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.

Sharing session - The Three Tips

The fight against macular degeneration is often a lonely process. But it gets better when you are able to pick the brains of others on how to cope. And in our view, the greatest treasure trove of information lies within us - the members of MDS. Come join us in a sharing session among members on your three best tips to live with macular degeneration.

There is no right or wrong answer. There is no good or bad answer too. Your tips can be on anything, ranging from medicinal to exercises, from technology to household changes, from how to connect with a doctor to the best way to get back home after a check-up. In short, it can be on ANYTHING.

What we take for granted in our own struggles with macular degeneration is very likely not familiar to others. And it could make a big difference in all our lives when we share and pick up these unknown "personal strategies".

Date: Feb 11, 2012 (Sat)
Time: 2pm - 4pm
Venue: All For Eyes shop, Tanglin Shopping Centre, 19 Tanglin Road, #05-23, Spore 247909

 Call Anne at 6238-7387, or e-mail alleyes@singnet.com.sg to reserve your places now for our first event of 2012!

This event is free for all MDS members. If you know of someone who you feel might benefit from joining our circle, please invite them, just let us know in advance.

REMINDER for members, please arrange to pay your membership fees ($20 for 2 years) if you haven't done so.

Stem cell retinal implants safe

Early results from the world's first human trial using embryonic stem cells to treat diseases of the eye suggest the method is safe, say researchers. US firm Advanced Cell Technology told The Lancet how two patients who had received the retinal implants were doing well, four months on.

Trials of the same technique have now started at London's Moorfields Eye Hospital. But experts say it will be years before these treatments are proven. The aim of these first human studies is to establish that the treatment is safe to use. 

Click here to read the full BBC story. More details here from Reuters.

The man who taught himself to see

This is an amazing inspirational story to round off the year. Daniel Kish has been sightless since he was a year old. Yet he can mountain bike. And navigate the wilderness alone. And recognize a building as far away as 1,000 feet. How? The same way bats can see in the dark.

Click here to read the full article. It is a long piece, but well worth your time. 

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012!

Eylea approved in US

The United States has approved the use of Eylea, a new drug to treat age-related macular degeneration. It adds an important new weapon to the ongoing battle against the eye disease. 

Eylea is similar to the other two main drugs in the market, Lucentis and Macugen. It inhibits a factor that makes unwanted blood vessels grow in the retina. The blood vessels can leak blood and fluid, causing damage to the retina. Eylea blocks all forms of this factor, called VEGF, and also blocks a second similar factor.

But compared to Lucentis and Macugen, Eylea requires fewer injections and is hence cheaper for patients. Lucentis is given once every month, although some patients may need treatment only once every three months. Macugen is given every six weeks. Eylea is given once every two months after three once-a-month injections. All three of these drugs are given by injection into the eye with a tiny needle.

In clinical trials, Eylea has worked as well as Lucentis. But the drug can cause some side effects. In clinical trials, the most common were bleeding in the white part of the eye at the site of injection, eye pain, cataracts, detachment of the gel part of the eye (vitreous) from the retina, floating spots in the vision, and increased pressure within the eye.