Retina NewZFebruary 2017 No.572The Newsletter of Retina New Zealand Inc.PO Box 2232, Raumati Beach, Paraparaumu 5255Phone 0800 569849

In This Issue

RIWC 2018: Coming Soon to Auckland! 1From The [Acting] Editor 1From the President 2RIWC 2018: Progress Report  3Governance: Building a Society for the future. 4Research Project: Vision Simulation. 5Radiotherapy trial for Wet AMD 6In Profile: Selma Matloob 6“Access For All” Advocacy Training 7“Rock Your Retina” Food Challenge 8OrCam launches “My Eye” into NZ. 12Socialising Vision Loss 13Notices: 14

RIWC 2018: Coming Soon to Auckland!The biennial Retina International World Congress will be held in Auckland, from February 7th to 11th 2018. Now while you might be thinking that is still a whole year away, let’s remember just how quickly the last year flew by and think about making plans early!Held every 2 years, previous events have been held in Italy [2010], Germany [2012], France [2014] and Taiwan [2016]. With the 2020 event set to be in Iceland, the Auckland event, hosted by Retina NZ [in partnership with University of Auckland Ophthalmology department] will be the best chance ever for many Kiwis and Aussies to hear and meet with some of the world’s leading retinal researchers. The Local Organising Committee have engaged [not-for-profit group] Event Services to manage the event on behalf of Retina NZ, so look forward to regular updates in the coming months and of course if you are interested in attending the event, being a volunteer at the event or have enquiries about transport or accommodation, give Sue a call on 0800 569849 or email enquiries to ri2018@retina.org.nz

From The [Acting] EditorHappy 2017 everyone! Where did the Christmas holidays go? I moved house [on the 23rd of December!] so I’ve barely had a chance to find a home for everything, crack open a craft-brewed Sparkling Ale in the evening summer breeze, then who should knock on my door? Hello FEBRUARY! On the upside, at least all the kids are back at school. Print-copy readers will appreciate the printer’s new press and its advanced ink technology which means there will be less reflection on the pages. We’ve also made a slight tweak so the Accessible PDF format plays a bit nicer with older versions of JAWS.Thanks Kay for your feedback on the last newsletter and particularly your question about the “low vision and your body” story by Dieu Nguyen and Vildana Praljak. You asked if there were any exercises that you could do at home? Dieu suggested “Any exercise that

increases your strength, balance, coordination and flexibility such as Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, or any other activity that enhances your body awareness”. Dieu also emphasised that “The impact of vision loss on the body is different for every person”. “Minimising the impacts of visual impairment on the body begins with increasing our own body awareness and the opportunity to explore this with practitioners who specialise in body movement in a holistic way such as occupational therapists and physiotherapists”.Also thanks to Diane for your kind words in favour of the new look and its encouraging to know you enjoyed the read.For those of us whose New Year’s resolutions included healthy eating, we’ve laid on quite a spread. Over the last few issues, “health guru” Emma Sandford has showed us how we might get the much-needed nutrients from real food instead of popping pills.So I challenged Emma to create some recipes which will work for us “city-dwellers” and she has come up with the “Rock your Retina Food Challenge”. It involves Rocket but its not rocket science. And like everything that seems simple, there’s a catch … I found myself excitedly optimistic when I learned of a new treatment in the UK, for Wet AMD that aims to eliminate the need for ongoing injections [or reduce the frequency]. This is an exciting prospect on so many levels, and as with most trials, the learnings will likely promote persistent optimism and patience. Optimism also for the Retina-funded research project being undertaken by Mary Butler and her team. Raising public awareness of Low Vision is a huge challenge, one that is hindered by the degenerative nature of the diseases, and the complex individual needs of patients. No pressure then! FEEDBACK – Tell us what you like [or dislike] – its okay… constructive criticism is welcomed! If you want more of what you like to read about, let us know what you like. We’d love to hear from you by email: editor@retina.org.nz Happy Reading!Cheers – Mike Smith

From the PresidentWelcome to the first issue of Retina NewZ for 2017. As this reaches you we will all be starting to get back into the routines that make up our lives.Some people interpret the word “routine” as negative but I don’t see it that way at all. As a Vision Impaired person no longer able to drive, I find having a routine helpful and positive. For example knowing when its quiet at my local Supermarket means I have a shopping routine. With vision loss comes a need to be organised as we can no longer just hop in the car and get whatever is needed. For those of you who receive help with housework or gardening its nice to have a routine and know when the person is coming. I hear quite a few comments from people that the Xmas Holidays can be a long period where they feel so out of their routines they feel unsettled and are relieved when normality returns as the schools go back. Something else that I’ve been hearing people talk about is the confusion over Emergency Preparedness. There has been a television campaign telling us all to go to higher ground after a large earthquake and not to drive but cycle or walk. This obviously is not going to work for a large part of our community and has caused some concern and confusion. I think the message they need to convey is to get to know your neighbours and have a plan for any adverse event.

