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• Diagnosed with MD in my 40's...any others out there like me?
• Posted: 2008-02-07 23:53:13 By Kevin S
• Hello...I have recently been diagnosed with dry MD...I am 42, and the MD is not hereditary...most things I'm finding on this disease are related to people who develop it in their 60's and 70's...I don't fit the mold and would like to touch base with some others that are, or have been, in the "same boat"
  
  Kevin

• Re: Diagnosed with MD in my 40's...any others out there like me?
• Posted: 2008-02-14 14:18:00 By Debbye K
• I was diagnosed when I was 53; I am now 54. I was terribly surprised. I noticed wavy lines in left eye, so I went to the doctor to be checked. My eyesight has always been so perfect, and that was why it was such a big shock. Also, I thought you had to be older, because my father had it. I once asked my opthamologist to check me for it because I had heard it was inherited, but he told me to not worry; I was too young. Shows not all are quite with it. I'm sorry to hear you have it too. I have had two injections in my left eye, but it did not help, so I haven't been back to the doctor. The injections are terribly expensive even with insurance. I also went to an acupuncturist, and I'm really not sure if it helped or not. When I was tested back at my retinal specialist's office, (after the acupuncture) --I didn't tell them I went for obvious reasons--, they said my vision tests showing I had improved greatly. I just can't tell. I still can't see well.

• Re: Re: Diagnosed with MD in my 40's...any others out there like me?
• Posted: 2008-02-19 16:36:33 By Sharon F
• Hi, I was diagnosed a year ago at the age of 41. It was a shock to me as I am very active, healthy eater and have never smoked. I dont like it and I am very scared of the future, but now that I look back over the past year and have not had any visual changes, I feel better. I have heard stories were people have had the dry form for over 30 years with no vision change... I hold on to those stories.
  I have increased my intake of fruits and veggies. ( I juice a lot).
  
  Sharon

• Re: Re: Diagnosed with MD in my 40's...any others out there like me?
• Posted: 2008-02-19 16:40:15 By Sharon F
• Hi, I was diagnosed a year ago at the age of 41. It was a shock to me as I am very active, healthy eater and have never smoked. I dont like it and I am very scared of the future, but now that I look back over the past year and have not had any visual changes, I feel better. I have heard stories were people have had the dry form for over 30 years with no vision change... I hold on to those stories.
  I have increased my intake of fruits and veggies. ( I juice a lot).
  
  Sharon

• Re: Diagnosed with MD in my 40's...any others out there like me?
• Posted: 2008-02-26 23:09:44 By Chelsie K
• I was just diagnosed with Wet AMD, and I'm shocked too. I am 34 years old, and it is progressing quickly...it's only been 6 weeks since I first noticed wavy, distorted vision, and I've already had 2 laser procedures and one injection (today). I don't know what the future holds, but I'm hoping for the best...I really want to be able to SEE my kids grow.
  
  I'm still trying to process it all.

• Re: Diagnosed with MD in my 40's...any others out there like me?
• Posted: 2008-02-27 22:09:25 By Jeanne C
• I was diagnosed with dry MD around age 35 when I went to the opthamologist with what I called "floaters". I was shocked. I am now 42. I have not had a check up in about 5 years, but have an appointment in a couple of weeks. I don't notice my MD most of the time, but I think my brain has taught me how to compensate with any vision loss by readjusting my focus or centralizing my focus on areas around what I am looking at. I am always conscious of staying away from bright lights and try to remember to always wear sunglasses outside. When I was first diagnosed, I, too, was shocked and scared. Because I do not seem to have had any progression with the disease, I am aware, but it doesn't consume me. I have a cousin who was just diagnosed with one wet and one dry at the age of 65. My mother has some MD and she is 78. Other than those, I am unaware of anyone else in my family who has had it. I will know more when I have my appointment in a couple of weeks. Now I see an article relating MD to higher incidents of strokes and heart attacks. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23379165/
  

