In yesterday’s page, Sue didn’t think she’d have a problem testifying in court. Today we find out what happened.
Sue continues trying to figure out what’s up with her genes.
Category: Sue’s New Page
Sue’s New Posts 2/6/2017
Sue talks more about her trip to Iceland. What will she remember about the trip?
The day that Sue got the results from her genetic test was NOT a good one, to say the very least.
Genetic Rant & Roll – The Miniseries: Part 2
Sue’s New Page 2/4/2017
Sue admits that she’s a ‘vision snob’. What does that mean? You’ll find out as she talks about how she decided that this was the year that she would SEE Iceland!
Sue’s New Page 2/3/2017
This page is from last September right before Sue & her husband took off for their vacation in Iceland. She’s done her homework about what anyone who is visually impaired will encounter in an airport.
What YOU Can Do for Low Vision/Macular Degeneration Month 2017
Sue & I thought we’d do something special for Low Vision/Macular Degeneration month so she’s written a letter that we are sending to our local print & online newspapers, bulletin boards, special interest publications. You are welcome to copy this letter and send it to YOUR local publications. If you do, let us know if you were published!
February is low vision awareness month. It is also Age-Related Macular Degeneration Month.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration, or AMD, is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world. It is found in ‘mature’ adults although there are similar degenerative, retinal disorders found in younger populations.
There are 2 million individuals in the United States who have AMD. This number can be expected to grow significantly as the population ages. The current estimate is 5 million AMD patients will be living in the United States by 2050. This is more than a two-fold increase in incidence. The need to care for these individuals can be expected to be a significant burden on families and community and government resources.
Wet AMD can be treated but there is no cure. Dry AMD, the more common form of the disorder, has no treatment and no cure. However, there are a number of encouraging clinical trials being undertaken around the world. A breakthrough is hoped for very soon.
In addition to the cutting-edge research being done in AMD, there are other reasons to be hopeful. Assistive technology has advanced greatly in recent years. There are many private and public agencies able to provide education, support, and, in some cases, materials to make the lives of the visually impaired much easier.
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with a visual impairment, please contact your state or local visual services agency for help. You may also wish to contact a national organization such as the National Federation for the Blind.
Early detection is important. The National Eye Institute recommends that starting at age 60, everyone should have an eye exam through dilated eyes once a year. If you have symptoms of eye trouble, call your doctor right away.
There is help. There is hope.
Sue’s New Page 2/2/2017
What does it mean to be dependent on someone else? Is it always a bad thing? How do you deal with people who tell you what you ‘need’ to do? Sue answers these questions from her perspective.
Sue’s New Page 2/1/2017
This is Sue’s second page to reply to the comment on January 26th: “…And doesn’t the ADA require your employer to provide you with needed assistance and training (Braille classes)?”.
Sue’s New Page 1/31/2017
On January 26th, we had this comment on the website: “Hey, Sue: Why will there be a time you will have to leave your job? Could you do it if you knew braille, for instance? There must be more modifications and more technology that can come to your assistance to keep you employed. And doesn’t the ADA require your employer to provide you with needed assistance and training (braille classes)?” (Thanks for this Melinda)
Here’s the first of 2 pages with her response.
Guest Author 1/30/2017
Rick tells us how he is doing right after the macular pucker repair surgery.
Guest Author 1/29/2017
Sue’s friend Rick tells us what it was like to have a macular pucker repaired.
Linda’s New Page 1/28/2017
Sue’s New Page 1/27/2017
A year later, Sue talks about how her real life experience as a visually impaired person compares to what she thought as a fully sighted person and compares to what others may think, what YOU might think.
Sue’s New Page 1/26/2017
It’s hard to believe that one year ago about this time, Sue and I went from talking about ‘ordinary’ things, things that we’ve been talking about for 40 years, to trying to figure out what Sue needed to do to take care of herself with a whole lot less vision. We both share our thoughts about this year. Sue first.
Sue’s New Page 1/25/2017
We’re going to bring the pages closer to real time for the next several days to talk about where Sue is a year after her vision declined so much that she had to stop driving and stop working (temporarily). First, let’s look at where Sue is in terms of her quest to become ‘super lab rat’.
Sue’s New Page 1/24/2017
Sue and her husband had a vacation in Iceland in September. The stress of getting things done before the trip reminded her of the panic attacks she had when the sudden change in her vision caused her to stop working and driving. In this page, she shares advice on what to do if you have panic attacks. And she provides a song that will get stuck in your head for the day…
Sue’s New Page 1/23/2017
I looked up the definition of bittersweet: “both pleasant and painful or regretful.” Sue’s enjoyed the summer but it’s time to say goodbye to it and to a furry colleague.
Sue’s New Page 1/22/2017
Sue continues to share what she’s learned from her BVS therapists. Here’s an app that creates what sounds like an oxymoron: an audio label.
Guest Author 1/21/2017
In Andrea’s last page (for now) we get good news about the fate of her villain The Joy Thief.
Guest Author 1/20/2017
Andrea reminds us that even though retina specialists are intelligent and important in our journey, we must advocate for ourselves.
Guest Author 1/19/2017
In Part 2, Andrea tells us how macular degeneration has affected her life and introduces the villain The Joy Thief.
Guest Author 1/18/2017
We are very pleased to add Andrea, a member of our Facebook group, to our growing list of guest writers. She tells us about her journey with Myopic Macular Degeneration.
Sue’s New Page 1/17/2017
Sue first contacted Pennsylvania’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS) in mid February. She had an Orientation & Mobility (O&M) Therapist, a Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT; Sue’s been calling her the ‘habilitation person’) and ‘the tech guy’ (not sure what his official title is) who helped her get back to work. Now it’s time for…
Sue’s New Post 1/16/2017
When I find something that I think Sue will be interested in, I send it to her and sometimes that results in a her writing a page. This is Sue’s perspective on a…
Sue’s New Page 1/15/2017
We’re still in August with Sue’s pages. It will soon be a year since her worsening vision disrupted her life, a year since we started the website, and we’ll soon both be writing about that. In both cases, it is indeed a…
Guest Author 1/14/2017
This is Jennifer’s last page…for now. We thank her for her willingness to share her journey with us. Here she tells the story of her Grandpa who gave her hope for her future.