Visit by a pesky bug

Wild garden

Across the street from my apartment complex is a lovely wild garden, which always looks beautiful during the month of June. I was walking home from the bus today when I saw these pretty flowers showing off. Since I am not hiking today, I took this to grace the top of my post.

I had such a good time on Tuesday, but I thought I was feeling a bit more tired than I should have been, and then wondered if I was imagining it, or was my throat feeling a little scratchy? In the middle of the night, I woke with a very sore throat, no imagining it at all. I sent a text to my acupuncturist to reschedule my appointment for yesterday, no point in spreading something to others.

Today my throat is somewhat better, but nowhere near normal. I did a couple of Covid tests and both came up negative. I also have an upset stomach, no appetite and loose bowels, so whatever it is that I caught might not be Covid but is probably contagious. When I went to bed last night, I had decided that I wouldn't be going on the hike with the Senior Trailblazers today. In any event, I did feel much better when I woke this morning, so I did my exercises, walked the half-mile to the bus stop, and went off to the coffee shop. I just needed to do something other than lie around all day. 

But when I got there, having expended a minimal amount of energy, I knew I was still suffering from whatever this bug is. I stayed masked except when I took a sip or two, and then I visited the bathroom before taking a bus back home. My plan when I set out was to do my usual three-mile walk home, but I truly didn't feel up to it. I now have just over 5,000 steps for the day, and that will have to do. Still not much appetite, but I did enjoy a salad for lunch. I couldn't tell whether I was feeling hungry or not, but it stayed down and hasn't triggered any bathroom shenanigans. 

So, I am betwixt and between, it seems: not really sick but not really well, either. I don't have a fever, no runny nose, just tired and a very sore throat. I'm up to date with all my shots, so it's possible I'm having something that isn't too bad because of a vaccine. Who knows? I will keep a low profile for the rest of the day, and will look forward to hearing about what I missed out on. 

The second eye jab (this time in the left eye) on Monday was not as bad as the first, but there's no way I can pretend that it's not a wee bit traumatic to have a long needle stuck in one's eye. If it does the trick and slows the atrophy so that I can continue to read and write, I will be very, very happy indeed. Time will tell.

:-)

Heron colony inspection

Seniors enjoying the outdoors

Today, twelve Senior Trailblazers of the Happy Wanderer variety set out from the Senior Center to inspect the Post Point Heron Colony. This is the time of year when the heron nests are occupied with parents and little ones. I've heard that for some reason there are lots of babies living long enough to fledge. I can imagine that to an eagle, these little furry creatures look like made-to-order treats. We found lots of nests that are active, with tiny heads peeking out at the world.

See those three heron heads?

It was very windy and rainy when we started out this morning, and our leader, Barb, decided we would check out the heron rookery from the Interurban trail, and if the weather improved we would decide where to go from there. Well, it didn't improve by much, but once the rain picked up, the strong winds died down somewhat.

We didn't cover much distance, somewhere around three miles, and a few of the hikers wanted to keep going, but I was happy that my driver, John, was willing to take me to the bus station so I could get home, dry out and warm up. It wasn't really all that cold, but a stiff wind in a rainstorm makes it feel even colder than it actually is.

I came hope and made myself a nice lunch before starting this post. For those who are interested, last Friday I had the first injection of the stuff that might slow down the geographic atrophy that has completely taken my right eye's central vision and is coming for the other one. If this treatment doesn't work, the best case scenario is another short year before I become legally blind. The injections don't restore anything, but slow it down by about 20% per injection. The good part is that I tolerated the treatment and now he can inject my left eye on June 10. Apparently this gunk he put in my eye is very thick and nothing like the treatment for "wet" macular degeneration. Oh well, I can only hope it will give me a bit longer to continue to read and write. I will be learning all about visual aids for people like me in the future.

There is so much to be grateful for, and I need to concentrate on that. Good friends, both physical and virtual, are holding me up in so many wonderful ways.

