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• I'm 42 also...
• Posted: 2008-02-10 18:14:56 By diane j
• Hi there,
  
  I have also been diagnosed (they aren't real sure of the exact type). There is eye disease in my family--my mom and all her siblings were legally blind. They called it macular degeneration but others called it choricoidism. The docs say I don't have that though. The first time I found out I had retinal changes was 9/11 (go figure) when I was thirty five.
  
  Motomo

• Re: I'm 42 also...
• Posted: 2008-02-11 14:52:35 By Kevin S
• Wow!...seems strange that they don't know what type of MD you have, but, I'm still new at this, so I guess they haven't refined the equipment or tests yet enough to determine more exactly... are you showing any symptoms yet in your vision? and what has the progression been in the 7 years you've known you have it?
  
  Kevin :)

• Re: Re: I'm 42 also...
• Posted: 2008-02-11 18:37:33 By diane j
• Hi again,
  
  I am fortunate that my vision has not shown any change yet--with contacts or glasses it is about 20/20. However, my Fluorescein Angiogram has gotten about twice as bad. I am just taking Ocuvites and trying to eat well. How about you? How did you find out-I've heard it is hard sometimes without a family history.
  
  Diane

• Re: Re: Re: I'm 42 also...
• Posted: 2008-02-11 23:11:46 By Kevin S
• Hi Diane,
  
  I found out through my annual contact exam in October...my optemetrist told me that I had one large drusen in my right macula and some questionable spots...I went back for a 3 month follow up, which was 2 weeks ago, and at that time, I had developed 4 or 5 more small drusen...she referred me on to a retinal surgeon, who I saw last week; he confirmed what she had found and that I had definitely incurred some changes to my macula as a result...hence, he told me that I had MD...I'm glad to hear that you have not noticed any changes yet to your vision, despite that one test showing things being twice as bad
  
  Kevin :)

• Re: I'm 42 also...
• Posted: 2008-02-13 19:20:06 By diane j
• Kevin,
  
  Wow...this is all very new to you. Did you have any other testing besides a dilated eye exam? At my initial diagnosis, I had a test where they injected dye and took pictures. I also went to Boston Eye Infirmory for ERG testing (not a pleasant thing). I guess that the progression is different for everyone but clinical studies do show antioxidants to slow progression in ARMD (age-related MD) but nothing has been done to test this in juvenille MD which I understand to be a cluster of different macular dystrophies. I think that it can't hurt to take them.
  
  Diane

• Re: Re: I'm 42 also...
• Posted: 2008-02-14 00:19:38 By Kevin S
• Hi Diane,
  
  Yes, it is still very new to me, for sure. I couldn't accurately tell you what I had done, as I did not ask what the different things were called. I've read about the dye testing, but I did not have that done, I am certain. I do know that they used this machine that took scans/pictures of each retina. In addition to this, the doctor himself did different views with some kind of specialized lighting. I will have to read up on what this ERG testing is, as I'm not familiar with it. I am taking Occuvites as well as eating more of the foods high in the antioxidants. I've also seen that the progression is different for all people. It seems that the ARMD is mainly referring to people more mature in years, so I don't really feel that I fit into that category, as neither do you. This is all so hard to wrap my mind around, as there's no sure-fire way to predict how it will progress in me or in you or anyone else. I think I need to talk to my doctor and see if he can at least give me a range of possible outcomes with this, understanding that there's no guarantee of how my individual case will turn out. If you would like, please feel free to contact me at my email, jkshular@bsc.net. It might be easier to communicate through direct email. I understand if you're not comfortable with that.
  
  Thanks,
  Kevin

• hi
• Posted: 2009-10-19 16:52:01 By Jennifer H
• Im 35 now and was diagnosed with dry 19 months ago i know no one who can relate and there is no local chapter I am lost for help and someone who understands