This column was actually written in 2009, however, so many people have requested it, I’m reposting it. This is my own true story of how I dealt with “drusen,” which suddenly appeared in both my eyes at the age of 40. It was sudden, and severe, and the first doctor I saw told me I would likely go blind in a matter of years—just deal with it, because “you can’t cure it and you can’t predict it.”

Thankfully, I got a second opinion from UC Davis, and the ophthalmologist told me that my only hope was a strict regimen of megadosing specific vitamins and supplements. She told me to take them daily, no matter what. I did, and tried not to think about this for the next year. At my next regular eye appointment… the drusen had diminished. This was allegedly impossible. My best case scenario was simply to stop the drusen from getting worse.

Years have passed, and the drusen is gone. I had the insides of my eyes photographed by a different UC Davis ophthalmologist (the doctor I’d first seen had moved on), and he verified that there was no drusen. He also didn’t believe my story, and as a senior staff member, I just knew he was thinking the first diagnoses had been in error. I beg to differ. I was living proof that there can be a way to help those with dry pre-macular degeneration or drusen.

Below, I’ve listed the exact things I took, and still take, and yes, there’s a lot, and yes, there’s expensive, but how do you put a cost on your sight? To be clear—this is not medical advice, it’s not a guarantee, and doing the exact same thing may not work for you as it did for me. Absolutely, you must run this past your own ophthalmologist first. Don’t simply run out and take all this stuff without consulting your doctor, because there are risks associated with megadosing vitamins, particularly A and E. I decided the risks were worth the possibility of being able to see. You must consider all the factors for yourself. That said, here is my story:

*****

‘Thankful’ doesn’t even begin to cover it

Miracles do exist. I know. I’ve had one. So, with Thanksgiving just ahead, I thought I’d share my little miracle, for which I’m exceedingly thankful.

First, the back story. Five years ago, at an ordinary eye checkup, the proverbial rug was pulled out from under me. Usually the doc says, “Everything’s just fine, but you can’t see worth squat.” He orders me new contact lenses, and I’m on my way. Not so that time.

“You’re developing macular degeneration,” he said.

Yeah, so?

He clarified: “You’re going blind.”

How about you just smack me in the face with a two-by-four, Doc.

It only got worse: No ifs, no maybes, he said, it’s going to happen. It’s a one-way road that only leads to one destination. How fast you get there depends on how quickly the disease is developing. And I was in the fast lane, with the pedal to the metal. I’d gone from completely normal to having extensive drusen in the span of one year. Drusen is the pre-cancer of macular degeneration. And I was Stage III.

Drusen is a waste by-product that collects in the macula and eventually obscures the central vision, slowly expanding outward until nothing is left but the peripheral vision. The doc said it’s like you have all these little tables in your macula, and there are little busboys cleaning up the dirty dishes.

“Your busboys are on strike,” he said.

So, what’s the cure, I asked.

“There isn’t one,” he replied.

How long until I go blind. His response: six months to 50 years. Now, there’s a really helpful timetable, one you can plan your life around. And, at this point, what else is there to do but freak.

He responded with a verbal slap in the face: “There’s no point getting wound up about this, because you can’t cure it and you can’t predict it. The best you can hope for is to stop the progression.”

Through my whimpering, I detected a thread of hope. He said sometimes mega-doses of particular vitamins and supplements prevent the progression of drusen into macular degeneration. And baby, I started mega-dosing away.

I also got a second and third opinion, but not a different diagnosis or prognosis. At least the UC Davis ophthalmologist offered a little comfort. She said I wouldn’t go blind overnight. It would happen gradually, and the first thing I’d notice would be straight lines appearing wavy, then blurry central vision. Eventually the blurry spot would expand outward, then go dark. In time, so would my whole world. But at least I’d have some warning. Take the supplements, she said, and just hope for the best. So, I did. What other choice did I have?

I took the supplements faithfully, and yes, they cost a fortune, but what price your vision, you know? I also developed a renewed appreciation for reading a book or driving a car, or enjoying a rosy sunset or gazing upon the face of a loved one. Suddenly, these things became unspeakably precious.

A year of mega-dosing and hoping went by. At my next exam, I was elated when the doc reported that my drusen was unchanged. This was the best possible outcome I could hope for. Or so I thought. Two more years went by, and two more “no change” reports, and I was thankful for every penny I’d spent on supplements.

Last spring, however, the doc looked in my eyes, and this time there was a change. The drusen was gone! It seemed, literally, too good to be true. Impossible, in fact, I’d been told. So, I returned to UC Davis for another second opinion. A different doctor noted my history, dilated my eyes, examined them from every direction, and detected no drusen.

But isn’t that impossible, I asked. He responded rather tersely, “It’s not a condition that we think of as changeable.” But it IS changeable. I’m living proof. So help me God, this was my experience.

They photographed the insides of my eyes, but sadly hadn’t done this at my first visit and had nothing to compare to. I got the impression that this doctor just didn’t believe it, despite my medical records. I was hoping UC Davis would study the supplements I took (because I took more than just what they recommended), and discover the exact regime to prevent macular degeneration blindness. But some folks out there may not want to wait for that. So, for anyone who’s interested, here’s what I took, every day, without fail. It may not have the same effect on anyone else but if you want to try it at your own risk, here goes:

I take the equivalent of the ingredients in Vitamin World’s Eyeguard Plus With Lutein via my own concoction: two Vitamin World Ultra Woman Sport multi-vitamins, 25,000 i.u. of beta carotene (must be beta carotene, not Vitamin A, or it can be toxic) and one Eyeguard Plus With Lutein rather than the recommended four. Additionally, I take 20 mg. lutein, 60 mg. standardized bilberry extract, 800 i.u. natural Vitamin E (d-Alpha Tocopheral – must be natural E or it can also be toxic), 1,000 mg. Vitamin C, and 60 mg. gingko biloba.

I also drink 16 oz. of kombucha tea (I learned to homebrew it) almost every day, and infuse my diet with dark leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, orange bell peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash. I seek out foods high in zeaxanthin, particularly goji berries, and often snack on pumpkin seeds. Cost? So what. I can see. Five years ago, I didn’t think I’d be able to say that much longer.

“Thankful” doesn’t even begin to cover it.

***

Because I Say So – Debra DeAngelo

November 2009