What is Macular Dystrophy?

A closer look at macular dystrophy

By Katie Leslie,The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Fox News pundit Glenn Beck's announcement that he is losing his vision shed light on an eye condition rarely discussed. Macular dystrophy, not to be confused with its more common cousin macular degeneration, is a genetic disorder that can cause legal blindness.

We spoke with Dr. Blaine Cribbs, an ophthalmologist and retina specialist with Emory Eye Center, and optometrist Dr. Tom Spetalnick, clinical director of the Woolfson Eye Institute in Atlanta, about the condition and what it means for eye health.

What is macular dystrophy?

Dr. Spetalnick: Macular dystrophy is a general term that includes a lot of different conditions that have different levels of aggressiveness. Essentially the short answer is it's any of a group of disorders that are inherited and progressive.

Dr. Cribbs: Without knowing exactly what his diagnosis is, it is impossible to guess what is going on with Mr. Beck, but the most common form of macular dystrophy is vitelliform, which can present early onset in children or as adults.

How does it differ from macular degeneration?

TS: Macular degeneration is something not necessarily inherited. Macular dystrophy is more likely to be traceable to a gene or an inherited pattern. When young patients [have] macular problems, it’s more likely to be a dystrophy, as opposed to macular degeneration, which is an age–related loss of function and change of anatomy.

How does macular dystrophy affect one’s vision?

TS: It can vary. Some people will have minor loss of vision that is minimally progressive and others will have complete loss of the central vision. The retina is the seeing part of the eye and the macula is the central part of that, which is responsible for the greatest detail vision. When you need to see detail, you point your macula at that, so people with a type of dystrophy will have some loss of whatever they are looking at directly. Macular dystrophy could certainly cause legal blindness, which means you can’t see any better than 20/200 out of both eyes.

BC: Macular dystrophy won't take away night vision or peripheral vision, but it can cause severe impairment or blind spots.

What are early warning signs?

BC: The first things people notice are small blind spots or maybe a distortion of the vision when they are trying to read; the lines or letters would be crooked or missing.

TS: It could present harmlessly with a routine eye examination. [Or] symptoms would most likely be their vision would be blurred and they would think they need new glasses, but then you discover [more] vision loss.

Do you see this problem often?

TS: Macular dystrophies are not very common. We see a lot of macular degeneration and age-related changes in the macula.

So we don't know exactly what Glenn Beck might have?

TS: No. He might also have macular corneal dystrophy, which is treatable. Assuming he has macular corneal dystrophy, that is a clouding of the cornea that can be treated and the most extreme treatment would be a corneal transplant.

I'm not a prophet or a stone aged man, just a mortal with potential of a superman. I'm living on.~David Bowie

15 Delicious Superfoods

Foods with Super Powers

15 ways you can fill up and feel better

read the article, Men's Health, '15 Delicious Superfoods'

We all want to eat well. Not only healthy food, but The Best food--stuff we actually enjoy eating. To be The Best, a food has to have superhero qualities. It's gotta be able to save the girl, disarm the warhead, and look good in tights, if you know what we mean. You want examples?

How about an Italian dinner that improves your fertility, pancakes that slow the signs of aging, and a filet mignon that could help lower your risk of heart disease? On our great banquet table, we're offering everything that's the best on both paper and plate. So eat until your cholesterol numbers plummet. Until your sex gland glistens. Until your heart valves hum. And most important, until you're full.

read the article, Men's Health, '15 Delicious Superfoods'

12 Little Instant Health Boosts

12 Little Instant Health Boosts
Minor moves that offer major benefits for your mind and body
By Alyssa Shaffer
published in Prevention Magazine

