shortest time I have ever been at an appointment is 3 hours! I try to get early appointments because the later the appointment, the longer the time there. He has a huge staff and they just move the patients from room to waiting room to room.  They do all types of tests and then dilate pupils and take images for the doc. He comes in the room and you get his expertise for all of 5-10 minutes. I usually have a book with me and he asks about the plot if he hasn't read it.  His staff workers are so nice! The only thing I don't like is the long wait. But there is nothing to do about it but accept it. I didn't need a shot today, I am so happy about that! For some strange reason I had a bad reaction to the eye drops today, I have had it before but never this bad. I know it will eventually subside but I am going to cancel my plans and stay in today and tonight. Not getting a shot is something that I am VERY thankful for!
     I am also thankful that I got to see Adam and Renee's dog Sandy today. Animals are so sweet and love unconditionally.

Renee and Sandy on a hike!

 

She is the sweetest dog.  She is sometimes skittish around me because she takes lots of meds for seizures. Sandy has been having a lot of seizures and needs daily meds for awhile. Renee is in South Africa so Olivia usually goes to her house  to give Sandy her meds and let her out.  Since Olivia had a doctor's appointment today, I went and gave her the meds. She easily takes the meds because they are put in tasty pill pockets which she loves!   Sandy kept running away from me while I was trying to put on her harness to let her out back. I didn't know how to get her to stay still so I could put on her harness, then I remembered that Sandy LOVES food.  I put some kibble in my hands and she came over and let me put the harness on.  I let her out and she wouldn't move.  I had to walk down in the yard with her. I was glad she went out so she could urinate because she drinks tons of water while on the meds. Adam called to thank me and said he wanted to give something to Olivia.  It was a very kind offer but  I said NO, family helps family without payment.  We are all glad to help Renee and Adam and to visit Sandy! Visiting Sandy is payment enough.