Name
Carol J. Davis
Born
10/30/44 in Bell, California
Home
Portland, Oregon
Diagnosis
I was originally diagnosed as having macular degeneration and sent to a specialist, who neither confirmed nor denied this diagnosis, but I received an excellent explanation of MD. In a 2-year period, I went to six different doctors and only the last, a retina specialist said, "You do not have MD and I don't know why anyone told you that you did." So I worried for a couple years about nothing.
Moral of this story: Be sure that you have a very good retina specialist diagnose your eye condition.
Eyes Affected
Both.
Eye Color
Blue
Age at Diagnosis
55
Visual Acuity
?
Treatment
None so far.
Prognosis or Current State of
Vision
Bright light, in general, bothers me.
Eyes do not handle contrast very well (e.g., night driving with bright
headlights). Blurry vision at times. One eye has a grey area in the upper
left quadrant of the Amsler grid. However, a lot of vision remains in that
eye, and the left eye is not affected in the same way.
Family History
Father developed glaucoma in early 60's; mother in her
80's. Neither were diagnosed with MD. Two sisters--might have MD. I am
the most near-sighted of the bunch. My son is also near-sighted.
Impact on My Life
I avoid driving at night, and I read large print books.
Other than that, I am fully functional at work and home.
Positive Effects
So far, no real positive effects. However, I accept the
situation and am in more of a neutral position (not depressed) at the
moment.
Adaptations
Large print books, replace fluorescent lights at work with
differnt type of light). Because I am not working in a public area, I wear
a visor at work. I am taking eye formula vitamins, increasing leafy greens
in diet.
Working
Yes. At a social service agency. Other staff are very
supportive. I have worked with computers for about 18 years.
More About Me
BFA in Theater Arts. I started acting before grade school
in church performances. Continued to act in local theater after college.
Finally, stopped acting at age 51--too demanding physically. Now I draw
angel cartoons, arrange flowers, and write haiku to keep my artistic skills
honed.
I raised one son who is now married with a lovely wife and three children (2
girls, 1 boy). They live in a big yellow bus which they've converted into a
cozy little home. He works as a manager with the Salvation Army.
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