:-)

Forgetting is getting worse

Emily Polis Gibson photo

Here it is Tuesday morning, and it wasn't until the middle of last night that I remembered my Monday post. Not written, not missed, not even remembered until then. This is a self-imposed deadline, but that really doesn't matter. To me, it's real, and the distress I feel is compounded by my fear that I'm developing some form of dementia. Oh, I know most people my age worry about such things, but I am worried enough that I think perhaps it's time to visit my doctor.

Years ago, I was given a test by my previous doctor when I told her I was concerned about memory loss. The test is now online, so I'll give it to myself before I see this doctor. Most of the things I was not good at before will probably remain marginal, certainly not better. I do remember a few items that gave me pause. For one thing, I have never been able to count backwards by 7s from 100. (That's one of the tests.) It led me to figure out how to do it by "cheating," or counting down by 10s and adding 3 to get the correct number. Some people have no problem with the task, but my mind has never worked that way, I guess.

Recently, my friend Lily reminded me of something that happened years ago, and at first I was adamant it never happened, but as she gave me some reminders, it came back to me. It makes me wonder how many parts of my daily life are simply sliding into oblivion because I don't remember them. And re-reading novels because I didn't remember reading them before: that has become more frequent.

So, this Tuesday post is really a Monday post, just a day late. Part of my problem is the same one many of us face these days: everything my days were structured around is in flux. No coffee shop, no walk to the bus during the week, fewer and fewer activities that I performed which defined the day of the week: all gone. When we get back to whatever our new "normal" will be, it'll be interesting to see whether I will be able to resume those activities without forgetting.

I suppose it makes sense that my mental acuity would diminish, just like my physical strength, my fading eyesight from macular degeneration, along with all the other unwelcome reminders of aging. I'm just glad I'm not still jumping out of airplanes! 

:-)

A bit of this and that

Dripping branches and SUN

Walking home from where John left me off after our coffee shop adventure, I saw that the sun had not only risen, but that the skies were beginning to clear after two more days of record-setting rain. We have had more than twelve inches of rain this month, with more to come tomorrow, the last day of the month. Many roads are once again flooded, with another atmospheric river poised to remind us that the rain is not done with us yet. But today we have a bit of a respite.

As I made my way through Cornwall Park, skipping the Rose Garden, since now there are only rose hips left to admire, I saw that the sunshine caused a light ground fog to emerge over the fields. And now the sky is filled with plenty of clouds, with only a short peek of the sun available now and then. But, according to the forecast, we should be free of any more rain for a few more hours, at least. Yesterday I tried to find a time in the early afternoon to get in a short walk, but the rain kept me to a brief half-hour, and then I was beginning to get grumpy as the rain just kept on coming down.

Fifteen or so years later

My old boss Mickey sent me the picture on the left a couple of days ago, and I decided to compare it to the one taken at Thanksgiving (shared in my last post) just to mark the differences. Nobody lives another 6,000 days without some sign of it, but I was interested in noticing that although my jawline is a little softer, and the creases in my eyelids a bit heavier, there is much just the same. Some people don't change their haircuts very often, and I seem to be one of them. It also helps that the latest picture is a soft focus, making my wrinkles a little less obvious.

What doesn't show in the new me is the amount of change in my eyesight. Before I got cataract surgery, I had to wear glasses all the time. That changed, once I got the new lenses inserted. Now I only need to wear them for distance. I had always been nearsighted and saw no reason to change that. I am so very grateful for my recent Paperwhite (Kindle) purchase, which lets me read for much longer periods before my eyes give out. My old eyes just don't work as well as they once did, and the AMD (age-related macular degeneration) continues to forge ahead. I can still drive during the daylight hours, but that won't be the case once I lose my central focus. I am simply grateful for all I can do these days.

And now I'm going to sweep my front porch, which has lots of leaves and other detritus making it look rather cluttered. Then I will sit back and enjoy the glimpses of sun while we still have some to see.

