Barbara Watson talks about how age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affected her.

"I found out I had macular degeneration when I went to the optician for some new glasses. The optician examined my eyes and bluntly told me: "You’ve got MD, but don’t worry, you won’t go completely blind."  

"It was a horrible surprise. My mother had suffered from MD, but it hadn’t occurred to me that I might have it one day. The signs had probably been there, but I hadn't noticed them. I’d been doing a lot of numerical work and was having problems reading the numbers 6, 8 and 3. I had to concentrate very hard in order not to get them muddled up.

"At first it wasn’t too much of a problem. My right eye was affected, and it stayed that way for three years. But when I began to get MD in my left eye, I had to give up driving. That was hard – a part of my independence had gone. Luckily, my husband drives, so I can still get around, but it was a difficult time.

"In the last few years, the MD has progressed more rapidly. I’ve had to give up a number of things I really liked doing, such as calligraphy and tapestry. Reading has become difficult, so I now listen to talking books. I’ve also been in some embarrassing situations when I’ve passed friends in the street and not recognised them. 

"I always tried to hide it from people, but lately I’ve started using a white stick when I’m somewhere that's busy or unfamiliar. At first I wasn’t keen on doing so, but once I got over the embarrassment I’ve found that it's helpful because people do get out of your way.   

"However, I'm still a steward at the local museum, and I’ve also joined a walkers group, which is great fun. When I joined the MD Society it opened up lots of new doors, and I’ve done a lot of fundraising. I’ve written about my feelings in two books of poems, which have both been published. That's been lovely. And I help my husband with the gardening when I can, although last week I dug up the sage instead of the mint – so it can be a bit hazardous sometimes."