Case Study - Age-related Macular Degeneration

Age-related Macular Degeneration (ArMD) affects 3 million elderly people in the UK and is likely to affect most of us if we live long enough. Here is a patient's account on living with wet ArMD.

"When I first noticed a slight waviness to horizontal lines and surfaces, I mentioned it to my optician, who, to my surprise sent me straight off to my doctor, who, in turn, sent me to the hospital Eye Department. I was informed I had Wet AMD. I knew nothing about the condition or what to expect.

I started receiving treatment. Only my left eye had the condition at that time and I was given PDT to try to improve it or stop it getting worse. I was coping well and not too worried but, as I had been warned, my right eye also became affected. Now I began to notice deterioration in my sight. I stopped driving. My whole life-style was about to change quite radically.

I had always been very active. I was an avid reader and I loved to play the piano, embroider, draw & paint, take my handicapped husband to places where he could walk a little and look after the house. However, as my eye condition progressed I found I could only read newspaper headlines and maybe the old paragraph or two with the aid of a magnifying glass (x5). I stopped reading books and found sewing, writing and drawing to be too difficult. I tried, but failed, to play the piano as I need to read music and it was impossible. I stopped driving as I knew I could no longer drive safely. If I walked into town I was apprehensive. I would only cross the road at a lighted pedestrian crossing because I was too nervous, feeling that I was unable to judge the speed and distance from me of an approaching vehicle - even if there were none I wouldn’t cross except at a designated crossing. I couldn’t recognise people’s faces. I once said “who’s that?” to my next door neighbour of 21 years!

My life, and my husband’s life, had contracted. I has lost my independence and self-reliance and often felt depressed and unhappy. Television was a blur, but I liked listening to music. People told me to get “talking books” from the library but I’m not good at sitting and doing nothing with my hands if I’m listening. The thought of “talking books” upset me a great deal, possibly because I felt it was the end of my ability to see and to be autonomous. It was difficult trying to encourage my husband to try harder when I was in such a low state myself.

Meanwhile I started receiving Lucentis injections in my right eye. My sight seemed to be deteriorating, getting more & more blurred. But, as it happened, a clean-up procedure was arranged for a film behind an implant which had developed after a cataract operation some years ago. Within an hour a miracle had happened for me! THE LUCENTIS TREATMENT HAD WORKED!!! And now, with my right eye, I could see clearly again. I could see raindrops on a window, read car number plates on the way home, see birds flying, people’s faces… I felt like a child, excited and in wonder. Now I can read with just my reading glasses as before, now I can play the piano again and enjoy it. I can enjoy all my previous activities I thought I had lost and live a normal life again and have regained my self confidence. I can recognise my friends from afar and realise far more than I ever did how precious one’s sight is.

So, my very grateful thanks to my Ophthalmic Consultant, to all the other hospital doctors, medical staff, nurses etc for all they have done for me and others like me. I also like to thank everyone involved in the research that has been carried out and is ongoing regarding this condition."