There has been quite a bit of comment in the press and on the news this week about the success of the first human embryonic stem cell treatments for Macular Degeneration.
I have come to wonder does such a thing then mean that their may be a treatment for my kind of blindness?
I have blindness caused by a Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO). This is a blood clot which caused a loss of blood flow through the eye, damaging the retinal cells, especially in the macular.
The treatment is, for me, as I have an underlying auto-immune disease. Antiphospholipd syndrome (Hughes syndrome or APS). a lifetime on blood thinners under constant monitoring and monthly intravitreal injections of Avastin or Lucentis.
So while I could not give up the blood thinning medication, maybe the stem cell treatment might be possible.
That would save me a lot of problems, no monthly injections into the eye, not painful but not pleasant either. Not having to go to the eye doctor every month gives me twelve more working daysper year. Making me more money as I don't get paid leave, being part-time, maybe I could even get a full time job with one working eye, not many places like to start a blind person, no matter how qualified.For me then, maybe for you too, the new treatment may be akin to winning the lottery. A dream of, "If I got that injection I would ..."
Oh well. We can watch and wonder.
I have come to wonder does such a thing then mean that their may be a treatment for my kind of blindness?
I have blindness caused by a Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO). This is a blood clot which caused a loss of blood flow through the eye, damaging the retinal cells, especially in the macular.
The treatment is, for me, as I have an underlying auto-immune disease. Antiphospholipd syndrome (Hughes syndrome or APS). a lifetime on blood thinners under constant monitoring and monthly intravitreal injections of Avastin or Lucentis.
So while I could not give up the blood thinning medication, maybe the stem cell treatment might be possible.
That would save me a lot of problems, no monthly injections into the eye, not painful but not pleasant either. Not having to go to the eye doctor every month gives me twelve more working daysper year. Making me more money as I don't get paid leave, being part-time, maybe I could even get a full time job with one working eye, not many places like to start a blind person, no matter how qualified.For me then, maybe for you too, the new treatment may be akin to winning the lottery. A dream of, "If I got that injection I would ..."
Oh well. We can watch and wonder.
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