1. Giggle
Health boost: Improve blood flow by 21%

2. Brush and floss
Health boost: Cut risk of head and neck cancer by 400%

3. Brew a pot of tea
Health boost: Cut stroke risk by 21%

4. Pen a thank-you note
Health boost: Feel 20% happier

5. Hide your TV remote
Health boost: Whittle 2 inches from your belly

6. Doodle during work meetings
Health boost: Improve memory by 29%

7. Keep your doctor on speed dial
Health boost: Slash medical mistakes up to 25%

8. Squeeze your husband’s hand
Health boost: Slash stress by 200%

9. Strike a warrior pose
Health boost: Ease back pain by 56%

10. Grill some fish for dinner
Health boost: Lower risk of dementia by 19%

11. Drink milk at breakfast
Health boost: Shed 5 pounds

12. Pour a glass of Pinot
Health boost: Live 5 years longer


Read the entire article here

Learning to Unplug

World Class Performers Unplug Differently

by Michael Gervais, PhD

All of us "perform" in some aspect of our lives. For some, performance comes in the way of business, sport, or military applications; for others it might be school, relationships, care-taking, or artistic expression.

While it may be true that all the world's a stage, an audience is not actually required in order to "perform." In fact, Dictionary.com describes performance as simply, "the process of carrying out a task." Think of all the tasks you've carried out today. Believe it or not, even the most mundane of these things count; almost every activity involves in its process some form of mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual performance.

In their pursuit of being the best in the world, how do world-class performers -- from Olympic athletes to Forbes-list business moguls -- manage the effort behind their particular tasks? How do they get so much out of themselves when they're plugged-in to their activity? And how do they unplug afterwards?

After spending over a decade with world-class performers, a very clear pattern has become evident: They seem to know and accept that stress is an inevitable part of life -- that it's necessary for growth and optimal performance. They also seem to understand that the recovery from stress ("unplugging") is equally important.

In the search for balance, every unit of stress needs an equal unit of recovery....

Read the entire article here

Finding Tranquility

'Tranquility' Photograph © 2010 Robert Glenn Ketchum

'Equilibrium, Enlightenment, and Facing Your Day,' by Arthur Rosenfeld

In psychologist Daniel Goleman's 2004 book Destructive Emotions, the writer asks the Dalai Lama whether he thinks that the Buddha's brain was organically different from that of a normal person. In a question that might well have been asked of any spiritual master from Jesus to Mohammed..., the writer is seeking to know whether The Enlightened One was made of such different stuff that he never experienced negative thoughts such as jealousy, frustration, hatred or sadness. The Lama answers, somewhat unexpectedly, (I paraphrase) that whether the Buddha's brain was the kind of saucepan that never formed a negative bubble, or whether he was able to dissolve the rising bubble of destructive thought before it reached the surface, the effect is the same.

Simply put, this means that enlightened masters are qualitatively just like the rest of us; the difference is one of quantity. Unlike those of us just struggling to get through our day … enlightened folks nip negative emotions in the bud and take life's challenges in stride. …

It's a simple takeaway, really. Honor the feelings -- just don't become a slave to them. Listen to the inner voice of calm and reason and regain control of the way we feel in the shortest possible time. Strive not to say or do anything until we're calm again. See enlightenment as a process, not some lofty, unobtainable goal.

Instead of trying to change who or what we are, let's work to liberate ourselves from the bondage unfettered, destructive emotions bring us. We want to be free, don't we? Isn't freedom the greatest promise that any self-help class, book, podcast, lecture, DVD or program can offer? Isn't it wonderful that we already have all the tools we need to escape from a prison of our own creation?

Make it a game to notice your own dance with emotion. If you do, you will have taken the first draught of the antidote to the venom destructive emotions deliver. Pay attention to how long your anger burns. Recognize for how many days your resentment smolders, your jealousy lingers, your indignation persists. Breathe. Concentrate on letting go. Tell yourself you want to be free and happy again. It's a skill, see? All it takes is practice.

Read entire article here

Fascinating! Artist's Skills Restored for $50 in Parts

“Art is a tool of empowerment and social change, and I consider myself blessed to be able to create and use my work to promote health reform, bring awareness about ALS and help others.” ~Tony Quan, aka Tempt One

From Quest Magazine Online -

A Los Angeles graffiti artist with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), was the inspiration behind a low-cost, eye-controlled drawing device called the Eyewriter. For about $50 in simple components, Tony Quan (aka “Tempt 1”) has been able to resume creating his artwork for the first time in more than six years.

