Robert Prikulis ~ Registered Land Surveyor ~ Journal Blog

Some experiences of a Land Surveyor with Macular Degeneration ~ growing an information resource for better future eyesight outcomes.

May 23, 2013

Regeneration ~ not degeneration

compassion creativity courage

Caution alert ~ Dear reader, this narrative is about vision loss. Should you find this distressing, please leave this page. I also am stepping out of my personal comfort zone in writing and publishing this article.

The first port of call for any eyesight concern is always the medical professional.

The primary rationale of this journal entry is to plant a seed for the development of an organic knowledge base, in the public interest, specifically for probable future cures for the wet form of Macular Degeneration. Eyesight malfunctions are numerous, and this journal entry is specific to the wet form of Macular Degeneration only.

My commentary is from the perspective of a non-medical layperson, who has experienced wet Macular Degeneration and it’s profound impacts for the past twenty years. Again, my purpose is to seek out information for the benefit of all, of the latest developments with respect to the medical treatment of wet Macular Degeneration. Relevant contributions addressing the theme of this page, would be most welcome.

How to instantly lose the best part of your eyesight, with no current prospect of a recovery

A very basic explanation of the vision process is firstly required. One’s eyesight consists of two primary components – peripheral vision and macular vision. Fine accuracy vision is provided by the macular, which enables one to read normally and view detail.

Out of the blue, twenty years ago, at aged 47 years, I lost the central macular vision of my right eye in an instant and was introduced to the world of Ophthalmologists and the terminology, the wet form of Macular Degeneration. Medical treatment available at that time, did not recover my lost central sight. Subsequent emphasis was directed to preserve the healthy eyesight of my good left eye. I was able to continue to work successfully as a professional Land Surveyor.

Out of the blue ~ Round 2, down for the count

My greatest fear was that this could happen to me again. After twenty years of constant monitoring and checking of my good left eye by Ophthalmologists, my dreaded fear happened suddenly in late 2012, and again, I lost the central vision in my good healthy eye to the wet form of Macular Degeneration. The wet form of Macular Degeneration is precipitated by a blood vessel eruption or leakage in the retina, which may cause irrepairable damage to the macular, resulting in central vision loss. On this second occasion, the haemorrhage occurred under the retina.

Although the blood vessel haemorrhages were twenty years apart, medical treatments undertaken, inclusive of intraocular gas applications, were almost identical. The new exceptions being in 2012/2013, the use of laser retinal scanning imagery and follow-up injections of Lucentis into my left eye. In my case, leading to no vision improvement in this eye.

For me currently, and as it was twenty years ago, there is no cure to recover this lost vision. If I’m incorrect in my statement, I and many others would gladly like to be advised of an available treatment solution. In my situation, because of family history, medical experts concur that I had a genetic predisposition to the wet form of Macular Degeneration.

My central area of vision for both eyes is obscured, replaced by a featureless grey smudge, with no visual precision – just a blur. Letters and words cannot be identified. The remainder of my peripheral vision can identify lines of text, however they cannot be read by me. Images that I can see are blurry, distorted, sometimes with parts missing, with no sharp focus.

For me, the exponential domino effect of not being able to read in everyday living, has had the most profound impacts. My passion to practice as a Consultant Land Surveyor has been stopped stone cold.

It’s not lights out ~ what’s next for tomorrow

Ophthalmologists, optometrists and orthoptists have advised me that there is no current cure to recover vision loss, caused by the wet form of Macular Degeneration. A damaged or atrophied macular (end stage disciform scarring and geographic atrophy) does not necessarily imply “lights out” – as put to me by one medical expert. In my case, some peripheral vision remains, facilitating a reduced eyesight. Unlike cataract removal surgery and the wonderful clear lens replacement, there is no universal plug-in or external optical fix for a damaged macular – not just yet.

A breakthrough in vision restoration for the future, may lie in the direction of a much sought after cell regenerative process. Regenerative, meaning the repairing of an eye component part, that the body cannot repair naturally. My layman’s speculation is that a practical successful treatment for wet Macular Degeneration, resulting in correct vision recovery, is more than 10 years away. On behalf of the wider affected community, I dearly hope that I’m wrong.

Some experiences of a Land Surveyor with Macular Degeneration ~ growing an information resource for better future eyesight outcomes.

compassion creativity courage

regeneration

Robert J. Prikulis

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