:-)

Brave new world

So many to choose from

Last year at this time, I was just getting ready for my first cataract surgery. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I've worn glasses for many years and had become quite comfortable with progressive lenses that allow me to see in the distance as well as up close with just a tilt of my head. I'll bet many of you use them, too.

Gradually, the cataracts had gotten bad enough that they couldn't be corrected completely, especially in my left eye. So, my eye doctor told me I would need to have cataract surgery to see well once again. At about this time last year, I had the first eye done, and a few weeks later, in mid-December, the second eye was operated on.

Other than the seemingly endless eye drops, several times a day, the procedures both went extremely well. Even with advanced AMD (age-related macular degeneration), my eyesight increased to be almost 20/20, with corrective lenses. I opted to have near-vision lenses implanted and need to wear glasses for distance. The missing vision I suffer from in both eyes is able to be compensated for by the other eye, and I have still not lost any central focal vision.

I purchased some progressive lenses once again, since I found that it's easier to see both near and far with glasses. But for everyday, like now while I'm writing this post on my laptop, I don't need any glasses. I can also look up and see the TV across the room with pretty good clarity. (I would need to put on my glasses to see perfectly.)

A year ago, I couldn't have read anything on this page, or even seen much of anything on the TV without glasses, before the cataract surgery. Once in a while I'll forget how much better I can see today. It's truly a brave new world out there.
:-)

Retina Specialist visit

Me in my dark glasses

Lily took this picture of me when we went to the see the tulips last week. I like it very much, and I also noticed that my glasses had turned very dark. They are transition lenses, and they turn dark or light without my thinking about it. That link will tell you about the pros and cons of lenses that change, depending on the situation.

Today, I learned that they will be sufficient for most times that I'm outside, but I really should NOT go outdoors without dark glasses in full sunlight. We are just now beginning our bright sunlight days here in the Pacific Northwest, and I'll need to be more proactive about protecting my eyes from UV light.

The retina specialist examined my eyes closely and compared the pictures with those from six months ago. There is definitely progression in my AMD (age-related macular degeneration). That is not exactly news, but if I want to continue to protect my eyes, I've got to start wearing wide brimmed-hats as well as dark glasses whenever I'm in sunlight. He said that all UV light will cause damage to my poor eyes. I definitely don't want to lose any more vision, but unfortunately I will. Anything I can do to slow it down is essential. This is what happens with AMD:

Although macular degeneration reduces vision in the central part of the retina, it usually does not affect the peripheral vision. For example, you may be able to see the outline of a clock but not be able to tell what time it is. AMD does not cause total blindness.

Well, that's just peachy. (That information was in a handout that the doctor gave me today.) I get a little bit emotional whenever I visit the specialist, because I am reminded once again that my vision may or may not last me for the rest of my life. But then again, I can see well enough right now and will do everything I can to keep the damage to a minimum.
:-{

And so it begins

Not me, but it could be

Yesterday, I went for my pre-op appointment for cataract surgery on my left eye. SG went with me, and after we left, I actually began to feel excited for the possibility of seeing more clearly. Two weeks from today! It's true that with the AMD (age-related macular degeneration), my vision won't be perfect, but according to my surgeon, it should be much better. I learned all about the procedure and how it's done. I like the surgeon and trust him, which is important when one is going through any kind of surgery.

Teeny-tiny little lens

Once the cataract is removed, this little lens will be inserted through a small opening. Those little "arms" are designed to hold it in place. It's folded up like a taco and opens up into the space where my cloudy lens resided. The most important period is the first week, and after that I should be mostly healed. Of course, I was treated to a litany of all the things that COULD go wrong and I had to sign a release form. But after many days of researching it all (not recommended for the faint of heart), I now am beginning to look forward to it. Sort of.

