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By Richard R. Ringkamp
New York |
I knew it was time to see an eye doctor when I couldn't see the clock—literally. I was at home one day about 3 years ago, looked at the clock, and closed my right eye to see the time better. But I couldn't see at all! I saw an ophthalmologist right away, and he later sent me to a retina specialist who confirmed that I have the wet type of macular degeneration in my left eye.
My doctor told me honestly, "There is no cure," and I thought, well, you turn the page and go on with your life. At the age of 73, I've been retired from the telephone company for over 11 years, and have been blessed with a wonderful wife, Pat—50 years of marriage in 2005!—and 3 fine children. I'm also a veteran of Korea, and finding out I had this disease was, frankly, just another bump in the road. My specialist started me on Visudyne, and with each of my 4 treatments, he said there was progress every time-the bleeding [has now] stopped. He's the expert, so I believe him.
I do hope for a miracle someday that will restore my sight, but you know what? This isn't fatal, and you've got to stay positive. My beautiful wife, Pat, helps keep me on track, and I wish everyone in my situation had someone as patient as she is to lean on.
These days, one of my greatest joys is singing—I'm a baritone in a men's choir, and we sing all the old standards from the 1940s and 1950s. Without even looking at sheet music, I can hear a few notes of a song and pick it right up. My advice to other people with macular degeneration? I'll share what an old-timer once told me when I had a little stage fright about singing in front of a group:
When someone asks you to sing, get up and sing! Whatever your joy, pursue it for all you're worth.
*Visudyne has only been approved for its effect on vision acuity outcomes; its approval was not based on its effects on contrast sensitivity, visual field, or color perception.
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