The retinal disorder has a major impact on the lives of patients, Vera also knows from experience. She is in her early 50s, making her one of the younger people diagnosed with the disease. Most patients develop symptoms from age-related macular degeneration from the age of 65.
Labor conflict due to illness
Vera works at a consultancy company and therefore reads a lot. “I don’t want to be in the news with my real name, because I’m afraid that I will be written off at work, that people will treat me differently and will no longer award me assignments. If you work with large amounts, it is It is very important that you can see the difference between a 6 and an 8.”
The MaculaVereniging has several stories of patients who ended up in a labor dispute because of their eye disease, says Schoots. She is involved in the association as a board member. She herself stopped working as an educational consultant at the age of 58 because of the condition. She continued to paint, her great passion. “But seeing depth and colors is becoming increasingly difficult.”
(How fast) am I going blind?
Schoots talks about the uncertainty that the course of the disease entails. “How long will it take for me? Am I going blind? No one can tell you because it’s different for everyone.”
It started for Vera three years ago with pain in her neck and eyes. She thought it was from staring at screens a lot and thought she might need reading glasses. But it soon became apparent that there was more to it. During tests at the optician, she saw just five letters with her right eye, while she only saw one with her left eye.
“I didn’t expect that at all. Apparently my eyes have been able to compensate for that for a long time. I sat in the waiting room and read in a brochure that 30 percent of people with macular degeneration keep their sight. And then it really came in. Only then the meds worked, I’ve told a few people.”
Schoots knew she had a chance of developing macular degeneration because it runs in her family. “I was playing with my granddaughter and started to see strange shapes. Then I immediately called the doctor and had the first injection fairly quickly. For people, this medicine means the difference between dependence and independence.”
*Real name known to editors.
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