# As if my mother's year hasn't sucked enough... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 25, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-my-mothers-year-hasnt-sucked-enough/461254 "2008-08-25T22:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-my-mothers-year-hasnt-sucked-enough/461254/1 "2008-08-25T22:09:27Z")
…she’s going blind. She went in for her routine eye exam last week and was diagnosed with [[Macular degeneration - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macular_degeneration)]macular degeneration. She has a follow-up this week for a prognosis and to discuss treatment options. All her life she’s had a great fear of going blind. Me too, and her diagnosis means that I have a 50% chance of developing it too, eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-my-mothers-year-hasnt-sucked-enough/461254/2 "2008-08-25T22:12:39Z")
It’s bad, but it doesn’t mean she’ll go everything-is-black blind. From what I understand, she’s probably got years of useful vision left and will probably always be able to see enough to move around with bumping into things. Sorry, though. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-my-mothers-year-hasnt-sucked-enough/461254/3 "2008-08-25T23:58:31Z")
Sorry to hear that, **Otto**. My grandmother had macular degeneration, and slowly went blind, but she lived alone in her own apartment until just a few weeks before she died at age 94. She had great support from the local Lighthouse for the Blind and other assistance programs. You should definitely look into aids (equipment, resources, personnel) for the visually impaired now, while she still has most of her vision, so that your mother can get used to them before she really has to depend on them. I still remember my grandmother preferring to walk with her regular gray walking cane rather than a red and white cane, because “I don’t want people to think I’m blind!” I also have the concern about it being hereditary, so I am tested annually and am prepared to obtain whatever assistance I need should it happen to me. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-my-mothers-year-hasnt-sucked-enough/461254/4 "2008-08-26T00:07:27Z")
**Otto** - My step-father has also been diagnosed with macular degeneration. That was several years ago, and he still sees fine. It can go very slowly. Please keep us posted as to the prognosis. StG ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-my-mothers-year-hasnt-sucked-enough/461254/5 "2008-08-26T00:39:58Z")
I am sorry to hear your news. Sending supporting thoughts your way. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-my-mothers-year-hasnt-sucked-enough/461254/6 "2008-08-26T01:38:59Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] …she’s going blind. She went in for her routine eye exam last week and was diagnosed with [[Macular degeneration - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macular_degeneration)]macular degeneration. She has a follow-up this week for a prognosis and to discuss treatment options. All her life she’s had a great fear of going blind. Me too, and her diagnosis means that I have a 50% chance of developing it too, eventually. [/QUOTE] My dad has macular degenration. His vision became extremely poor, but then he started taking lutein supplements. His vision improved greatly (he can recognize faces and read very large print-- this has been a huge improvement in his quality of life). His eye doc was stunned at his improvement on the lutein. This recovery was after a decade of lost vision. [lutein report](http://www.aoa.org/x4732.xml) It’s still very speculative, but appears promising. My best wishes to your mother and your family. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-my-mothers-year-hasnt-sucked-enough/461254/7 "2008-09-09T21:11:04Z")
I spoke with my mom last night. She is in the very earliest stages of the disease. She notices a difference in her vision but is able to drive and read and play cards. Her doctor has not started her on any treatment regimen. I told her about lutein and anti-oxidants. She wants me to do some more research and give her some recommendations. ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-my-mothers-year-hasnt-sucked-enough/461254/8 "2008-09-09T22:20:34Z")
Which type of MD does she have? Wet or Dry? They both have very different prognoses, treatments and severity. My mom has the Wet type. She was legally blind from birth. At around age 70, she developed a cataract, and while they were in fixing that, they did some Lasix surgery, and she was able to see without coke-bottle glasses for the first time. She saw her own face in the mirror without glasses on. She saw the Man in the Moon. She was very pleased. Now she is rapidly going blind again. Not fair. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/as-if-my-mothers-year-hasnt-sucked-enough/461254/9 "2008-09-10T14:05:29Z")
> [@Fetchund](#): > > Which type of MD does she have? Wet or Dry? They both have very different prognoses, treatments and severity. No idea. She didn’t say.