Brian’s story – Thank you MDNZ

I received an invite to a macular discussion by one of your team, at a local retirement village in New Plymouth. At the start she asked if anyone there had it and I couldn't believe the number of hands that went up. After her talk we were handed out the chart which I used every time I thought about it.

Possibly a year later I was looking for something and came across the Amsler Grid chart and just casually checked it and much to my horror, my right eye showed the symptoms. I contacted my optometrist immediately. I saw him that afternoon and after examining me, gave me a number to phone the eye clinic. I did and saw a specialist the next day.

Since then, I went every four weeks for the injection which after a while went out to six weeks. Then one of the specialists decided, being as my eye was responding so well, that we should drop it back to four weeks to really get on top of it.

I checked my eye just before writing this and whereas originally, I had like a big blank thumbprint in the middle of the chart, with the rest of the squares broken up, now I can see everything fine, with the thumbprint gone and just the tops of the squares wavy. The strength of the eye now seems to be the same as my other eye now.

I know I shuddered when I was told I would have a needle stuck in my eye, and so do people when I tell them, but I have had five different specialists do this and it is painless. The first time my eye was bloodshot for nearly two weeks and for some while it felt as if I had grit in my eye.

However, after that first injection, I bought an eye patch and before I leave the clinic each time, I put them on and they stay on until bedtime.

Doing this, I find that I don't end up with a bloodshot eye and no irritation next day.

I can't praise enough the specialists and staff I see, for their care and concern to put me at ease every time I attend. Or the fact, if I hadn't attended your talk & received the chart, it might have ended up being too late to save my eyesight. As I live alone and in my late 80s, having good eyesight is essential for my independence.

Keep up the good work.

Brian