HELPFUL STUFF Things to ask when newly diagnosed or if told you need more tests to determine a diagnosis

These are generic suggestions from my personal experience but hopefully give a good basis to move forward from. Everyone has their own journey with their eye condition/s but some things are common to us all. The Macular Society is a fantastic source of help and information and have a website and Facebook page as well as this community on Health Unlocked (they are a UK charity but may be able to signpost help for those in other parts if the world).

-Make a list of questions to take to your appointment and document the answers ( so easy to forget once you're back home lol) - that way you can refer later, know what to research if you want, ask others specific qs etc. and also track any changes. Remember a note pad and pen! Take someone with you if you can, they may catch things you miss, and its nice to have the support.

-Ask exactly what macular condition(s) you have / they think you have. AMD can be wet or dry. - there are many other conditions too that result in md. Treatment options differ depending on what condition you have. In the UK there are timescales for treatment that should be met.

-Ask what will happen next, with expected timescales. Then you can chase if you haven't heard when you expect to - yes, they may just be busy, but its possible you've slipped off the radar....or a letter has gone missing in the post.

-Ask what treatment they may be considering for you (they may not be able to say if full diagnosis not yet made) and what you can expect from it ie improvement or just stabilisation, and potential risks/side effects.

-Ask if there are any other aspects contributing to your sight problem. - eye health needs to be looked at holistically, there may be BP, cholesterol, diabetic, or other contributing factors that should be addressed to give you the best outcomes.

-Ask what your IOP ( intra ocular pressure) is for each eye.

-Ask what your visual acuity is for each eye.

-Ask if you are still legal to drive.

-Ask if there are any specific foods and/or health supplements recommended to maintain/improve eye health. - studies have been done and many over the counter products do not contain the correct ingredients at the right levels.

-Ask for an Amsler grid if they do not offer one ( or download). This is an easy way to monitor vision at home ( I mark mine in pencil the first time then it's easy to see changes, hopefully improvement but if worsening then you know to contact your eye doc asap ). Be aware that conditions themselves can change, eg drymd can become wet so self monitoring is a good idea.

Dont get hung up about it though! Dont get anxious or become obsessive. Personally I think once a week is plenty, no need to do every day ( but ask and be guided by your eye doc as your situation may be different to mine). I feel once a month is the longest gap I'd want to leave between formal grid checks and that's only because a) I'm in the habit of randomly checking my bad eye by looking at straight edges eg door frames and grout lines on tiled areas and b) after 6 years I'm more in tune with my body and the slight changes I experience due to tired eyes.

- Finally, don't be afraid to ask your questions, don't feel pressured for time or that you are somehow being ' a nuisance'. Everything you clarify and understand now will save you and the docs time and more effort later.

There must be more Qs! Feel free to add yours x

[pinkperfection]

Thanks Eyesright this is excellent advice.