Saturday, July 31, 2010

Macular Degeneration

This time I have a question. How many people out there are using Lucentis, the Ranibizumab Injection for Wet Macular Degeneration (AMD)? What have been the results? Are there any of you who have reversed the vision loss or improved their vision? Did you insurance pay for the shots ($2000 a shot)?
I have just been reading some amazing "Personal Accounts of treatment with Lucentis," that I found by googling. One woman, named Barbara went from a 20/200 to a 20/60 after two injections. This is probably an exception because it can take much longer to see improvement.
Several weeks ago, and almost without warning my husband had trouble seeing out of his left eye. Straight lines and faces appeared wavy. It was then he was diagnosed with AMD and received his first shot of Lucentis. He says his brain has not yet adjusted to seeing clearly out of one eye and wavy out of the other.
Many people with Macular Degeneration have high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis. My husband is on medication for both. Exercise and the proper diet can help decrease blood pressure and hardening of the arteries. In my 30's I constantly fought high blood pressure. It wasn't until I started a regime of daily exercise and changed my diet that my blood pressure became normal. I gave up eating sugar, meat, most dairy products and consumed lots of vegetables. I eat a grapefruit for breakfast each morning.
I have a Ph.D. in Holistic Nutrition and make green drinks for my husband using spinach, kale, celery, carrots, tomato, and parsley, but not as often as I now wish I had done. Dr. Balch recommends, lutein, bilberry, Co Q 10 and beta carotene.
If you are having vision problems, get help immediately. Lower your blood pressure. Eat healthy fats (fish oil,Olivie oil, avocados are loaded with lutein), and add blueberries that you eat in the morning.

No comments: