MDS Talk: Benefits of chia seeds

Chia seeds, a popular health food, can help to keep your eyes healthy. It can improve dry eyes and help those with who have undergone cataract surgery. Want to know more? Attend this talk to find out from ophthalmologist Dr Daphne Han.

She will also speak on the relationship between AMD and the cardiovascular system, offer general dietary advice for AMD sufferers and share her chia seed recipe. It promises to be an educational and illuminating session. 

Speaker: Dr Daphne Han, medical director and consultant ophthalmologist at the SMG Vision Centre at Gleneagles Medical Centre

Date: May 7, 2016 (Sat)

Time: 2pm to 4pm

Venue: Fifth Avenue Condominium's Function Room, 2 Fifth Avenue, Singapore 268800

Directions: Fifth Ave Condo is located off Sixth Avenue, which is off Bukit Timah Road. The condo is a very short walk from the Sixth Avenue MRT Station along Downtown Line. 

Please sign up by calling Anne at 6238-7387, or sending an email to alleyes@singnet.com.sg. Places are limited because the venue is small, so please register as soon as possible!

We will be collecting the MDS subscription fee of $20 for 2016-2017 at the door. Thanks.

FAQ on AREDS 2

MDS President Sharon Siddique shared the findings of the Age-Relaed Eye Disease Studey (AREDS) 2 study at our sharing session on vitamins yesterday. You can find out more from this FAQ by the National Eye Institute in the United States. 

Click here to read more. 

Are vitamins vital?

Some believe the vitamins they have been taking have helped stabilised or slow the degeneration of their vision. Others believe the supplements they have took are useless. And there are also a group which suspect that their vitamins have been useful, but perhaps more as a placebo, giving a peace of mind. 

The differing views emerged from a sharing session held earlier today by the Macular Degeneration Society. In its first event of 2016, the group had an intimate and lively discussion between a dozen members on the pros and cons of vitamins.

Whichever group you belong to, there is no denying that vitamins is a vital part of the lives of macular degeneration patients. Regardless of the severity of your condition or whether you suffer from AMD or MMD, most are familiar with vitamins. 

Members brought the supplements they have been taking and others feverishly snapped photos and took down the names. The vitamins discussed include the more well-known Ocuvite to the newer Japanese brands like Red Sun's Berry Bright. The exchange of notes and experience was most helpful, broadening the knowledge of as members exchanged tips. 

These include prices of vitamins, where to buy and the recommended dosage. Three websites have been used by MDS members. They are Puritan's Pride, Vitamin World and iHerb. 

Directions to Fifth Avenue Condominium

Dear MDS members, 

We are holding our first event of 2016 this Saturday. This is the first time we are holding it at Fifth Avenue Condominium. Here are the directions to the venue: 

By train: Fifth Ave Condo is located off Sixth Avenue, which is off Bukit Timah Road. The condo is 250 metres from the new Sixth Avenue MRT Station on Downtown Line. Take Exit A, head straight until you hit Sixth Avenue. Turn left and you will see Fifth Avenue shortly. The function room is at the entrance of the condominium. 

By car: For those driving, you can park in the condo's basement car park. At the guard house, please say that you are a visitor of Lucy #02-03. Please collect a parking slip and park at the visitor's lots.

Sharing Session: The World of Vitamins

Dear MDS members, 

We are holding our first event in 2016. Please see below for the details. 

Sharing Session: The World of Vitamins

It has been well documented that vitamins are critical to patients of macular degeneration. But in the big colourful world of supplements, which ones work and which ones don't? How do vitamins from the West compare to those imported from Japan?

Bring along your vitamins. Tell us what you are taking and share with us the results. Let's exchange tips and share secrets! Find out what other macular degeneration patients are taking.

MDS President Dr Sharon Siddique will lead the sharing session, offering her years of knowledge on not only the usefulness of vitamins, but also the pitfalls to avoid.

Date: Jan 23, 2016 (Sat)

Time: 2pm to 4pm

Venue: Fifth Avenue Condominium's Function Room, 2 Fifth Avenue, Singapore 268800.

Directions: Fifth Ave Condo is located off Sixth Avenue, which is off Bukit Timah Road. The condo is a very short walk from the Sixth Avenue MRT Station along Downtown Line. The station will open on Dec 27, 2015.

Please sign up by calling Anne at 6238-7387, or sending an email to alleyes@singnet.com.sg.

We will be collecting the MDS subscription fee of $20 for 2016-2017 at the door. Thanks.

See you!

Search for a new venue

MDS held its annual general meeting yesterday, in conjunction with the national AMD Awareness Week at the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. 

Members discussed possible new venues for events and sharing sessions in light of the closure of our regular site at Alexandra Hospital. The key problem for MDS remains funding. Most convenient sites require payment and the society lacks the funds for that. 

