Judi Dench: I'm not going blind

Oscar-winning British actress Judi Dench, who has revealed she is suffering from AMD, tried to downplay fears over her failing sight, saying that she is not going blind. 

She told Reuters in a statement: "In response to the numerous articles in the media concerning my eye condition - macular degeneration - I do not wish for this to be overblown.

"This condition is something that thousands and thousands of people all over the world are having to contend with. It's something that I have learnt to cope with and adapt to - and it will not lead to blindness."

Dench, 77, has said she has no plans to retire. Her seventh Bond film, Skyfall, is due to be released later this year and she is currently promoting The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a comedy-drama set in India.

Click here to read the full Reuters story. 

Tips from MDS members

Some 20 members of Macular Degeneration Society attended our first event of the year last Saturday - an intimate sharing session of our personal strategies in coping  with the disease.

Here's a list of the suggestions offered: 

• Settle on a doctor. It is tempting and common to look for a second, a third or even a fourth opinion. But the sooner you settle on one, you can build a lasting and trusting relationship with your physician, allowing him to know your condition better.

• Don't be afraid to try new things. If it doesn't hurt, give it a shot. We do not know what might work, so don't be too fast to close doors on possible options, be it Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture or vitamins, meditation etc.  

• Be honest and open. It is part of the acceptance which will bring more calm and peace. There is nothing to be ashamed of.

• Doctors are not god. They do not know everything. Do your research so that you are in a better position to discuss with them your best treatment.

• Join MDS so that you can share information with fellow sufferers and get useful tips.

• Take multi-vitamins

• Do things in moderation. Wolfberries may be good for eyes but too much of a good thing may be counter productive. 

• Your eyes are related to your whole physiology. You have to look after the other parts of your body because they are all related.

• Enlarge fonts on your computer and read under bright lights. Don't strain your eyes.

• Expect mood swings. You can never completely get rid of macular degeneration and things can get bad and you will feel depressed. Be conscious and aware of it. 

• Share your condition with others. Most people look at the sufferers of macular degeneration and think that we are normal. But we are not. So we must let people know so that they will give us the space. This is especially so for family members, who must be reminded to put things back where they are and not shift furniture.

• Buy a range of magnifiers. 

• Avoid MSG.

• Do a morning check of your eyes every day.

• Don't let work stress and pressure affect your health.

• Alert bosses and colleagues to your condition so that they will understand if you need help, such as taking time off for eye appointments and even bed rest. 

• Prayers. 

Judi Dench has AMD

Oscar-winning actress Judi Dench has been diagnosed with aged-related macular degeneration and is battling to save her sight. The 77-year-old, who made her name in several James Bond films, said she is unable to read scripts anymore. She is believed to be one of the few global household names who have revealed that they suffer from macular degeneration.

But the British star said she is determined not to let the condition beat her and hopes recent treatment has stopped the progressive decline. She confessed: “I can’t read scripts any more because of the trouble with my eyes. And so somebody comes in and reads them to me, like telling me a story.

"It’s usually my daughter or my agent or a friend and actually I like that, because I sit there and imagine the story in my mind. I’ve got what my ma had, macular degeneration, which you get when you get old.

"I had wet in one eye and dry in the other and they had to do these injections and I think it’s arrested it. I hope so.”

Click here to read the full original story by the Daily Mirror. More by the Guardian and Daily Mail.