I do hope hope you and your hubby have found a good doctor and it seems you have. It was my intent to mention some of my roommate's experiences but upon checking, she has another disease, not the one your hubby has. My sidekick has Glaucoma. I wish you both the best in dealing with his disease.
Two days ago I was resting in our bedroom and my Honey came and stood in the doorway and asked me a question. I nodded my head yes and he waited a moment and then said: "Are you going to answer me?" I then realized he could not see me nodding my head. His Advanced Macular Degeneration is advancing and taking away more of his vision. I asked him if he could see my face....and he told me no. And my heart wept. I asked him what he could see and he told me that he could see my hair. No matter how many times I read this in AMD articles and saw how it happens in videos...hearing that this day has come in our lives was a heart breaker. He told me that if we stand face to face he can see a distorted version of my face still but then he told not to be sad because my face was already sealed in his heart and mind and he would always "see' my beautiful face. I cried. I love this little man with the biggest heart I have ever known. And I wish I could trade places with him and give him my eyes to always see the beauty God created all around us. But I know in my heart that just has he has sealed my face in his heart and mind, he is also sealing all the beauty of nature that God has created in his mind too. And I am thankful that he will be able to keep his side vision to still see colors and contrast. I love how my Honey has such peace with what is happening to him...the peace that is there because he loves the Lord just like I do and trusts Him to walk beside him and be his eyes for him. He is still working part time, technology has made some great things to "magnify" things so he can still do his job. Even in his job though there has been some modifications. He can no longer do the dairy ordering. He can tell someone else what they are running out of and need to order more of but filling the order forms has become to problematic for him so someone else is taking care of that part now. When he watches his football games he has to stand about a foot from the TV if he wants to see the scores and other information including the jersey numbers of the players. Same thing if he wants to see what the weather temps, etc. will be. So now he's "seeing" the TV more by listening with his ears then by his vision. Since he'd rather spend most of his time outdoors this doesn't seem to bother him. I know by what he has told me about not being able to see my face...that he is probably not really seeing the birds and the squirrels he feeds either...but he hears them and knows they are there and sees them in his heart and mind where they will always be clear to him. I'm so proud of how well my Honey has been dealing with AMD. What he has is not a death sentence for sure...but it has changed his world, as well as mine and will continue to do so. It is his positive attitude that keeps my attitude positive as we walk through this season of our life together.
My wife has AMD in addition to her other medical issues. She's been a hobby painter/crafter all her life and now can do none of that. She still has her sight but it's severely diminished. I bought a 58 in tv so that she could watch some movies. Her injections for AMD are getting more frequent.
Your wife must have the wet form of AMD then Al. My husband has the dry form and still retains some vision too and I am thankful for this as I'm sure you are. There is not really anything they can do for the dry form and by the time research does find some help for this....it will be to late for my Honey. He can't drive anymore...he surrendered his License to the DMV last September on his birthday and got an ID card instead. He is still being able to do a lot of things he loves and I am thankful for that.
@Babs Hunt , so sorry to hear this, and yet I know things could be worse. My BFF also has this, in a much milder form, but am sure the day will come when she also will not be able to see. Glad he has you to stand by him. I started losing my hearing back in my 30s.. when I met my hubby I was 42 he was 36. He has bad eye problem that drs tried to fix when he was a child,but did not work. He is color blind also. When we talked of marrying, asked him about our hearing and eye issues. How will we cope as we age? his answer- you lead, I will follow, and so that has always the way it has been.
My hearing is diminishing too but not bad enough yet to bother me. I have told my Honey basically the same thing Gloria...that I would be his eyes and he could be my ears.
It truly is interesting how we've been paired. MY wife can hear things that I still am not able to hear even with my Cochlear implant. So I guess sh'e my ears and I'm her eyes.
Thank you @Don Alaska...if you live long enough I'm sure you will experience a disability too...it just seems to come with aging bodies.
It sounds like (from just this one post I found researching "research" on this forum) instead of rejecting the things that help, you discovered them and embraced them and were surprised by how well that worked, and naturally, it was confirmed not just in your experience, but by the tests you referred to. This happens (natural recovery from degeneration, cancer, diabetes, headaches, arthritis, and so on) very many times as people actually look for things that help and start to practice them, and continue doing so. So many on the forum alone have rejected the things that help, for one or many reasons, and so they do not get any of the benefits except 'accidently', God Willing.
My Honey can still "see" well enough to do everything he's done before... except drive. He gardens, gets around in our home just fine and pretty much doesn't let his lack of full vision stop him from doing his things. He also spends more time hugging, touching, and kissing me...so we both are being blessed with this added benefit.
Macular Degeneratron. Too too bad so many don't know the value of antioxidants and other eye supports to save their eyes. And Grape Seed Extract so so few know about it's value. https://www.express.co.uk/life-styl...lated-macular-degeneration-symptoms-treatment
To slow the progress of MD i was given to understand by my doc that Lutein helps. However, i asked for natural remedies and she said lots of salad greens, colored peppers, and for dry eyes a warm poultice on the eyes. @Joy Martin , i should experiment with grape seed extract?