Macular degeneration and me

No one likes to discuss illnesses, let alone hear about other people’s aches and pains. 

A doctor’s life is centered around this discussion, so I hope that you will indulge me for a minute or two. The reason being, is that you belong to my gene pool. 

What I have, may come into your life as well. 

To begin with, both my parents had macular degeneration. I was naive and did not pay much attention, mainly because it was their problem and I did not know that it would affect me until later on.

One day I saw a dumbbell shaped object in my vision. I went to see Dr. Fontaine down the street. He said that I had a hemorrhage on the retina and referred me to a retinal specialist in Salt Lake who used a laser to stop the bleeding. I developed another hemorrhage in the same right eye and underwent another laser treatment. 

I was diagnosed with dry type of macular degeneration and other than losing the central vision in my right eye I have done well over the past 20+ years with only peripheral vision on the right. I have normal vision in the left eye. 

Our family was enrolled in a study at the Moran Eye Institute at my request and they found that my wife had the wet type of macular degeneration and she eventually ended up getting shots in both eyes to preserve her vision. Her vision is stable now.

We have a son who is now getting shots in his eye to preserve his vision. 

So you may end up with age related macular degeneration. 

This condition occurs in the Kerr family.

My aunt Alta had it, as well as number of her siblings and some descendants. Alta’s son George had it and his son George has the disease. 

Robert Marion Kerr and his son Robert had it as well. Robert’s brother Joseph also had the disease.

My cousin Merrill Gee has stable macular degeneration.

On the Stucki side;

My uncle Wendell Stucki had the disease as well and so far none of his children have reported being affected. 

My cousin Mary Lou had the condition. She was my aunt Evelyn’s daughter. 

My uncle Max had macular degeneration as well, but none of his three children have it. 

As you can see this appears to be a genetically inherited disease. 

So what is Grandpa’s counsel?

I have always said illness like sin is best treated early in its course. Since you don’t know if you are going to have vision problems in the future, you should check the vision using an Amsler grid.Here is the URL:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&channel=tus&q=amsler+grid

If the lines look wavy start taking PreserVison vitamins and get an appointment with a retinal specialist. 

The earlier you get intervention the better the result will be. 

You need to save both your physical and spiritual vision to see clearly.

Love,

Grandpa