Living Life Fully with Macular Degeneration

By Doris Winn Polak

“Doris is not willing to accept less of a life because of her poor eyesight. She has found tools and techniques that allow her to live life to the fullest.”
Dr. Laura Miller, O.D. Specializing in Low Vision

“This book is very helpful for someone with a new diagnosis of macular degeneration. It is an incredibly useful and comprehensive guide, coming from the author’s personal perspective.”
Dr. Shelley Day Ghafoori, M.D. Retina Specialist


I have pretty eyes, or at least that is what many people through the years have told me. Blue eyes and red hair is a rather nice combination. Yes, my eyes are pretty, but they do not work well.
This point was spotlighted for me a few years ago when my eye doctor told me that I had developed macular degeneration.

The macula lets us read. It allows us to watch television. We recognize our grandchild‘s faces by using our macula; we order off the menu using it. When it doesn’t work, or if it works poorly, we have to give up our cars and possibly lose our independence, and worse yet, it could keep us from living in our own home. A degenerating macula is not a good thing!
I didn’t know much about the disease then, but now I feel that I am almost an expert. If you are newly diagnosed and would like to understand what you and your eyes can expect over the next weeks, months and years, pour yourself some coffee, pull up a chair and get started reading my story. Through intellectualizing this disease, I want you to be able to live your life to the fullest while having macular degeneration.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Nov 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781663211507

Doris Winn Polak

Doris Winn Polak was born in Macon, Missouri, later lived in New Jersey, Indiana and now resides in Cedar Park, Texas. She graduated from Truman University and taught English and music in several states. A mother of two and grandmother of five, she has traveled many places in the world to see beautiful art and to perform and listen to great music. Wherever she goes, she tries to be an advocate for people with macular degeneration since she was diagnosed with the disease in 2015.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 Doris Winn Polak.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-6632-1149-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-1150-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020920546

iUniverse rev. date:   11/06/2020

This book is

dedicated to

the memory of my mother.

Irene Hargis Winn

1908-1993

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgements

How It All Began

Choosing Your Doctor

Organization

Safety

We Need to Talk

Activity

Let’s Take A Trip

Finding Help

You Can Do It

Finding Joy Each Day

PREFACE

I have pretty eyes, or at least that is what many people through the years have told me. Blue eyes and red hair is a rather nice combination. Yes, my eyes are pretty, but they do not work well.

This point was spotlighted for me a few years ago when my eye doctor told me that I had developed macular degeneration.

The macula is only a bit larger than a grain of rice. How could something so small cause so much trouble to so many people? Right now there are more than 10 million people in the United States who have this debilitating disease, and there are more than 200 million in the world with it.

What does the macula do, anyway?

Actually, it’s one of the most important parts of the eye because it gives us our central vision. The macula lets us read. It allows us to watch television. We recognize our grandchild’s face by using our macula; we order off the menu using it. When it doesn’t work, or if it works poorly, we have to give up our cars and possibly lose our independence, and worse yet, it could keep us from living in our own home. A degenerating macula is not a good thing!

I didn’t know much about the disease then, but now I feel that I am almost an expert. If you are newly diagnosed and would like to understand what you and your eyes can expect over the next weeks, months and years, pour yourself some coffee, pull up a chair, and get started reading