But it is agreed that it is important to find a regular venue in a convenient location. This is because most of the MDS members are older and have vision impairment. Frequent changes of locations would discourage them from attending the events. Accessibility is also critical. Ideally, the venue should be within short walking distance of a MRT station. The Exco will continue to look for a suitable place. 

The lack of venues has hampered MDS' organisation of more events. But instead of quantity, the focus has been on quality. The talk on a recipe book held last year was popular and well-received. So was the recent talk by Apple on iPhones for the visually impaired. We will seek to do more, offering members not only knowledge and information, but also support and camaraderie. 

MDS is once again proud to be a partner of the  annual AMD Awareness Week.

AMD Awareness Week and MDS' AGM

Dear MDS members,

We have a full program on Saturday, 5 September 2015. This year we will be holding our AGM in conjunction with the AMD Awareness Week at KTPH. Register and you are invited to attend the launch from 9am to 11am. 

Then from 12pm to 1pm MDS will be presenting a talk. We will cover important ways to cope with macular degeneration, based on our own experiences. So we will do a chat on the following:

o The importance of vitamins

o Sunglasses are critical

o Technology can help you

o What should you avoid - strenuous exercises, roller coasters?

o Support groups can offer support - learn and try

The session will be casual and relaxed. For every topic, an MDS Exco member will lead the discussion but others should jump in to give their views and ask questions. It is not a lecture. It is a discussion. We will spend around 10 minutes on each of the 5 topics, and the session should be around 1 hour.

The talk will be followed by our MDS AGM 2015. (For members who have not yet renewed their membership, an MDS subscription fee of $20 for 2014-2015 will be collected at the door.)

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE

8th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)

MACULAR DEGENERATION SOCIETY (MDS) SINGAPORE

Date: Saturday, 5 September 2015

Time: 1pm – 2pm

Venue: Kaizen Room 1, Tower B, Learning Centre, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, 90 Yishun Central, S768828

Please indicate your attendance by either telephoning Anne (62387387), or sending an email toalleyes@singnet.com.sg.

We hope to see you on Saturday, 5 September 2015!

MDS EXCO

The power of Siri

By Kym Ong

MDS Treasurer

The first MDS event for 2015, though somewhat belated, kicked the year off to a resounding start. We were grateful to have Apple host us and provide us with 30 brand new iPhone 6 and 6+ during this training session which was conducted by Junior Tan. 

We have all heard of the prowess of the Siri function, and what better way than to learn from the Apple experts how Siri can help the vision-impaired in our everyday lives. The 90 minute session which overran was interactive as members diligently took notes and tried their hand at asking Siri for the date, time, and advice for the best dim sum in town.

Junior shared with members how Siri can send messages, call loved ones without needing to view the screen. Junior also taught us how a simple Settings function can enlarge the text on the screen so it’s easier on our less than perfect vision. Reader Mode, Speak Screen, VoiceOver, these were all functions we dreamt off, but do actually exist in this age of advanced technology, all packed into a small device, the iPhone. 

Here are notes taken during the session. Steps may vary slightly depending on the iphone version. Please also refer to tinyurl.com/siriug, which is what Junior refers to as the Ultimate Guide to Siri.

Once again, we would like to thank Apple for their precious time and generosity. In a fast paced society like ours, we are heartened that we are not left behind and reminded we should embrace the opportunities that technology presents us to help us lead a more fulfilling life.

SIRI

1) Activate Siri: Settings è General è Siri

- Press Home button and hold to activate Siri. If you do not wish to press the home button, you can activate “Hey Siri” but use it when the phone is charging.

- Remember to setup “My Info” by setting yourself up as a contact.

- Under Contacts, search for yourself è Editè scroll through and add as much information as possible, include loved ones and friends under “add related name” so Siri can call them easily.

2) Siri is akin to a personal assistant, and you can use Siri to minimize needing to look at the phone.

- To send a message, the keyword to Siri is “Tell”. E.g. “Tell Mum I love her”.

- To call a loved one, the keyword to Siri is “Call”. E.g. “Call Mum”.

- Siri can check new emails “Do I have any new emails?” and read your emails “Read me the last email”

- Siri can set a reminder, keyword is “Remind” E.g. Remind me to buy milk when I’m near home”. You can share Reminders using iCloud with other iCloud users.

- Check your calendar “What do I have on my calendar today?”

3) You can teach Siri how to pronounce certain names “Learn how to say this name”.

Other Settings

1) Zoom, Enlarge Text and Bold: Settings è General è Accessibility

2) On any specific news link, click on the horizontal stripes icon that is on the top left hand corner next to the website address. This will activate Reader Mode.

