h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Here's a link to a website that lists causes:

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/macular_degeneration/page2_em.htm

Christiane, on page 9 of the link Paul posted is a discussion about injections of various medications into the eye. Anti-VEGF therapy. The drug my circ supervisor gets is also used for prostate cancer, so is probably the one listed in Paul's link. Since she started taking the shots, her vision hasn't improved, but it hasn't deteriorated any more, either. She is now only having to take the injections every 5 or 6 months.

Just found this thread, sorry to read about your eye sight Christine, I know what its like for you. As back in the 70s when I was a welder I was working inside a pipe along with another welder. I got a sever "flash" from the other welder "gouging torch" which made me totally blind for 3 days!
I had to keep putting cold tea bags on my eyes, as that was the only thing that could stop the burning sensation which was very painful!

Flash= Arc-Eye, which burns off the protective layer on your eyes.

Gouging Torch= Is a solid carbon rod which burns at very high temperature, along with a continues blast of compresses air. This removes all the weld metal so that we could repair a weld which has failed U/T or X-Ray testing.

I hope they can help to improve your eye sight.

Smudger.

Ooo just stumbled across this thread

As goes who to approach for help, with eyesight reducing, or worse loosing it, well, first off social services in your area should ahve a visual impairment rehabilitation officer/team, though in some parts of the country this is regulated a bit differntly via local charity for the blind
(Where I am in Cambridge, you have to go through the charity CamSight, rather than direct to the social services itself... but it kind of amounts to teh same thing).

There are plenty of low vision aids, for reading, like magnifiers, and I think for the most part these are considered essential things, and so provided free through social services, the local blind charity, or in some cases I think maybe from the local hospital.

There's plenty of other gadgits too that are helpful; talking watches, large print or tactile watches and clocks, speaking kitchen timers, and things for helping in the kitchen etc.; The rehab officers should know all about these and be able to provide, or at least demonstrate them etc...

The talking book library at teh RNIB is great; its a bit expensive these days; but in most cases either the local social services or the local visially impaired charity will pay this

Another thing to consider, is to find out from teh social services people/rehabilitation officer about benifits; you may be able to get DLA if medically your eyesight is considered to be below a certain point (can't remember all the details on that, ), and the DLA might not work as I don't know how it'll relate to other benifits, and actually now I'm thinking I remember you may not get that but its probably worth checking as other things may exist I just don't know about

There are a range of things on the computer; to enlarge the print on the screen or as others have said ahving speech output as I do on mine to read to you waht your typing, and read back what is on the screen...

I'll not write too much more now its getting a bit late but thoguht I oughta reply to the tread now before I lost it

Dear Paul,Hypatia and Smudger,

Thanks for the link, abd also the useful information

Extraordinary I cannot read a thing about the treatment from the page on my computer.

It seems as if my sypposition that teaching swimming in the tropics might conceivably have had a contributory cause although they seem to think that it is also genetic. It is quite a shock to lose it soquickly. Funny that I cannit stand the glare even on a day when the sun is not shining brightly.

That must really have been a dreadful experience Smudger. Is your eyesight fine now?


anyway, thank you for your gentleness and kindness.
Going back to try and sleeo.

with affection

Christiane.
Wednesday 24/III/2010 2.49 GMT

With affection

~Christiane.

Dear 2legs,

How incredibly kind of you to send me that information. At the moment it is quite traumatic getting my head around the fact that I am losing my vision so fast.

I wonder if I will get used to it. I shall be lost without this marvellous website where really I have opracticallty all my friends.

Thank you again for your kindness in writing and giving me suggestions. I have read your messages your friend Jules K who was also very kind in writing to me . You made me laugh when you spoke about her baby daughter "nighthoover"!!

With good wishes,

Go well,

Christiane
AksiRan79

24/III/2010 2.55 GMT

Dear 2legs

Apologies for the change of topic.¬¬I wonder if I am losing my mind as well.!! I could not find where I had written that phrase and unfortunately only found it when I had already posted it.
Mea culpa. !
Christiane

AlsoRan80 (nearly 82 and NOT 79 as I wrote so optimistically. !!!)
aka AlsoRan1

Hon, losing your sight doesn't mean you have to lose us, if you can get help learning to use a screen reader. 2legs, who is one of my best friends on here, has been blind since before h2g2 existed (common knowledge, so I know he won't mind my saying so) and it certainly hasn't slowed him down any! Of course, he's been using his reader so long that it's set fairly fast--I remember one time we were talking on the phone and his computer said something--it sounded like an auctioneer

Very dear Amy,

Thank you so much. So that is why he wrote to me. We are all friends. Thank you so much. What a wonderful website. !!I am sure that that is what DNA would have wanted, !!


With a big to "Les girls" and best wishes to you and Tom.