We all know we need to have spare food, water and medication as a basic survival kit but having the company and support of others is vital. The volunteers on the Retina NZ Management Committee are dedicated to offering support and information to anyone with any level of sight loss and their family and friends. This year we intend to continue to work on your behalf to ensure that Low Vision issues are brought to the attention of the relevant authorities. If you have any comments or concerns please contact us on 0800 569849 we always like to hear from you.Retina NZ will be hosting the next Retina International World Congress in Auckland in February 2018 and this will be a great opportunity for anyone to come and hear some of the world’s leading scientists and clinicians and hear about the research that is happening world wide. There will be more details as we progress.I hope that 2017 proves to be a good year for all our members and thank you all for your ongoing support for our organisation. We all know what losing our sight means to us , and how having information and support can be a huge benefit and make the journey a little easier.Sue Emirali President – Retina NZpresident@retina.org.nz

RIWC 2018: Progress Report The 2018 Retina International World Congress [RIWC 2018] will be held over 5 days; Wednesday 7th is when most delegates will arrive and typically there is a social meet & greet in the evening. Thursday 8th is the General Assembly – a biennial AGM with 2 delegates from each member organisation participating [as well as observers]. Friday 9th is usually a “Continuing Education” day where member organisations share information, insights and ideas for working “on” our organisations. Saturday & Sunday is when the real fun happens and these are the best days for public attendance.We will also have a youth programme which Zane Bartlett & Harriet Kay will be putting together. Zane attended the 2012 & 2014 events and helped coordinate youth events in Taiwan in 2016, so he has a good idea of what works. The youth event usually runs from Wednesday to Friday, so they can join the conference proper for the weekend programme.Look out for regular updates in future newsletters and online and remember to make your plans early! It took some doing with his busy life, but I managed to get Fraser to scribe the following progress report … While there is work to be done on securing additional funding for the 2018 Retina International World Congress, we have pleasure in announcing that our Gold Sponsor will be the Blind Foundation. Working to ensure the Foundation’s strategic priorities are incorporated and promoted within the programme will be our aim over coming months as the scientific and continuous education programmes are developed.The Local Organising Committee also welcomes the opportunity to enable foundation staff and members to share learning experiences with Retina NZ and the Retina International community, clinicians, researchers, service providers & decision-makers.On funding, attention now turns to our medium-level sponsors and exhibitors in order to secure around $100,000 that we require to support a world-class programme.In recent months, much work has gone into consulting with those experienced in the art of compiling a scientific and medical programme.

The programme not only needs to reflect the Retina International World Congress core objectives, but also needs to account for the highly dynamic nature of scientific progress in the diseases we are all familiar with. Keynote speaker invitations will be made in coming months to ensure that the content we offer within the World Congress session structure and the individual themes pertaining to the plenary and parallel sessions, is compatible with our available resources and the learning and support-related needs of target audiences.We look forward to working  with Retina NZ members and key contributors to the Society as we finalise the schedule for the two non-scientific and medical parallel sessions, the social programme and the logistics of delivering the event. The Local Organising Committee are particularly pleased with the service provided by Event Services at the University of Auckland and we are confident their efficient and effective liaison with all key contributors will enable the committee to concentrate on its core role.So why should you be part of RIWC2018? Being part of a Retina International World Congress is an experience in optimism and inspiration – a unique experience generated by bringing together some of the world’s fore-most retinal scientists and clinicians along with the global leaders in patient advocacy and peer support. The Congress will offer patients and their families, clinicians, eye health professionals, students and anyone with an interest in retinal disorders, with networking opportunities and interactive learning, These include short scientific presentations, expert panels, treatment-approach plenary sessions and social events.Be assured, Retina NZ members, RIWC2018 offers an unprecedented educational environment and your  participation is a vital component of ensuring the patient experience is optimised. My experience is that we learn as much from each other as anyone else. You will meet and hear from the most acclaimed experts in biomedical research, clinical practice, rehabilitation best practice in vision loss, but it is the shared wisdom of local people with a sight loss that is the essence of the success of a world congress.A welcoming, warm and accessible environment is key to the success of the meeting and  we are working hard to ensure that the very highest standard of accessibility is reached within the conference venue, any recommended accommodation, audio visual systems and translation mechanisms. All conference materials will be designed carefully to be accessible and useful.I know RIWC 2018 will be a unique and unforgettable experience for all of us – I look forward to seeing you in Auckland, February 10–11, 2018.Fraser AlexanderLocal Organising Committeeri2018@retina.org.nz www.riwc2018.org