The whole procedure only takes a few minutes, and from the time I go into the operating room until I come out is about an hour. I'll have an eye patch and a severely dilated pupil, which will take up to 48 hours to return to normal. I'll hopefully be showing you a picture of something interesting. That week I'll miss the hike, but unless I have complications, I'll be back on the trail the following week.

I sure am glad I live in these amazing times when we can have such improvement in our quality of life, and for the most part, it's covered by Medicare. I'll end up making a co-pay of $400 per eye, which I consider a bargain. Wow!
:-)

It's all about the eyes

Not my eye

"What do you mean, you can't do anything?" That was me asking my retina specialist about the changes I've recently experienced in my vision. He explained that I have progressed from having intermediate-stage dry AMD (age-related macular degeneration) to the advanced stage of geographic atrophy. I have been hoping that the upcoming cataract surgery, scheduled for the end of November, would give me back my vision, but no, that's not going to happen. It will help, perhaps, but I'm simply going blind. I'll probably be legally blind before I reach my eightieth birthday. But then again, he told me that there is no way to predict the progression of AMD.

For some reason, my vision distortion and loss has accelerated since my previous visit. A rather distressing snippet from the above link tells the story:

Geographic atrophy will progress relentlessly through the central macula and cause significant impairment of vision and quality of life.  Still, an individual will always retain peripheral vision and will not go completely blind.

Well, that's just swell. If it were my knees going out, I could get them replaced. Unfortunately, it's my eyes, and I'll just have to find a way to cope with loss of vision. So far, the damaged area of the macula is not in the middle but off to the left a bit. I can still read just fine, and I suspect that after the cataracts are removed I'll see a little better than I do today.

Sorry for the bummer of a post, but I'm not actually thinking about much else today. I'll be back to my old cheerful self once I have a chance to get used to it. Plus, I've got the hope that the cataract surgery will help me see better, for awhile at least. And I'll learn adaptive techniques, just like other people do. I did learn in my research that Judi Dench suffers from it, the same sort of vision loss I have. She copes by having her scripts enlarged so she can read using her peripheral vision.

Anyway, for now I can still see well enough to read, watch TV, and play in the sunlight. And write blog posts. I'll continue to do all that for as long as I can.
:-)

Good news about my eyes

Tulip pickers gathering bouquets to sell

This is another picture from my excursion to the tulips a week ago last Sunday. I love taking pictures, I love seeing the tulips, and I cherish my eyesight. Yesterday I went for a six-month checkup with my retina specialist, who is treating my AMD (age-related macular degeneration). A year ago I went to him for the first time, and this, my third visit, included another one of those "dye jobs." My first was exactly a year ago, where a dye is injected into my veins while pictures are taken of its progression through the eye. After the injection, I was taken into a room. The technician took the pictures and put them onto a screen, with last year's photos next to them, for comparison.

I saw all these dark areas on the screen while I waited for the doctor to come into the room. That looked very bad to me, but when he came in and looked at them, he was quite pleased to see that very little had changed since last year. I told him how the dark areas looked scary to me, and he said no, that's really really good. It's the white patches that are not good.

We discussed the changes that have been made in supplement treatment since the conclusion of AREDS-2 (Age-Related Eye Disease Study). You can learn about it here. Apparently the supplements that I am taking are considered to be beneficial, except that fish oil has not shown much efficacy (I started taking it twice a day last year), but he said that since I'm already taking it, why not continue, since it's also good for heart health. I will, indeed.

Being able to see is very important to my quality of life, since I couldn't take pictures like that one, or read, or do much of the things that give me so much joy. So I will continue to eat right, take my vitamins, and think positive! Oh, and Happy Earth Day; that would be today.
:-)

Coffee shop and eye food

Smile!

Yesterday Chase, my local barista for the day, planted this smiley face right there in my latte. It was delicious and also made me grin. I visited with my fisherman friend Gene and his girlfriend Paula until Leo showed up and took me away to play. Because of Leo, I've learned of several new toys, but yesterday we played with vampire bats and gummy worms.

It was a beautiful day yesterday, with abundant sunshine (of course: the weekend was over), but today the rains have returned with a vengeance. I walked to the bus in my raincoat and used my umbrella. Gene tells me that using an umbrella is a giveaway that I am not a native, and he's right. I see people here in Bellingham walking around in the rain with shorts and a t-shirt, with no apparent need for rain gear. I use everything I can to keep dry, but maybe one of these days...

After I saw that retina specialist last month, I started taking some different vitamins. Although I had been taking beta carotine and lutein for about a year, I have also added zeaxanthin to the mix. All three of these are carotinoids found in nature. Apparently lutein and zeaxanthin are essential to the retina. From that Wikipedia link:

Zeaxanthin is one of the two primary xanthophyll carotenoids contained within the retina of the eye. Within the central macula, zeaxanthin is the dominant component, whereas in the peripheral retina, lutein predominates.

It wasn't all that easy to find zeaxanthin in a supplement in the proper ratio with lutein (five parts lutein to 1 part zeaxanthin), and I was taken in by a supplement that purported to have both but nowhere could I find the amounts before I ordered it. It's called "I-Caps" and is completely misleading. I finally found one formulation on Amazon that is sold at Costco (Trunature) that has the correct ratio (25/5) and was fairly inexpensive. I read all the reviews on Amazon and finally bought it.

The most interesting thing that I can relate after about a month of taking this formation is that my night vision is significantly better. I noticed a distinct difference after starting the beta carotine as well, so I'm hoping all this will help keep my intermediate age-related macular degeneration from developing further. There are no promises and no guarantees, because all the possible benefits from vitamins cannot be proven. I don't want to take any of the AREDS (age-related eye disease study) formulations because of the massive amounts of zinc (80 mg) included.

Anyway, the good news is that something I am taking seems to be helping with my vision. I feel quite pleased to be in the hands of a good specialist as well. It really helps when you trust your doctor.
:-)

My date with the retina specialist

Intermediate AMD (Wikipedia link)

Today I went to the retina specialist that my eye doctor suggested I see. He didn't really say why, except that I do have macular degeneration, and he wanted a second opinion about how to treat it. I really liked this doctor, Dr. Subong, who answered every question I had. First of all, I learned that I have intermediate AMD (age-related macular degeneration), when I believed I only had "early" AMD. The difference is shown in this picture. Those little white spots are called drusen, and I've got lots of them.

The first thing they did in his office was take pictures of my eye, looking much like this one I snagged from Wikipedia. He told me that there was enough drusen that he would like to do a dye test to decide how to treat my AMD. It's called a Fluorescein Angiogram and is designed to detect the level of "soft" versus "hard" drusen. Apparently the soft stuff is worse, and the dye test was pretty painless, considering. It took about five minutes, but the nurse warned me that my urine will be fluorescent yellow for a day or two, and my other elimination (you know) will be bright green! It's perfectly normal, she said. The test wasn't bad, and I was bracing myself for the possibility of having injections in my eyeballs, but he said I don't need that... yet. Given the choice between going blind and having my eyeballs injected with medicine, I will take the latter.

However, he told me that my intermediate "dry" AMD might be kept at bay by taking a ton of antioxidant vitamins. So I went on Amazon and ordered several different formulations, to be delivered on a regular schedule, which is much cheaper than buying them from my local food cooperative.

I found a very informative website called webRN-maculardegeneration.com with information on all forms of this disease and who it affects most often, with links to studies that are trying to find ways to deal with this most common form of blindness in older people. My great-grandmother had gone blind, I remember, but nobody else in my family has ever lived long enough for me to know if I am susceptible genetically.

The doctor also told me that it is not inevitable that I will go blind, since the disease takes a different path in every person it affects. I am hoping that I can manage it until I'm ready to cash in my chips. Nothing seems more devastating to me that going blind. I learned a lot today, and now I'm ready to relax! How was YOUR day?
:-)