Much affection

Christiane.
AR80

24/III/2010 8.15 GMT

Hello, Christiane,

Yes, Amy is right, I should have said that but I guess I just think people know on here but I guess not everyone does; I lost my sight when I was 17 which is... well I'm 33 years old now so it was a while ago I guess
I use the computer with a screen reader and in fact I don't have a monitor at all plugged into my PC here as it just takes up room that I use for something else instead
So not being able to see hopefully wouldn't necessarily be somethign to stop you using the computer, it just makes it a bit differnt I guess

I agree with 2legs. Being visually impaiired should NOT stop you using hooto. If bright light is hurting your eyes then some sunglasses might be in order. I wear mine all the time these days, the lenses are pink I don't often use my screenreader unless I have a big essay to write or something similar as it is difficult for me to read what i am typing and i make lots of misteaks.

Contact your local council in the first instance and see what they can do to help.

mini (who has a peice of paper saying she is blind, but still does most things normally)

Hello Christiane

I am very sorry to hear that you have been having so many problems with your eyesight.

I have read that zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamins A, C and E can slow down the condition and I found the information in Age-Related Macular Degeneration on http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/amd.htm also fish oils can help too.

I hope this can help.

Katrine

I think that the response to this thread proves that a group of blind people really could describe an elephant.....

THE ELEPHANT


Blind men seven try to explain
What an elephant's like. The first says, "The main
feature's a tube, rubb'ry and thick."
The second says, "No, it's more like a stick,
Or four sticks, that is. "The third says, "No way!
An elephant's pointed and sharp. That, I say!"
The fourth tells of rubbery leaves, broad and flat.
The fifth says, "A very broad back, where I sat."
The sixth says, "A belly! This elephant's fat!"
The seventh says "Rope! it's braided like tweed."
They argued for hours, and never agreed.


If I didn't wear corrective lenses, I would be legally blind.
Now I'm learning about other H2G2 researchers who also have to
deal with eyesight that is all or partially gone. And the wonderful thing is that there are so many ways to manage. The elephant of life has been well and tfruly described. By us.

Very dear Paul,

Thank you for your thought-provoking analogy of the elephant.

all I can say, is that the kindness and gentleness of the researchers have touched me so ddeply that I have really gained so much in strength.

I never guessed how many were friends along this difficult path of life. It is quite wonderful how we manage, through friendship, to overcome so many of our difficulties.

We really are a wonderful family of human elephants.

Go well, and thank you all.

christiane
Alsoran80

Wed 28/III/2010 5.22 GMT

Speaking of eye sight, we asked Specavers a couple of weeks ago if we could use their "eye test in your home" service, for Mk2 seeing as she cant get out these days.
Well they came today, and her new glasses will be sent to her withing in the 2 weeks!

The eye test itself was very thorough, a lot more than her last opticians was? Then they gave her a large selection of frames to look at as well. Then we paid a bit extra for transitions lenses so they will go dark when in bright sunlight, (as if we get a lot of that)

All in all we were well pleased with it all

Smudger.

Hi dear smudger,

so pleased that Mk 2 has had eye tests in your home and that she will be getting a nice good pair of glasses. it should make a big difference both to her sight and to the way she feels.

You are a darling. !!

Mow I am up. Making the most of the fadt that when I first wake up I appear to be able to see much more than after a few hours of using my eyes. so what should I do. Why write to my firends on h2g2///

With much affection to you both.

Christiane
AR80

26/III/2010 5.50 GMT

Thanks for that Christine.

My therapy sessions are being stopped, as they say that I am not making progress?
Now I have to they and think of a way, to take a photo of Mk2 and see if I can make it the right size for her next I.D. picture for her benefit card?
I am still trying to gain some weight as I am 3 stone under what I should be? Its all go Eh! take care

Smudger.

Dear Christiane,

I only found this thread after you said something to Hypatia on her other thread about your eyesight. I didn't want to say anything over there.

I am so sorry to hear that you're having trouble with your eyes. I hope that medical science can find a way to halt the degeneration, and maybe improve things.

As you know, I have spent most of my life with impaired vision. Since the cataract surgeries, I'm seeing better than I ever did before - although I still can't remember to put on my glasses until I can't read the computer screen or page.

I'm glad I don't have to use a screen reader - I have two hearing aids, as well, and I'd have to keep saying 'eh'?

When I was growing up, I had school friends who were completely blind and yet did everything the rest of us did - often better. A blind friend of mine always went bowling with us.

The day she bowled a strike, the entire place stood up and cheered. We blushed - we were young, and didn't think anyone was noticing us. We thought it was completely normal that our friend did what we did.

Prayers and best wishes,

Dmitri

I worked with a young man, many years ago, who had no sight whatever, in fact if memory serves me correctly he had no eyes. He was a qualified touch typist, and his speed and accuracy but our sighted staff to shame. I have never forgotten him, though I cannot remember his name

Websailor

Unfortunately, Microsoft keeps changing the placement of stuff on its screens. It's hard enough to figure out where things are qhen you can see the screen. My new keyboard at work, which is set up for Windows 2007, has moved around the "End," "Home," and other keys. I'm always trying to go to the top of the page and ending up at the bottom.