A group that meets monthly at Humphrey Manor has been a support for women who suffer from macular degeneration.
Macular degeneration is the loss of central vision. Many of the women who meet monthly for support have peripheral vision but can't see in the center. They are legally blind.
Darlene Hosner and Lois Johnson started the group 10 years ago because they each had friends who had macular degeneration and wanted to do something for them. Hosner's mother, aunt and mother-in-law had macular degeneration.
"I knew the struggles involved with it," Hosner said.
The group started with six members and now there are 16, she said. Now, Hosner leads the group and Shirley Bendix helps. On Monday, the group celebrated the 10th anniversary with cake and birthday bingo.
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Each month, the women meet to learn more about macular degeneration as well as share stories from their childhoods or family traditions. The members are between the ages of 70 and 101. At one meeting, the women learned that eating spinach is good for the eyes, along with vegetables with beta carotene in them, Hosner said. And it is always important to wear sunglasses outside, she added.
When the group began in 1997, there wasn't a lot of information about macular degeneration, Hosner said. But 10 years later, she has noticed a lot of new research has been done and there are different procedures that can help.
Macular degeneration does run in families, she said.
"I commend this group," Hosner said. "They live independently and do it well."
Blind Services workers from Brainerd visit with members of the macular degeneration group. It is very beneficial to the ladies, Hosner said.
When a new member joins the group, each woman shares what it is like to have macular degeneration and gives tips.
"The hardest thing is probably that they can't drive," Hosner said.
Sal Erickson, who is part of the group, said the most difficult part of having macular degeneration is not being able to read, drive or write.
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"It's hard when someone comes up and you don't know who it is because you can't see faces," she said.
Edith Bottemiller, who also has macular degeneration, said it helps when people say, "Hi Edith, it's so-and-so."
Talking books are available through Blind Services and they are wonderful, Bottemiller said.
Hazel Messer said having macular degeneration hasn't stopped her from enjoying life.
"We've got so much to be thankful for," she said.
