Loh Phing Kee Age: 67 <Singapore>

Phing Kee testing out a monocular device at one of our regular support group sessions

Phing Kee wrote us this note recently and he has given us permission to post it for our readers’ information:

On the morning of July 1, 2007 (Sunday), I tested my eyes as was the normal practice and was shocked to see a black patch at the centre of my right eye. I found that I could not read or watch TV with that eye as I had no central vision for that eye.

Fear gripped me when I recalled an article on age related macular degeneration (AMD) featured in the Mind Your Body section of the Straits Times about a month ago. My condition matched the description in the article. Realizing the seriousness of the condition I called NUH Eye Clinic for the earliest appointment possible the following day (Monday)

With divine intervention I was able to see the eye specialist that same afternoon. He confirmed my condition and referred me to a retinal specialist who examined me and arranged for surgical procedures to be done immediately to save as much of the sight of my eye as possible.

Surgery was performed to inject a drug and a gas into the eye to move the blood (the black patch) away from the macula. Over the next 2 weeks I had to keep my face down for 90% of the time for the first week and 60% of the time for the second week. This was the most difficult period of the treatment but it was necessary to clear the blood and move it away from the macula properly to decide on further treatment.

Three weeks later some special photos and other tests were done. From the results, the doctor decided to give me photodynamic therapy (PDT) to destroy the abnormal blood vessels below the macula. This was followed by an injection of an anti-angiogenesis drug inside the eye to stop the development of abnormal new vessels and control inflammation.

All this while, after the blood cleared from the macula, I had some central vision but it was not very clear.

Over the next few months I returned to the Eye Clinic for tests to monitor the condition which was improving.

On January 31, 2008, six months after PDT and anti-angiogenesis drug treatment, my right eye vision improved to 6/6.

Now, I take more vegetables and fruits and supplement my diet with vitamins and minerals for better eye health.

Loh Phing Kee

THE FACE OF AMD
AMD patients from around the world share their stories <compiled by AMDAI>