'Hackers and artists' join forces

Quan learned he had ALS in 2003. A well-known graffiti-style artist and social activist, in the 1980s Quan had created a distinctive form of graffiti-type art.

Quan’s disease progressed rapidly, until all he could move were his eyes. His career came to an abrupt stop and would have stayed stopped had his case not come to the attention of several people from across the country, loosely described as “a bunch of hackers and artists.”

Plans and software are free

The device consists of cheap eyeglass frames, some wire ties and copper wire, several LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and a micro video camera. Free, do-it-yourself instructions for building one can be found on the Eyewriter Web site. The hardware is used in conjunction with original computer software, also written by the Eyewriter team. The software is open source (free), too.

The Eyewriter tracks Quan’s eye movements and permits him to plot points on a computer monitor. From the points he can create letters and words that he can fill in with colors, render in 3-D if he wants, and add other features.

Like air for a drowning man

The tech team built the Eyewriter at no cost to Quan. When they first fitted it on him, in the hospital bed where he spends all of his time, he was overwhelmed. After tentatively trying the equipment out, spelling his father’s name, Ron, and seeing it projected on the wall of his room, he’s quoted as saying (by communicating slowly through an eye gaze alphabet selection device) that he felt like a person who has been held underwater for 5 minutes, then mercifully brought up to breathe.

“I can’t even begin to describe how good it feels to be able to rock styles again,” Quan told a friend. Since putting the Eyewriter to work, he has participated in art shows in venues as diverse as Norway, Vienna and Tokyo.

Read the entire article here

Laughter is Truly the Best Medicine: new research proves it!

Breaking news suggests that laughter truly is the best medicine!

A new study by Lee S. Berk, DrPH, MPH, director of the molecular research laboratory at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, Calif., shows that laughter effects the body similarly to physical exercise by boosting the immune system. Berk's research found that laughter (or "Laughercise" as Dr Berk's team refers to it) can significantly elevate mood, reduce stress, boost immunity and blood pressure, and reduce cholesterol. It also stimulates appetite for the malnourished.

"We are finally starting to realize that our everyday behaviors and emotions are modulating our bodies in many ways," Berk said.

The study was presented at the 2010 Experimental Biology meeting, April 24 to 28, in Anaheim, Calif. Dr. Berk, a preventive care specialist and psycho-neuro-immunology researcher, has been working on studies related to laughter for close to three decades.

Read 'WebMD' article here

Read 'The Medical News' article here

Read 'US News & World Report' article here

BBC News: 'Hot' substance in chilli peppers key to killing pain?

BBC News: 'Hot' substance in chilli peppers key to killing pain

Studying chilli peppers is helping scientists create a new type of painkiller which could stop pain at its source.

A team at the University of Texas says a substance similar to capsaicin, which makes chilli peppers hot, is found in the human body at sites of pain.

And blocking the production of this substance can stop chronic pain, the team found.

They report their findings in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Capsaicin is the primary ingredient in hot chilli peppers which causes a burning sensation.

It does this by binding to receptors present on the cells inside the body.

Similarly, when the body is injured, it releases capsaicin-like substances - fatty acids called oxidized linoleic acid metabolites or OLAMs - and these, via receptors, cause pain, the researchers have found.

...

read entire article here

'Wild Comfort: The Solace of Nature' by Kathleen Dean Moore

Something I've long reveled in is the connection between the natural world and healing. Kathleen Dean Moore's, 'Wild Comfort,' http://tinyurl.com/25e7ykf puts the theory to study.

OSU professor Kathleen Dean Moore started out writing a book about happiness, however, as she says, “events overtook me.” In Wild Comfort, Moore tries to grapple with “the power of water, air, earth, and time to bring gladness gradually from grief and to restore meaning to lives that seem empty or unmoored.”

ARTICLE: Shape Magazine, "Basic Pain Management Techniques"

ARTICLE: Shape Magazine, "Basic Pain Management Techniques" http://tinyurl.com/y2sc3ju

"One in four Americans - 75 million people - live in chronic, debilitating pain. In fact, pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. Here are some steps you can take to get relief.

