Maureen remembers standing on the train platform after her eye doctor appointment, replaying the moment her doctor paused and said, “Something is different. Something’s not right.”
As the oldest of six siblings, she’s known as the steady one, the optimist, and wasn’t used to feeling shaken. Before Maureen’s check-up, she hadn’t noticed any vision changes and had walked into the office assuming it would be another routine visit. However, it took an unexpected turn.
When her eye doctor diagnosed her with wet age‑related macular degeneration (AMD), a retinal disease that can cause vision loss, she felt like the ground had shifted. The words carried the weight of memory: her aunt and brother had faced the same diagnosis. Still, nothing could have prepared Maureen for receiving the news herself. She called her husband, texted her siblings, and absorbed the reality that her own vision was now at risk. In the days that followed, worry took hold in small but vivid ways.
Waking in the night, Maureen found herself thinking, “Will I be able to navigate my own home? Will I remember where the chair is?” Her mind raced through questions she could barely say aloud: “Will I go blind? Will I need caregivers? Will I lose my independence?”
The retina specialist had explained that her treatment would require frequent injections to help slow the disease. The idea of injections in her eye was terrifying, and Maureen could barely take in these details. Overwhelmed and afraid, she struggled to imagine what would come next. After discussing it with her loved ones, she gained the confidence to face those fears.
With time, the treatment process became less mysterious.
Maureen’s retina specialist walked her through each step of the exam and injections. The four‑week cadence felt relentless, but she found ways to make the appointment days feel more manageable. Maureen enjoys taking the train, treating herself to a cup of tea, and walking along the ocean, turning treatment days into a ritual of steadiness.
Today, Maureen encourages others to act quickly when something feels “different” in their eyes, and to bring someone with them to appointments for support.
She tells newly diagnosed patients to allow themselves to feel fear, to ask questions, and then to commit to their treatment plan fully. “There will be ups and downs,” Maureen says, but she knows that showing up, even when it feels daunting, is what can help to protect your vision and independence.
Maureen is grateful for the vision she has today and is hopeful that she can maintain her sight to continue doing the things she loves, including reading and creating art in her studio. She hopes other people living with wet AMD feel supported, trust their retina specialists, and feel empowered to protect their vision.