Governance: Building a Society for the future.The Executive Committee of Retina NZ are currently working on an Organisational Strategy for the next three years [2017-2020]. We need to review our plans to ensure we achieve greater community awareness of the Society, our services and resources. Some key objectives to consider over the next few years are to; Be innovative to provide a well-resourced, quality service to our community.Provide members with opportunities for personal development.

Raise our profile so that we are recognised as experts in this field.Contribute towards the development and equitable availability of safe and effective treatments. Maintain governance and organisational management to ensure legal compliance and sustainability.There are several minor governance processes we need to review prior to 2020 to ensure we adhere to the new Incorporated Societies Act. We also need to ensure we retain a robust, enduring form of governance. Currently [apart from the President which is every 2 years] the entire Committee are re-elected each year and this leaves the Society vulnerable to sudden change and potential loss of vast experience all at once. One option [which would need minor changes to our constitution] would be to elect members for a 2 or 3 year term which would mean in any given year only a half or a third of the committee would be up for re-election and would provide better stability for the Society in the longer term. It might mean Committee Members have clearer objectives of what they want to achieve during their 2 or 3 year term which inevitably results in better outcomes for the Society.We are looking at all of our options to increase organisational capacity, including the options of a paid administrator, or project-based contract work. There’s more projects and tasks to do than we have volunteer hours to complete them, so we need to look at how we generate that extra capacity. For many people, the ongoing demands of serving on the Executive are more than they have time for, however there may be people who are able to commit to helping with a specific task or project. If you [or someone you know] with a specific area of expertise might be able to help our Society on an ad-hoc basis for specific tasks or projects, we’d love to hear from you. It might be professional expertise, volunteer driving, distributing publications, administrative tasks such as scanning archives for electronic storage, or a million other things.If you are able to help in some way or know someone who might be able to, please email Sue Emirali president@retina.org.nz or myself treasurer@retina.org.nz or call us on 0800 569 849.Mike Smith – Treasurer Retina NZ

Research Project: Vision Simulation.Thanks to the generosity of Retina NZ, the School of Occupational Therapy [O/T] at Otago Polytechnic is getting ready to run a research project about helping people to understand what it’s like to have a visual impairment. It’s a great project for occupational therapists to get involved in because we spend a lot of our time translating complex scientific diagnoses into ‘what does this mean to me in my kitchen when I am making toast?’ Most of you will have been confronted with the conundrum of how to explain to nearest and dearest what it means to have Retinitis Pigmentosa, or Macular Degeneration (or whatever), without; making it sound so hard that they want to do everything for you; or making it sound so easy that they don’t think you need any support at all.There are great ways to understand medical conditions. For example there is a whole genre of films and books that have turned descriptions of life with a disability into an art form. However, I’ve never found a good book or film about visual impairment that wasn’t about blindness … so there may be a gap in the market there!

There are also some great apps on my iPad, like “vis sim” which takes you through a demonstration of what specific conditions are like over time.Another way of helping someone understand what it is like to have a visual impairment is to put on a pair of goggles that simulates the condition, then get them to try doing some of those ultra-simple tasks like pouring a drink, or putting toothpaste on the toothbrush, or even using their smartphone. There are a huge range of vision simulation goggles available now, which can give relatively nuanced experiences of what it might be like to have different conditions. They can even simulate how vision is affected when you are drunk!The project we are putting together will have two parts. In the first place we will create an educational package that we can take to different groups including health professionals, and school age children. We will be testing out whether this is actually an effective method of helping people to learn about the reality of visual impairment. This might seem self-evident, but in fact most of the current literature argues against disability simulation in general. The argument is actually against specific kinds of experiences, for example putting someone in a wheelchair and thinking they understand what spinal injury means, or tying a blindfold around someone and expecting them to understand what it means to be blind.However, nobody has done a project about visual impairment and vision simulation goggles. So, our task is to develop educational materials that give some idea of the different conditions that people have to live with, without reinforcing any prejudices they might have. The second part of the project will be about consulting with the vision impaired community. What ways can the community teach us to teach others about the reality of visual impairment? We want to know whether we can reach a broad consensus about whether it really is okay to do this kind of exercise. Are there people who will be offended if we do it? How can we best work together to create an educational message that might even be heard at policy level?We are really excited to be getting started with this project which has been made possible by the grant of $7000 from Retina NZ. Coincidentally we have just been given another grant from the Polytechnic to buy some top of the range vision simulation goggles. These things don’t happen immediately. We still have to go through ethics etc, but we hope that we will have a well-developed project to present back to you by the end of the year. We will also be back in touch to ask whether some of you will be part of the consultation group.If you would like to learn more about the project, or if you would like to put your name forward to be part of the consultation group, please contact: mary.butler@op.ac.nz Thank you. – Mary Butler

