End of a GREAT year-Start of an even BETTER one

What a Christmas Party we had, thanks to Josefina Miller and her hard-working Special Events Committee! It was a wonderful way to end a GREAT year and start an even BETTER one!

Saturday, January 17, 2004

We begin our eighth year with our annual meeting with the LVC’s Board of Directors. Those board members who represent agencies and low vision clinics will make presentations about the services they provide, followed by a question & answer period.

Our monthly meetings normally end at 11:30 a.m., but those who are hard of hearing may wish to remain and visit with Joe Laurel from the CSD Company. He will demonstrate some special telephones and other equipment, and will bring applications for financial help from the Texas Commission for the Deaf.

Saturday, February 21, 2004

“Be An Ambassador For The Blind”-a presentation and group discussion led by Bonnie Truax and Leslie Hoy. Learn about the many volunteer opportunities available to club members to help with club activities and projects. You CAN make a big difference in people’s lives!

Saturday, March 6, 2004

EXPO 2004--Our Sixth Annual Low Vision EXPO. Your annual opportunity to see the latest in low vision aids and explore community resources. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It will be held in two buildings next to each other…the Allied Health Building and the McDermott building, both at 8403 Floyd Curl Drive.

Vendors will display all types of low vision aids including magnifiers, closed circuit TV’s, and computers that speak to you. The equipment will be available for “hands on” experience. Agencies dealing with visually impaired people will have representatives there to answer questions. This is an event you won’t want to miss!

Sighted Volunteer Help For Bowling

Our LVC bowlers have put out a call for sighted volunteers or partially sighted volunteers to help keep score and assist our club members to play. Games are held the first and third Mondays each month from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wonder Bowl at 1948 Austin Highway. If you can help or want to bowl yourself, call Adela Aguilar at 922-4368.

Introducing Owl Radio

The San Antonio Low Vision Club’s Radio Reading Service is changing its name. Beginning with the New Year, our new name will be Owl Radio. The owl has been the official logo for our Low Vision Club, and Owl Radio is a lot easier to remember than San Antonio Low Vision Club Radio Reading Service.

We also are adding more local programming. Beginning Monday, January 5, our local programming will be expanded from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Saturday. You’ll hear more news about sports,

business, arts, travel, what’s going on in your neighborhood, plus book reviews, the comics and features on food and shopping. The expanded local programming will be repeated in the evening at 9 p.m. following the repeat reading of the Express-News from 7 to 9 p.m.

On Saturdays at 1 p.m. there’ll be an interesting program produced in East Texas by a bunch of blind do-it-yourselfers called Blind Handyman. And on Sundays at 3 p.m. we’ll bring back some of your favorite old-time radio shows. If you or your friends are print impaired and haven’t already signed up to get a special radio receiver to hear our programs, call Owl Radio at 829-4223 for an application. Remember, we now call it Owl Radio, reading for those who can not see.  More information about Owl Radio is available at owlradio.org.

AMD TREATMENT UPDATE by Jason S. Slakter, M.D.

Reprinted from Summer 2003 issue of the navh UPDATE, published by the National Association for the Visually Handicapped.

Over the last few years, excitement over a growing number of potential new treatments for the exudative or wet form of macular generation has been growing. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that as of today, there are still only two therapeutic approaches which have been proven in large-scale clinical trial and have been approved by the FDA. These remain laser photocoagulation treatment (so called

“hot laser”) and photodynamic therapy with Verteporfin (Visudune therapy or so called “cold laser”). Laser photocoagulation is still used for blood vessels which occur outside the center of vision, while photodynamic therapy is used for blood vessels which occur under the center. Both of these therapies, while successful in many patients, are still limited in their ability to restore vision. Their primary goal is to stabilize vision as much as possible.

A number of very exciting drugs are currently under investigation for the treatment of Wet AMD. Two different types of anti-growth agents

(anti-vascular endothelial growth factor or anti-VEGF agents) are currently being studied. The advantage of these drugs is that they can chemically shrink blood vessels and prevent further growth as well as reduce the leakage associated with this condition. The disadvantage lies in the fact they must be injected directly into the eye on a regular basis (every 4 to 6 weeks) for an unknown period of time. The current clinical trials will help determine whether both are effective and safe for this AMD.

Editor’s Note:

Envision This!

The Low Vision Club and the San Antonio Public Library will conduct a special program for people with impaired vision on Saturday, January 24th, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Downtown Public Library, 600 Soledad. The program is entitled “Envision This”, and the general public is invited.

Our people will talk about the Low Vision Club, and provide tips on how to cope with limited eyesight. They also will offer an opportunity to sign up for our Owl Radio Reading Service, featuring 24-hour programming and daily readings of the San Antonio Express-News.

The library will demonstrate their special equipment available to the visually impaired, including closed circuit TV’s and reading programs such as “Open Book” and “Jaws”.