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

Dear Christiane,

My very best friend has a macular hole in on eye, so I have some idea of what you are facing. This was the result of an accident. Having trouble with both maculas seems more normal, and of course much worse.

Because of my friend, I have been surfing on the internet and have found some news of a possible treatment for macular degeneration in a publication called The Medical News. I don't know anything about the website, though it looks professional. You might like to take a look at the page in question, and possibly ask your doctor about it. This is the link:

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100318/ISCO-commences-second-phase-of-testing-RPE-derived-from-parthenogenetic-stem-cells.aspx

In any case, my thoughts are with you and I wish you the very best of luck.

Dear Dimitri,WS Paulh,

Thank you all for your words of comfort and solicitude. I had the news some three weeks ago and have been trying to accept it. It is strange but I always dreaded losing my mind, and have always prayed that I would be spared that. It appears that my prayers have been answered but somethings, which came into operaation some 25 years ago when I had my first cataract operation and was told then that I only peripheral vision was diagnosed. I believe that the fact that the full effecfts are only being felt now, 25 years later and after the second cataract op mean that I have really been given a really good innings. !!

My new young Personal Assistant, - as she has asked me to name her and she is called Natalie - will be both able to read to me and also to do my correspondence and writing for me. I shall just have to learn to dictate. As I love talking that should not be too difficult. !!

With many thanks for your care and help. I reckon I have had a very good innings. !!

Much affeftion


Christiane.
AR80

Sunday 28th March 2010 7 00 GMT (Do I still put that down Gnoman?

Dear Christiane,

You put down anything you like, lady, about what time it is and where you are. Because we love knowing where you are, and what you're doing, thinking, and feeling.

I'm glad you've got a personal assistant. Hello, Natalie - welcome to Hootoo. I hope you enjoy reading us.

Please keep in touch.

Love,

Dmitri

Hi Christiane
I have read all of the backlog of comments and an really pleased to see so many people giving you sound advice and words of comfort. The only thing I have to add is something that I came across and was very impressed with the idea and thought it may appeal to Hootooers for a variety of reasons. It's a project called LibriVox http://librivox.org/ which aims to have every book in the public domain (i.e. where the coyright has ended) to be made available freely as a book you can listen to. Some people volunteer to read chapters of favourite boooks while others proof listen to the recordings and others still put them together into completed books and make them available for free download.

I used to work for an agency that had a worker specialising with work with deaf people and as you said earlier deafness can mean that someone is much more isolated than loss of sight, even though for many sighted and hearing people they think they would prefer to lose their hearing if one had to go.

I think probably most people find themselves in old age with impairment in hearing and/or sight. There's a often a little bit left, though, and the modern advances in hearing aids and eye surgery have given many people a chance to manage fairly well considering everything. Please don't give up hope, anybody.

Dear Paulh,

I missed a whole lot of these postings, and then fortunately remembered the title of it so went searching for it. Thank you for the story of the elephant.

I had the visit of the lady from the RNIB yesterday. I had had a very bad day the previous weekend and really felt as if my head was exploding and that all sorts of horrid things were going on in my poor brain. anyway, whatever has happened, meant that yesterday when she came I was able to do some very good test reading. she was quite amazed. Then I had a phone call from one of the doctors in the practice and they wanted to know when I had had my last eye test. I told her three weeks ago and then told her about the fact that they had referred me to an opthamologist. when the lady from the RNIB heard about this conversation she said that that probably it was because it was not macular degenration but something else, and that is why they had referred me . This is all very strangfe and I am thinking of all the things it could be. All nasty and unpleasant. !!

Oh well. I have booked into a hotel near K in order to save myself the long trip to where he is and also to have some quality time with him. So happy Easter to you. and yours.

Go well,

Christiane AR80

Friday 2nd April 2010 7.20 BST

Dear Vestboy,

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and hepe

That is the extraordinary thing. I also have hearing aids in both ears. when I had this enormous tumult seemingly going on in my brain, for a short time my hearing and my sight seemed to improve. Now it is all phut again. !! Oh well. I shall struggle on regardless.

Go well,
Sincerely,

Christiane
AR80

Friday 2nd April, 2010 7.30 BST

Dear Smudger,

Well my friend I was horrified at your loss of weight You must try and put it on. Also pleased that Mk2 has got her glasses. I hope they help her sight and that she is feeling better .

I am seeing less and less now, so must go and make some porridge for breakfast before I start blundering about the flat.

Go well my so dear friernd. Are you still writing about your experiences in the war? I should think that you could have a book published with all your have written.

mY affection to you both.

Christiane
AR80

Friday 2/IV/2010 7.43 BST

Thanks Christine, we have not got her new glasses yet, they said it would take a week to ten days, but its longer than that already?

Hope she will be able to use that computer I got her.

Sorry to read about your sight getting worse, is there nothing they can do? I have seen them page magnifiers advertised in magazines, would one of them help you at all?

Smudger.

Very dear Smudger andMk 2.

A very happy Easter to you both. I hope the easter bunny brings uou a beauatiful easter egg.

With much

Christiane and Keith.
AR80

4/IV/2010 8 oo BST