What is pain?

The early Greeks and Romans advanced the idea that the brain played a role in producing the perception of pain. In the 19th century, physician-scientists discovered that opiates such as morphine could relieve pain and chemist Felix Hoffmann developed aspirin from a substance in willow bark. Aspirin remains the most commonly used pain reliever today.

In 1994, the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defined pain as an "unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage."

According to a survey by the National Center for Health Statistics (2006), 26% of adults experienced pain lasting more than 24 hours in the month prior, and 10% experienced the same pain for a year or more. Pain requires particular attention in infants and children since they are not always able to describe the type, degree, or location of pain they are experiencing.

The truth about women and pain

Pain is a regular, if unwelcome, reality for many women, perhaps even more than it is for men, and yet, according to the American Pain Foundation, they are often undertreated. Most women have pain with menstruation at some point in their lives, and childbirth can be painful. Some common disorders of the female reproductive tract are painful. Also, painful autoimmune diseases are much more common in women. To cope with their pain, women tend to use more approaches than men, such as learning about their condition, turning to others for support, and finding ways to relax more and manage stress.

Still, it can be hard for a woman to get help for her pain. Some doctors are less likely to give women painkillers because they think that women overstate the amount of pain they feel. Studies have shown that given the same amount of pain, men are less likely to report it than women. Men might feel they need to "tough it out." But this doesn't mean that the pain women are reporting isn't real. ..."

READ MORE: http://tinyurl.com/y2sc3ju

Top 10 Things You Can Do to Celebrate National Parks Week

Top 10 Things You Can Do to Celebrate National Parks Week 2010 (April 17-25) http://tinyurl.com/y57c3le

Robert Glenn Ketchum in inspiring LA Times piece

Congrats to Robert Glenn Ketchum for this inspiring LA Times piece: http://tinyurl.com/y5ncvad

National Parks Week offers free admission, from April 17-25

National Parks Week offers free admission at all 392 national parks, from April 17-25: http://tinyurl.com/y428sf5

Congratulations to Robert Glenn Ketchum! One of his AMAZING photos is PopPhoto Magazine's 'photo of the day': http://tinyurl.com/yhd2bra

How GRATITUDE can improve your happiness & well-being: http://tinyurl.com/67uh87

Counting Blessings (& Butterflies)

"How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar." ~Trina Paulus

Ever had a 'Brain-Freeze' from eating ice cream!?! That sudden burst of pain that hits when eating anything cold too fast?! My so-called 'breakthrough' headaches feel like that, except instead of lasting a few seconds the way a 'brain-freeze' does, my headaches hit at that intensity for 2-3 hours.

I bring this up because although I went 2-days without a 'breakthrough' headache last week (which is huge!), I've been slammed with real nasty ones since Wednesday. The good news -- when I'm feeling gracious enough -- is that I’m thrilled that I went 2 days without 'breakthrough' pain! And on top of that, the bad headaches only seem to last 2-3 hours, which is manageable (in comparison to what they were after my eye surgery). However as I'm writing this my Vicodin hasn't hit yet, so I'm not exactly stoked at the moment. This too shall pass... right!?!

Dr. Robert A. Emmons’ book, ‘Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier’ draws on the first major empirical study of gratitude to scientifically show how the cultivation of appreciation can measurably change peoples lives.

Counting my blessings has always been something I've relied on over the years when life hands me lemons. And yes, some times are more difficult than others to reach for that proverbial silver lining. When I'm trying to stay positive, a trick that always works for me is to make a list of five (5) things I'm grateful for:

1) My WONDERFUL best friends. No matter what, you always make me smile!

2) Friends and acquaintances who, even if they stumble or fall, pick themselves up & keep going.

3) The AMAZING beauty of the San Francisco Bay Area, and of this beautiful planet in general.

4) The ability to heal, learn, push, strive, achieve, and be human.

5) Butterflies, Chinese Astrology, and Marcel Proust in a hot mineral soaking tub.

So tell me, what are you grateful for!?!

the world's alright with me...

