Marion’s Story
When Marion (pictured left), visiting from Melbourne, walked through the MD Foundation’s door, little did we realise how important her visit was. In the course of conversation Marion mentioned that she had experienced ‘overnight’ a dramatic change which included dark patches in her central vision. These were clearly symptoms of a ‘bleed’ indicative of wet MD.
The urgency of seeking immediate treatment from an ophthalmologist is critical in these situations. Marion later wrote to us and her following words convey an important message for us all:
“It was an expression of urgency that I sensed in your concern that motivated me to seek out a Retina Specialist on my return to Melbourne. He performed an angiogram which confirmed that I had Neovascular (Wet) MD. He explained that I needed the blood vessel treated immediately. Without the Photodynamic Therapy (Visudyne) I asked what would happen. My specialist promptly replied ‘you will go blind.’ So I agreed to go ahead. Had I waited and not sought treatment immediately, as I was advised to do, one can only imagine the possible extent of scarring and loss of vision. I am now using low vision aids including
a CCTV in order to persevere with my Masters Degree through Macquarie University.”
Marion was lucky; she spoke to the right people at the right time, received advice and acted immediately. Marion’s story highlights the need for vigilance in detecting serious visual symptoms needing immediate attention.