About Health: I've developed age-related macular degeneration

The image I pasted was borrowed from a no+e image.
It's a bit extreme, but it's partially correct. Seriously.

Have you ever heard of "age-related macular degeneration"?

I think you can understand "age-related" just as it is, but
what is the macula? I've never heard of it, where is it?
Since it's called "degeneration," does it mean it gets weird?

For normal people, it's like this, right?
Actually, even when I developed it, I was skeptical, thinking, "Are you serious?"

The macula is a thin membrane in the center of the retina of the eyeball where the optic nerves are concentrated. It's like the sensor part of a digital camera.
Here, light is converted into electrical signals and sent to the brain, where it forms an image. That's why if this part is distorted, the image is distorted when it's taken into the brain.

When I had cataract surgery a few years ago, I was told that there was a slight abnormality in my left eye.

That the epiretinal membrane was thickened.

When I look at Excel frames on my computer, they look a little distorted. I knew that.
Since this itself wasn't a problem as long as it didn't affect my vision, I had checkups at my local ophthalmologist several times a year after the cataract surgery, and there were no abnormalities.

The devil came suddenly...

It was on December 21, 2023, last year.
It was truly sudden.

In the morning, when I looked in the mirror, my face was gone...?
To be precise, when I look with only my left eye, various parts of my field of vision look distorted.
Especially straight ahead, the space is distorted and it looks like there's an entrance to another dimension. It's just like a sci-fi movie.
My face is hidden by that distortion (・O・)
Even I know that this is not a trivial matter.

I went to work anyway, but with both eyes, the images got mixed up and I couldn't see the computer screen.
If I closed my left eye and looked only with my right eye, I could manage.
Since it's tiring to keep it closed, I managed to work until the afternoon while covering it with my left hand.

So, I left work early and went to the ophthalmologist, and the doctor was also flustered (*_*)
It was completely different from the usual photos. It looked like it was bleeding.
Is it really that bad? (゜o゜;)
It was close to 5 PM, but they called the hospital and made an appointment for tomorrow's examination. And the place I was referred to with a referral letter was...

St. Luke's International Hospital

It's not that you need the power of God or faith to defeat the devil, it's just that the place I was referred to was St. Luke's International Hospital in Tsukiji (^^;)

The first visit to a large hospital is tough. And there were many shocking things.

The next day, I headed to Tsukiji early in the morning. It was my first visit, after all.
I aimed for the high-rise St. Luke's Tower, but the hospital was a little before it, so I passed it once and entered from the car stop on the back side (like a hotel entrance) (^^;)

I registered for my first visit, went to the ophthalmology outpatient department, and after a while, had a vision test.
I can see normally with my right eye, but my left eye...

I can hardly see...

To be precise again, it's the standard vision test: where is the opening in the ring?
But there is an entrance to an interdimensional space at the point I'm trying to look at, and it's getting in the way, so I can't see it.

Until now, after my cataract surgery, my vision was about 1.2 in both eyes.
Even so, the vision in my left eye is only about "0.3"... sigh orz
It's a huge shock.
But this is just the beginning.
It continued to attack me one after another after this.

Between the examinations, tests, and more... phew, I'm tired of waiting.

In addition, it took time to have eye drops to dilate my pupils and to take photos of the fundus,
so by the time I was called into the examination room, it was nearly 2 o'clock and most of the other patients had already left.

The doctor in charge was a young woman. She examined both of my eyes thoroughly in the exam room.
What bothered me a little was that she was looking at my right eye unusually closely.

Then she showed me a photo.
It looked like something was raised up like a hill, with a hollow space underneath it.
I found out later that this photo was exactly a case of "macular degeneration," where the "macula" is pushed up toward the inside of the eyeball and distorted.

An injection in the eye (?_?) And a laser too (?_?)

She said, "There is no doubt that the cause of the distortion in your left eye is 'age-related macular degeneration'."
I knew it (;.;)

"And, there is an abnormality in your right eye as well; there is a hole in it."
What~~ (・O・)
"You have one 'retinal tear'," she said.
I was shocked orz I had absolutely no subjective symptoms at all.

"But, it's only one and it's small, so it will be fine if we treat it."
Oh well.

And then she continued,
"As for the treatment, for the left eye, we will inject into the eyeball. For the right eye, we will burn it with a laser."

Oh no (*_*) An injection in the eye? Are you serious?
Apparently, it's the standard treatment for age-related macular degeneration, oh well. There's no avoiding it.

When I was in high school, a classmate in my club had an injection in their eye.
At that time, it made my hair stand on end.
I thought, 'Is there such a terrifying treatment?'

Counting from that time, it's been over 50 years.
To think that such a situation would come around to me...
Oh my, oh my, oh my... (;.;)

And regarding the "retinal tear," I actually had a little prior knowledge about it.
My wife has actually had it done a few times. So I had heard about and knew that they burn it with a laser. I've even been there with her.
She said it wasn't a big deal, so I felt a little relieved, I guess (^^ゞ
But the real shock came after that.

The female doctor slowly took out a paper and started explaining the injection medication.
Then,

My eyes are popping out (ﾟoﾟ;; Even so...

"This injection is called 'Eylea,' and it is a standard medication. Here is the treatment cost per session."
The amount she marked was...

With 30% co-pay, per session"47,000 yen"

(?_?)(?_?)(?_?) I'm getting eye treatment, but my eyes are popping out (ﾟoﾟ;;
And,
"This treatment is not intended to cure the condition completely. It is to prevent blindness caused by worsening."

Yes, even after getting such an expensive and (presumably) painful injection, I was told that it wouldn't return completely to normal (;.;)

The final blow.
It's standard to have it 3 times, once a month...
(ﾟ◇ﾟ) Oh no

It can't be helped. I don't want to go blind, so there is no option but to get the injections.
I discussed the future treatment plan and received an explanation from the nurse.
And then, and then...
More bad news?! (*_*)

"Macular degeneration is something you'll be dealing with for a long time," she said.
That's what she told me.
Apparently, I'll get three injections to suppress the symptoms, and if there's improvement, I'll continue with follow-up observations for a while, and if signs of worsening appear, I'll get injections again. Observation. This cycle will repeat, she said. Oh boy. How many times has this been now? (~_~;)

I booked an Eylea eye injection and laser surgery for four days later and left the hospital.

Because I had been at the hospital for such a long time, I headed home feeling physically exhausted and sensitive to the glare outside with my pupils still dilated.
What's wrong with me! Pull yourself together (・O・)