THE MACULAR
DEGENERATION COMMUNITY

Linda

Name: Linda Olsen

Born: January 25, 1955, Copenhagen

Home: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Diagnosis: Wet MD - choroidal neovascularization.

Eyes Affected: Left Eye

Eye Color: Blue

Age at Diagnosis: 43

Visual Acuity: Not great, but not that bad!

Treatment: Submacular surgery in November of 1998. I'm still a fan of this as a treatment, because it was so successful for me, but there are so many advancements since then.

Prognosis or Current State of Vision: It's almost eight years since my submacular surgery, and my vision is still holding strong. I'm feeling very lucky, though, and go around with my fingers crossed.

Family History: None. Even though we're all blue-eyed.

Impact on My Life: A few years of a progression through panic-stress-anxiety-worry-concern. Now I respect my vision, eat good vitamin-rich food, avoid smoke and protect my eyes from sunlight (wearing ugly unfashionable sunglasses), and I use magnifying readers - I have a whole wardrobe of them.

Positive Effects: I've come to understand my strength and resolve, and I've developed a website which apparently some people find helpful - that is very gratifying. The main message is HOPE, and that there is help and understanding available thought MD Support.

Adaptations: Readers, an Ott Lite with magnifier for help with my various crafts, large computer screen, reading lights over my sofa and my bed. Flashlight in my purse.

Employment: There have been a few changes since my first posting. I am still an Executive Assistant - Since October 2004, I've been working with the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. It's so wonderful to belong to an organization which funds deserving health researchers, and to know that several of those researchers are researching AMD!

More About Me: My MD "Hope" Page is at http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Sauna/1958