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." ~Herm Albright

I couldn't agree more! So, this year I'm not doing any specific New Year's Resolutions -- I'm doing life changes instead. I'm busy focusing on getting my life back-on-track after receiving my new $20K bionic eye, so everything I'm doing has a positive bent to it.

Have you set any specific resolutions for yourself? What do they include?

As many of your know, I've been struggling since my eye surgery in September. And now that I'm getting back on my feet, I'm determined to heal & come out of this better than before. Which, for me includes:

• Daily meditation & positive affirmations (and remembering to JUST BREATHE)
  
• Exercising regularly (thank god I can do this again! Let me know if you're up for a hike...)
• Eating very healthy, including vitamin & mineral supplements & fish oil for eye health
  
• Taking medications (I was diagnosed with a thyroid problem last year -- boo!)
  
• Avoiding alcohol (a depressant -- boo!)
• Maintaining solid friendships, and making new acquaintances & friends (:-0)
  
• Getting out of my comfort zone daily (you can find me working from various coffee shops each afternoon during the work week)
  
• Learning new things (business plans, angel investors, merchandising, distribution, sales & marketing, patents, design patents, trademarks, wordmarks, website design)
• Discovering new music (don't forget to send me what music you're into these days!)
  
• Enjoying being able to see again, despite daily headaches (yeah, vicodin!)
• Reveling in anything beautiful that takes my breath away...
  
• And getting a life! ;-)

I would LOVE to hear what your resolutions / life changes are for this new decade. And I'd love to get together for a coffee or whatever interests you, too. I'm open & my dance card needs filling!

Lovely Day
performed by Bill Withers
http://tinyurl.com/byxavf

Lovely Day by Bill Withers

Onward & upward!

;-)

everything once dear to me...

http://tinyurl.com/6octdz

Today has been a good day! I'm trying my best to take less Vicodin (6-8 a day, plus other medication is too much for my comfort). I've made it thru today until 4pm! That's a huge accomplishment, and now I'm seeing if only one vicodin will help, or if I still need 2 to curb the pain? Not that today was easy. The headaches, nausea, and dizziness are still there. I've just found that if I don't use my eyes too much for detail work, I'm able to get by longer without crippling pain.

I went to the public library & picked up an audio copy of 'Rose' by Martin Cruz Smith, which has fascinating character studies within an interesting historical mystery. I tried re-reading the book recently, however the eye strain doesn't let me read more than a page or two at a time. When I was at the Univeristy of Michigan I utilized books on tape a lot, so I decided to revisit them again. I've been missing reading so much these past three months, and it's nice to get work done while listening to something interesting. I was always the kid in gradeschool who was too restless to sit thru 'Story Time' without being able to color... an early multi-tasker I suppose. It's been great to keep my mind focused away from feeling disabled, etc.

An acquaintance of mine who had successful double corneal transplants has highly recommended me to see Daniel F. Goodman, MD. I have an appointment tomorrow to meet with him for a second opinion. I'm still waiting to get in to see the neurologist, so I'm glad to have some traction here. It's so true that you have to really manage your own medical treatment & recovery.

For anyone who is new to my blog, I was blinded in my left eye by the cork of a faulty champagne bottle several years ago. Recently I underwent lens replacement surgery to help correct diminished (and double) vision by removing a 'traumatic cateract'. My recovery has taken much longer than anticipated. I've only been able to wear a contact in my new eye for less than a week (I was legally blind in the eye the past 2 months), so I've been experiencing excruciating headaches the past two months. My surgeon wants me to see a neurologist, so I'm waiting to get in. He's concerned that my eye isn't the only thing causing the headaches. In the mean time, I'm doing my best to heal, stay positive, and feel human.

To that end friends, exercise, music, and audiobooks are a wonderful, healing distraction. :-)


The Clockwise Witness
performed by Devotchka
http://tinyurl.com/6octdz

Onward & upward!

AMAZING ophthalmic medical article! 'Eye Tooth' Procedure Restores Woman's Sight: http://tinyurl.com/nmjr4g

Elephants vs. Humans — the pachyderms have the upper trunk! Happy 4th of July!