3) For Speak Screen, go to Settings è General è Accessibility è Speech è Speak Screen

MDS Event: iPhone and iPad Lessons by Apple

Dear MDS members, 

Apologies for the lull in recent months. We have been trying to organise events but had several roadblocks. Now, we are elated to announce an incredible event. 

For the first time, experts from Apple will host a class to teach our members how to make iPhone and iPad work for our limited vision. Yes, Apple experts will host and teach us! 

We took many months before Apple agreed and this will be an amazing opportunity. In fact, we have never heard of Apple doing this for anyone! You can learn how to magnify your phone, use voice commands for your iPad and many other functions which we may not even know exist! 

Apple will provide the iPhones and iPads for the class. So even if you do not have one, just come and play with the devices! 

Date: May 16 (Sat), 2014

Time: 4pm - 6pm

Venue: Seminar Room, Old Alexandra Hospital

MDS subscription fee of $20 for 2014-2015 will be collected at the door for those who have not renewed their membership.

Call Anne at 6238-7387 or send an e-mail to alleyes@singnet.com.sg to register. Limited places. Book your seat now!

Postponement of pilates event

Dear MDS members, 

Our pilates session slated for this Sat, Nov 29, has been postponed. Several members expressed interest but are travelling during this school holidays. To make sure more of us can attend, we will aim to hold it in January, subject to availability of the instructor and venue. 

We will update with new details once we have them.

Thanks.

Pilates for Health & Fitness

Remember the Qigong workout we had last year? MDS is going for fitness again! We are holding our last event of 2014 with an event to help members stay fit and healthy. And this time, we are trying out pilates! 

Pilates instructor Suzanne Sim, who is a fellow MDS members, will give us a beginners' guide to the exercise, targeted at those who have never tried pilates before.

Pilates is a gentle restorative exercise that is suited for most people as they recover and work to rebuild their bodies. Pilates creates strong muscles and more range of movement. It improves postural problems, increases core strength, stability and mobility; helps prevent injuries; improves balance, coordination and circulation; heightens body awareness; and is a low-impact form of exercise.

Date: Nov 29, 2014 (Sat)

Time: 2pm to 4pm

Venue: Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Tower B, Level 1, Learning Centre, Kaizen 5

Free for MDS members. MDS subscription fee of $20 for 2014-2015 will be collected at the door if you have not paid up.

Look forward to seeing you! 

Call Anne at 6238-7387 or send an e-mail to alleyes@singnet.com.sg to register.

New MDS Exco 2014-2016

The Macular Degeneration Society held its annual general meeting last Saturday, August 23, and elected its new executive committee. 

The previous committee members were chosen for a new two-year term, from 2014 to 2016. They are Dr Sharon Siddique, Mr Peh Shing Huei, Ms Kym Ong, Ms Anny Leow, Ms Lee Soo Mien and Ms Lim Hsiu Mei. 

Dr Siddique will continue to lead MDS as president. Mr Peh will stay on as secretary and Ms Ong succeeds Ms Lee as the new treasurer. 

We look forward to your support in the coming years! 

Food for your eyes

It is not a cook book by a celebrity chef and the dishes featured are not exotic. But the recipes are practical, easy to cook and most importantly for members of the Macular Degeneration Society, good for our eyes. 

Ophthalmologist Ken Fong shared with MDS members on his award-winning book Food For Your Eyes this morning. The bilingual publication serves to educate readers on the prevention of AMD through a good diet and Dr Fong assured us that the recipes are easy to follow. 

The Malaysia-based doctor tested them at home with his nutritionist wife Goo Chui Hoong, who is a co-author of the book. Most of the dishes in the book can be whipped up in 30 minutes, he said. And for those who are afraid that they may be healthy but not tasty, he assured that the dishes have been approved by his children, who like all kids, are fussy eaters. 

This unique recipe-cum-self help book translates the recent scientific research of dietary methods to prevent AMD into simple recipes for the Asian diet. It has been awarded the Gourmand Award for Best Health Cookbook in the World 2012. Dr Fong shared with about 20 MDS members that the book is in its second print run. 

Asked for his favourite recipe from the book, he cited the tea-smoked salmon. It is an easy to make recipe with only two ingredients - salmon and tea leaves. First, line your wok with aluminium foil and pour your favourite tea leaves on it. Next, heat the wok till the tea leaves are smoking, put your raw salmon on a tray and lower into the wok. Last, cover the wok with a lid and smoke the salmon for 15 minutes. Get ready to tuck into soft and succulent salmon, that is tasty yet healthy. 

Get more details of this recipe and many more from Food For Your Eyes. It is available at All For Eyes shop at S$26.75. MDS members pay S$25. 

 

AGM + MDS Talk: Food For Your Eyes

MDS is proud to host ophthalmologist Ken Fong for a talk on healthy diet to help your vision. Dr Fong and his nutritionist wife Goo Chui Hoong are authors of "Food For Your Eyes" cookbook, a bilingual publication to educate readers on prevention of AMD through diet.

