Dr Ainsley Morris

I’m writing this sitting at the dining room table - it’s my “home office”. As I’m the only family member who leaves the house to go to work, I get relegated. “First up, best dressed,” as my mum used to say…  The other family members all have dedicated workspaces, for day jobs, university and schooling. It’s the new normal. We’re being safe.

This has caused me to reflect on what it means to live with macular degeneration (MD) under the Covid-19 lockdown measures.

Staying safe has many aspects. We don’t go out unless necessary for food, health or essential employment. We have bubbles of family, whanau or friends that we live with. We practice safe distancing. But staying safe also means continuing to look after ourselves. This is especially important if you live with MD.

If you have a diagnosis of dry MD, staying safe means continuing to self-monitor your eyes with an Amsler chart. Maintaining a healthy diet and continuing to take dietary supplements if appropriate. Not reaching for a cigarette if you feel stressed! It’s OK to ask someone to get your groceries or to visit the pharmacy for you.

If you have wet MD and a diagnosis of an active choroidal neovascular membrane, staying safe also means continued Amsler monitoring and a healthy diet/supplements. But it’s also vital you continue with your scheduled intravitreal eye injections. Studies show, the biggest predictor of long-term eye health with wet MD is how vigilant you are with maintaining ongoing treatment. It’s expected and accepted that you will leave your bubble for treatment and for an urgent review, if you experience new changes.

For MD patients, safe means:

• Maintaining health within your bubble

- Healthy diet, supplements
- Not smoking
- Regular exercise
- Self-monitoring for vision changes

• Blowing the bubble

- Seek urgent review if your vision alters or there is any new and persistent change with the Amsler chart
- Phone your ophthalmologist or the local District Health Board (DHB)

• String of bubbles

- It’s vitally important you maintain your treatment schedule if you are receiving injections
- Be aware these may be in different location than usual and there may be added precautions, such as patient masks

Why is it important to be safe? To maintain our health and beat Covid-19. To maintain our vision and continue our independent lifestyles.

Dr Ainsley Morris is a Macular Degeneration New Zealand (MDNZ) trustee, a medical retina subspecialist and a consultant at Christchurch Hospital and Southern Cross Hospital in Christchurch.