• Re: Diagnosed with MD in my 40's...any others out there like me?
• Posted: 2008-03-12 10:43:26 By janet m
• Hi. My name is Janet I was diag. at age 49, but I had the symptoms for 2 years prior. At first I wondered why I couldn't read anything after comming in from outside on a sunny day. I was always near sighted but now had a problem reading, so I try'ed reading glass's than I noticed the vision in my right eye was distorded. I found that when I was watching TV one day, I rubbed my left eye and noticed that my center vision was blurry.in my right eye. I went to the ophthal. who told me I had cataract in my right eye and I need'd to see a retina spec. for my left eye which I thought was my good eye. When I went to the retina specialist I was told I had dry macular degeneration in both eyes and cataracts forming but they do not want to touch the cataracts as of yet. There is no family history of macular degeneration but I do smoke which they say increased the risk for it. As you know there is no treatment for dry except for vit. It scarry to think that you have a chance of lossing your eyesight enough that you cannot drive anymore or work, so I try not to thing about it.
  

• Re: Diagnosed with MD in my 40's...any others out there like me?
• Posted: 2008-03-12 10:43:30 By janet m
• Hi. My name is Janet I was diag. at age 49, but I had the symptoms for 2 years prior. At first I wondered why I couldn't read anything after comming in from outside on a sunny day. I was always near sighted but now had a problem reading, so I try'ed reading glass's than I noticed the vision in my right eye was distorded. I found that when I was watching TV one day, I rubbed my left eye and noticed that my center vision was blurry.in my right eye. I went to the ophthal. who told me I had cataract in my right eye and I need'd to see a retina spec. for my left eye which I thought was my good eye. When I went to the retina specialist I was told I had dry macular degeneration in both eyes and cataracts forming but they do not want to touch the cataracts as of yet. There is no family history of macular degeneration but I do smoke which they say increased the risk for it. As you know there is no treatment for dry except for vit. It scarry to think that you have a chance of lossing your eyesight enough that you cannot drive anymore or work, so I try not to thing about it.
  

• Re: Diagnosed with MD in my 40's...any others out there like me?
• Posted: 2008-03-18 15:31:50 By Pamela H
• I too have been diagnosed with the dry AMD at age 43. I was in for a regular eye appointment and was told. Talk about being floored. I was stunned. No one in my family has it and I have no vision problems as of yet (praise the Lord). It is a scary thing and I have been doing research on it, but not a whole lot of good news. I have never smoked, I eat well, just don't know what caused it. I understand your frustration.
  Pam H

• Re: Diagnosed with MD in my 40's...any others out there like me?
• Posted: 2008-03-18 21:27:57 By Edward H
• Yep, no mold fitter here. Actually it is my husband, 48 this year and was just diagnosed. Not sure what to do. It actually started about 6-8 years ago, but it was a slow progression that he did not notice it so much. I remember us joking that he could not see in the dark (he hates movies)and then that he could not see anything in front of him. He was even tested for pheripherial (sp) vision issues. The eye doctor told him to just press the button! Can you even believe that? This was over 2 years ago! We finally got some one who cared enough, his primary, to keep pursuing this through an opthamologist in her group. I thought he had the symptoms of RP and that is what the Dr said, but no Pigment. Whatever that means, we are still working with the Eye Dr on an exact diagnosis. My husband went to UCLA for the tests on December, what a pain, and then a Dr from England, who is an expert, saw him in Jan. So, long story short, he does not fit the mold either and we are not sure what to do now. We have tried a supplement called Bright Eyes with Lutein that he said helped. I was surprised, since it usually takes a while for things to take effect. So we are still waiting for a consult with the Dr for the Final diagnosis (office visit) but he told him it was degereration. So sorry to say, the 40's do not see so rare anymore.

• diagnosed with MD in my 40's
• Posted: 2009-01-09 23:27:25 By Paula W
• I was diagmosed with dry MD at the age of 44. I am 47 now. I have only had a slight change in my eye sight at this point. No one in my family has it. I always had great sight until I needed reading glasses when I got older. It scares me also. I take I-caps twice a day. Drink two cans of V-8 juice per day to increase my vegtable intake and now exercise five days a week. I wear sunglasses outside all the time no matter what the weather is. You can buy sunglasses with almost clear lenses for very cloudy days.

• im with you
• Posted: 2009-10-19 16:50:39 By Jennifer H
• although mine is genetic i was literally blindsided (no pun intended) lol by my diagnosis Im 35 and was diagnosed 19 months ago