This unique recipe-cum-self help book translates the recent scientific research of dietary methods to prevent AMD into simple recipes for the Asian diet. It contains detailed information on common eye conditions and various supplements for the eye. 

In his talk, Dr Fong will tell MDS members more about diet, eye health and his book. The book has been awarded the Gourmand Award for Best Health Cookbook in the World 2012 and will be available for sale at the talk. Click here to read more about Dr Fong and his book.

Date: August 23, 2014 (Sat) 

Time: 11am to 1pm

Venue: All For Eyes shop, #05-23, Tanglin Shopping Centre

MDS subscription fee of $20 for 2014-2015 will be collected at the door.

We will also be holding our annual general meeting after the talk. Look forward to seeing you! 

Call Anne at 6238-7387 or send an e-mail to alleyes@singnet.com.sg to register.

Making iPhones and iPads work for our eyes

Apple's iPhones and iPads have revolutionised technology and lifestyles around the world for millions. Today, it helped change the lives of a few visually impaired Singaporeans too. 

For the first time, the Macular Degeneration Society held a tutorial to teach members how useful iPhones and iPads can be for those who don't see well. Thanks to tech expert Gurmit Singh, some 16 members were taught the basics of making the famous Apples products work for our eyes. 

The zoom function, for instance, was an important feature of iPhones and iPads and Mr Singh showed how easy it was to enhance text and images with the tapping of three fingers. It is easier on the tablets than the phones, he said, because of the larger interface. 

He has difficulty with with the three-finger tapping, he added, saying jokingly that he has "fat fingers". The zoom function takes some getting used to since most of us are used to interacting with our devices with one finger. But it remains one of the most accessible ways to magnify text on a smartphone and tablet. 

Mr Singh also showed how to use other functions such as "invert colours" to have a black background instead of the regular white one. For some visually impaired people, the contrast makes for easier viewing. 

But the function which got members most animated was the Voice Over. It allows text to be read out, allowing those with poor sight to have comfortable, easy and even cool access to their e-mails and instant messages among other things. 

Of course, the famous Siri was also demonstrated, displaying once again how Apple's voice activated intelligent personal assistant can be a life changing app for many with vision impairments. 

A big thank you to Mr Singh for so kindly sharing his knowledge and expertise with us, making a big effort to explain in as simple a way how to use the phones and tablets to our advantage. His patience has given MDS members a most enriching and educational afternoon. 

iPhone and iPad Tutorial

Apple's iPhone and iPad have changed the world. For the visually impaired, the biggest difference has been no less dramatic. 

Features like magnification and voice-to-text used to cost thousands in complex technological gadgets which are difficult to use. Now, they are cheap and intuitive to most users thanks to the iPhone and iPad. 

To help members learn how to make Apple's products work for those with fading vision, we will hold a tutorial with hands-on practice of iPhones and iPads. If you have an iPhone and/or iPad, please take it along. If not, don't worry, we will have devices to be shared. 

Tutor - Tech expert Gurmit Singh (not to be confused with the celebrity with the same name)

Date: April 12 (Sat)

Time: 2pm - 3.30pm

Venue: All For Eyes, #05-23, Tanglin Shopping Centre.

To ensure proper coaching, the class size is limited to 20. First come first served. MDS subscription fee of $20 for 2014-2015 will be collected at the door. 

Call Anne at 6238-7387 or send an e-mail to alleyes@singnet.com.sg to register.

Better vision in 2014

Dear MDS members, 

We are done with yet another year. Thank you for your support and hope you can continue to attend our events and reach out to each other. To see the events we held in 2012, click here. 

We will have more lined up this year. Visit our blog and website and Facebook account to find out more. 

We wish everyone good health, better vision and happy thoughts in the new year. See you in 2014! 

The Qi of Kindness

When qigong and taiji master Daniel Tan met the teacher of famous actor and wushu exponent Jet Li recently, the latter left him with some wise words. The best way for qi to flow through your body is through acts of kindness, said the shifu.

And Master Daniel did just that by sharing his expert knowledge of Qigong with Macular Degeneration Society members last Saturday. For more than an hour at the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, he demonstrated how breathing techniques could help improve particular organs of our body. 

He also brought along a big team of volunteers who patiently taught nearly 30 MDS members how to coordinate breathing with stretching. Most importantly, the volunteers guided members through the deceptively simple posture of standing meditation. 

Exco member Anny Leow, who had recently hurt her back, said she felt perceptible improvement after the hour-long session and tingling sensations through her injured back. 

It was the first time MDS has organised a Qigong event and the novel exercises appropriately rounded up the year. See you in 2014!