Macular degeneration support group meets Wednesday

June 05, 2011 at 11:59 PM

Have you been diagnosed with macular degeneration? Are you frightened by the potential consequences of this all too often devastating disease? We rely on our vision to live our lives in so many ways; our world is one built on the visual.

The faces of friends, the changing of traffic lights and television that we watch all cater to our sight, so the loss of it, even the threat of loss of vision, can be terrifying. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment among older adults in both the United States and around the world. Vision is gradually lost as it continues to progress, potentially leading to complete loss of central vision. The result can be legal blindness and an inability to recognize faces.

Age-related macular degeneration is a chronic condition that causes central vision loss. It affects millions of Americans. It is a leading cause of blindness in people 60 and older. The older you are, the greater your chance of being affected. That's why it's important to learn the symptoms of age-related macular degeneration, so if you ever notice anything wrong, you can see an ophthalmologist right away. Early detection is key to avoiding vision loss.

Learn the symptons so you know what to look for. Age-related macular degeneration symptoms include blurriness, wavy lines or a blind spot.

You may also notice visual distortions such as:

• Straight lines or faces appearing wavy.

• Doorways seeming crooked.

• Objects appearing smaller or farther away.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. If you are diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration, it is important to see a retina specialist for the most appropriate care.

Age-related macular degeneration occurs when the macula — the central portion of the retina that is important for reading and color vision — becomes damaged. Age-related macular degeneration is a single disease, but it can take two forms: dry and wet. If you have macular degeneration or if you would like more information on it, feel free to attend our macular degeneration support group on Wednesday.

Calendar

Tuesday

• 8:30 a.m., SliverSneakers.

• 9 a.m., Exercise with Evie.

• 10:30 a.m., Wellness clinic.

• 12:30 p.m., Cards: pinochle, duplicate bridge.

• 4:30 p.m., SilverSneakers.

Wednesday

• 8:30 a.m., Wood carvers.

• 9:30 a.m., Tai chi.

• 10 a.m., Macular degeneration support.

• 12:30 p.m., Cards, pinochle. cribbage tournament, duplicate bridge.

• 1 p.m., Stitching Bees.

• 1 p.m., Open chess.

Thursday

• 8:30 a.m., SliverSneakers.

• 9 a.m., Exercise with Evie.

• Noon, Cards, pinochle.

• 1 p.m., Bingo.

• 1 p.m., Open chess.

• 4:30 p.m., SilverSneakers.

Friday

• 9:30 a.m., Tai chi.

• 12:30 p.m., Cards, bridge tournament.

Weekly card results:

Monday Bridge tournament results for May 23, with three tables playing:

First — Harriet Oldenburg; second — Dave Ring; third — Lois Johnson; fourth — Bud Higgins; fifth — Larry Larson.

Tuesday afternoon "500" tournament results for May 24, with four tables playing:

First — Beulah Luthe; second — Arnold Bergstrom; third — Dody Krebsbach; fourth — Lois Anderson.

Pinochle

David Solomonson.

Tuesday afternoon bridge May 24, with six tables playing:

First — Joan Bachynsky and Dick Titus; second — Ray Schmidt and Gail Schmidt; third — Dave Ring and Loren Cleland; fourth — Harriet Oldenburg and Betty Jorgenson.

Friday cribbage tournament results May 27, with one and three-quarters tables playing:

First — Dorothy Peterson; second — Russ Vaale.

Friday bridge tournament results for May 2,7 with three tables playing:

First — Dave Ring; second — Harriet Oldenberg; third — Betty Jorgensen; fourth — Larry Larson; fifth — Loretta Nelson.

Weekly "500" tournament May 27 results four tables playing

First — Jaynard Johnson; second — Fran Bolstad; third — Helen Broitzman; fourth — Arnold Bergstrom.

Weekly cribbage tournament results May 25 with one and three-quarters tables playing

First — Jaynard Johnson; second — John Allen; third — Hilton Henschen.

Semcac daily meals

Tuesday

• Chicken breast.

Wednesday