Assistive Technology

Below is a link to assistive technology for those with low vision. You may be able to have the costs of purchasing some of this equipment defrayed by yoru local state rehabilitation agency.

http://www.mdsupport.org/resources/techproducts.html

Lutein Supplementation and RP

Below are the results of a study on Lutein supplementation and RP. This is not news, the late Grace Halloran advocated this twenty years ago. However, this is the first time a formal study has been completed. Grace advised me to do this almost ten years ago. I feel, if I had been disciplined and stayed the course, my vision would be much better.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16759390?ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=neuropathyataxiaandretinitispigmentosa

Lipid Disorders and RP

There is a connection between the amino acid taurine and the abosrption of fat soluable vitamins, like Vitamin A. I remember reading somewhere, years ago, that RP is associated with lipid disorders. I also know of a naturopath who does blood work on a wide variety of people who have a variety of eye conditions. He has stated that, without fail, there are blood sugar abnormalities.

With regards to lipid processing, This makes sense. Faulty uptake of the amino acid taurine would lead to the malabsorption of Vitamin A, This leads to a breakdown of the chemistry needed in order to maintain retinal function which leads to cell death of the photoreceptors....Explains why Berson found that mega supplementation with Vitamin A has some impact on maintaining visual function some of the time. However, mega supplementation does not get the job done nor does it addres the underlying metabolic deficit which makes it necessary.

Taurine and Retinal Disease- Patent

http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?IA=US1998026106&DISPLAY=DESC

http://www.biomedexperts.com/Profile.bme/1110527/AM_Petrosian

Petrosian's theory on the relationship between taurine and fat-soluable vitamins essential for vision:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11128549?ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Would have been nice if they had not tested tuarine along with both Vitamin E and Dilitiazem, but interesting all the same:

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=13940577

Phytochemicals

http://www.phytochemicals.info/

Two books on my wish list:

http://www.amazon.com/Nutrigenetics-Nutrigenomics-Review-Nutrition-Dietetics/dp/3805577826/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1220925547&sr=11-1

http://www.amazon.com/Phytochemicals-Nutrient-Gene-Interactions-Mark-Meskin/dp/0849341809/ref=sid_dp_dp

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17045449

Dr. Amy Yasko claims to already work with nutrient-gene interactions in her practice. Hmm.....She could be ahead of her time or making false claims. Either way the premise is interesting.

Beauty and the Blind

A touching article about a woman who, after losing her sight, still is profoundly struck by beauty.

http://nfb.org/legacy/bm/bm03/bm0306/bm030611.htm

I ran across this article while researching something unrelated. It spoke deeply to me. Recently, I had a dream in which I was asking God about human suffering and pain. One of humanity's ongoing existential struggles, no doubt. Being human, I was asking God about my particular struggle, which, in the scope of human suffering, is truly nothing. But, I digress.

In this dream, God shows me a caterpillar inching its' way up a green stalk. He says, "That is you," I looked at the caterpillar make its' way, painfully slowly, up the green plant's stalk. He asked me, "What happens if the caterpillar turns around?" I answered that, I guess, it would just return to the grass. He agreed and then asked me to watch the caterpillar once more. So, I did. It reached the end of the stalk and made a cacoon. After being in total darkness, it emerges as a fragile, stained glass, backlit, ethereal looking butterfly. It was the most fragile and finely crafted glass I have ever seen, yet the creature was animate, flitting about in the night sky. Its' delicate perfection was apparent not only in its fragility but the incredibly intense colors: greens, violets, vibrant shades of orange contrasted by the coolest of electric blues.

Later in the week, my daughter went to her favorite art studio with her babysitter. She came home and gave me her creation. She said, "Look Mama! A mariposa for you!" She created a gorgeous, colorful butterfly whose vivid oranges, violets and blues are simply glorious! Did she overhear me mention the dream to my husband? Doubtful, but I suppose it is possible. Does it matter? Not at all...

I find a little bit of HOPE to be similar to putting a small amount of food coloring in a glass of water. It does not take much to color the water to an intense hue. Hope is the same way. It does not take a lot to transform an existence in to a beautiful, vibrant life regardless if one can perceive the colors or not.