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The 5th Annual Golf Outing
To Fight Glaucoma
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Please join us and enjoy a great day
in a beautiful venue with good friends. Even
if golf is not your game, you will still enjoy
participating in this event. More important, you
will provide needed help in the fight against
glaucoma.
If you cannot participate, you can make
a monetary donation using the link to the
right.
The best golf outing you will
attend in 2010.
Win a 2010 Lexus vehicle
from Lexus of
Towson!
REGISTER BEFORE MAY 1 FOR A
DISCOUNT OFF
Monday
June 14,
2010
Mountain Branch Golf
Course
Joppa, MD
7:30 AM
Best Ball Format
Contests, prizes and
giveaways
Breakfast & lunch
included
Bring a foursome or come as a
single.
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The
Raffle To Fight
Glaucoma
Win A Cybex Home Arc
Trainer |
|
The Cybex Home
Arc Trainer is a $3,000 value and has been donated
by Cybex International.
Tickets are $10
each or 3 for $25
To get your
raffle ticket(s), please call
410-420-8132
You do not need to be
present to
win. |
| Donate Your
Vehicle
for a tax
deduction |
|
The Polakoff Foundation
accepts vehicle donations. We can pick up your
donated vehicle, whether it's running or not, in
any of the 48 contiguous states. We do all the
paperwork. It's hassle free!
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Free
Glaucoma
Screenings |
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The Eyes Have It
Program, Baltimore's visionary fight against
glaucoma begins its third year of
service.
Non-medical
volunteers:
Contact Ted Dixon
at
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| Dear Friend:
Like high blood pressure can kill without
warning, glaucoma can steal your eyesight
without warning. Once glaucoma robs its victim
of the precious gift of sight, vision cannot be
recovered. If caught early however, sight can
often be preserved. Thus, the work of The
Polakoff Foundation centers around education,
prevention and research toward a cure.
Your support is invaluable to our efforts!
We urge you to consider a donation of at least
$25* to help fight glaucoma. If everyone
receiving this email donated just $25, our
efforts to save the sight of the underserved
high-risk population would extend to so many
more people.
Thank you for your continued support.
The Polakoff Foundation is a 501(c)(3)
non-profit corporation.
Twelve Hours
Twelve hours are
up
It's time once
again
To save the
sight
For now and for
then
Twelve hours go
by
I've seen quite a
lot
Things taken for
granted
Since I was a
tot
Twelve hours go
by
A drop in each
eye
The pressures go
down
I'm out on the
town
Twelve hours are
up
I'm thankful
again
For the morning so
bright
And the gift of
sight.
© Samuel R.
Polakoff, January 4,
2007
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Traumatic Glaucoma
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By Samuel F. Boles, M.D.
 Since eye
trauma is a surprisingly common occurrence, it
is worth remembering that it is a
significant risk factor for developing glaucoma.
Normally intraocular eye pressure (IOP)
is 21 or less. If a person experiences an
eye injury and has elevated IOP for at
least three months requiring glaucoma
therapy, this would be considered having a
diagnosis of traumatic glaucoma. To help
predict who might be at higher risk, researchers
are trying to find the special factors that
might make a person at higher risk of glaucoma
following an injury.
In the 2008 issue
of Archives of
Ophthalmology Dr. Sihota and
colleagues reviewed 121 patients following
severe eye trauma. 43% were diagnosed with
traumatic glaucoma. By complete eye exam
after an injury, the treating doctors found
problems such as Hyphema (bleeding inside the
eye), elevated IOP at time of injury, excessive
pigmentation of the drainage channel (trabecular
meshwork), damage to the drain where fluid flows
out (angle recession) and damage to the natural
lens inside the eye. All of these
conditions were associated with the
development of traumatic glaucoma.
It is recommended that you get a
complete eye exam after any injury and complete
annual exams thereafter. This will be
the optimal way to ensure the best possible
vision for your entire lifetime.
Dr. Samuel F. Boles is the medical
director at Anne Arundel Eye Center in
Annapolis, Maryland. He is also a member of The
Polakoff Foundation Board of
Directors. |
| My Fight Against
Glaucoma |
 I was
diagnosed with glaucoma thirty-seven years ago
when I was leaving military service. Prior to my
diagnosis, I was experiencing eye
irritation. The doctor I saw recommended that I
contact the Veterans' Administration (VA)
clinic in Baltimore.
The VA clinic put me through a series
of eye tests. My intraocular eye pressure
was elevated. I was very concerned and
vowed to always make saving my sight a priority.
At the time of my glaucoma diagnosis, I was just
twenty-one years old.
I was put on Pilocarpine, a pressure
reducing eye medication, for both eyes. As
time went by and more and more tests were
conducted, my intraocular pressures
increased. I was prescribed additional
medications.
Eventually I faced surgery on my left
eye. I had two filters inserted into
my left eye with the goal of creating better
drainage of intraocular fluid and ultimately,
lower pressures. After each of these
procedures failed to produce the desired
results, I was referred by the VA
Hospital in Baltimore to Dr. Alan Robin.
Dr. Robin is based in Baltimore and is one
of the world's leading experts on
glaucoma. Dr. Robin performed a
surgical procedure to insert a tube in
my left eye and my pressures are
finally under control.
In my opinion, the key to fighting this
blinding eye disease is to be proactive. One's
sight is precious and should not be taken for
granted.
Throughout the years I have volunteered
with groups like The Maryland Society for
Sight and The Polakoff Foundation. It serves as
a way to spread the word about glaucoma and
relate my story. The battle continues and I am
up to the challenge.
Terry Trouyet is a member of The
Polakoff Foundation Board of
Directors. Terry is a well known radio
personality in the Baltimore metro area. He is a
passionate advocate of identifying people
who are high-risk for glaucoma and helping
them to protect their sight before it is stolen
without warning.
Dr. Alan Robin is a member of The
Polakoff Foundation Board of Directors. Dr.
Robin is known around the world for his
expertise and dedication to fighting glaucoma.
Please visit Dr. Robin's website by clicking
here. | | |