Radiotherapy trial for Wet AMD I recently read about a Radiotherapy trial in the UK { www.starstudy.org.uk ], for Wet AMD, which if successful, could dramatically reduce the number of injections required by patients with Wet AMD.The process uses a Stereotactic Radio Therapy unit to deliver a low dose of radiation [similar to a dental X-ray]. The expectation is that it might reduce or alleviate the need for ongoing injections.

If successful the benefit to patients is self evident, but the benefit to the cost of government funded eye treatments would be huge. With the number of AMD patients set to treble over the next decade, it has the potential to become a credible solution to increased funding pressures.The only place in NZ which has an SRT unit is Dunedin Hospital. Retina NZ Scientific & Medical Advisory Board [SMAB] member and Consulting Ophthalmologist at Dunedin Hospital – Harry Bradshaw commented “It’s certainly an interesting development, however it would probably require 5 years of credible data before we could consider it as a treatment option here in NZ”.

In Profile: Selma MatloobI am a female specialist ophthalmologist, originally from Iraq, and proud to be a Kiwi for the last 13 years.  My medical journey and personal life started in Iraq when I graduated from the medical school and decided to specialise in Ophthalmology.As a training registrar on a four year training program at the Eye Hospital in Baghdad, I worked for a consultant vitreo-retinal surgeon who happened to become my husband later on! In the mid nineties, I left Iraq for postgraduate training in Ophthal-mology in the UK. After this training period I qualified to become a Member of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists of London and a Fellow of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. My husband left the UK soon after and we established a base in Jordan where my husband took the position of a Consultant Ophthalmologist at Jordan University Hospital and The University of Jordan. Having passed the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) three-step exams and been registered as an Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) member, I was accepted for a subspecialty fellowship training in Neuro-Ophthalmology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, where I became licensed to practice Medicine in the United states of America.After completion in 2009 I returned to Waikato Hospital to be employed as a Specialist Ophthalmologist. In 2013, I went once more to the US, this time for training in Electrophysiology of Vision, Hereditary Diseases of the Retina and Medical Retina at Kellogg Eye Centre in Ann Arbor, Michigan.I have continued my work at Waikato Hospital and am proud to work with my colleagues at the Hamilton Eye Clinic. The variety of work in the public system is fascinating and growing my private general ophthalmology practice and reputation for Neuro-Ophthalmology means I see patients from all around New Zealand.The practice of neuro-ophthalmology uses highly specialised equipment to objectively diagnose retinal function and the integrity of the visual system. Using electro-retinography (ERG) tests information can be gained about the function of the retina including the rods and cones and inner retinal layers. Other visual-evoked-potential (VEP) tests provide critical information about the health and function of the visual pathways from the optic nerve to the visual centre in the brain. Both these types of test are used in my Hamilton Eye Clinic practice and I am seeing a wide variety of patients with complex and highly interesting visual health and functional challenges.Being a woman from the Middle East, I always wanted to break that ultra conservative barrier we lived behind.

I left my country of birth not only for training, but also because I wanted to explore the world. After 23 years of a very long journey living and travelling to 34 countries so far, I have trained and worked in three of the most civilised countries - the UK, the US and New Zealand; I consider myself really blessed.I carry my passion for food with me wherever I go and found that tasting, cooking and mixing with other cultures made me a stronger person. Last and not least, being in New Zealand is a never ending joy because every day is a new start to more exciting work, travel and hope.

“Access For All” Advocacy TrainingOn the last weekend in January, the Blind Foundation organised the second “Access for All” advocates training workshop at Braille House in Wellington. It was attended by 16 participants from across the Lower North Island, including President of Retina NZ, Sue Emirali. The training workshops involve empowering people with disabilities and their whanau to advocate for their right to accessibility, particularly at a systemic level. The advocates will be an integral part of the Blind Foundation's “Access for All” campaign, calling for New Zealand to adopt effective and enforceable accessibility legislation.Training coordinator Dianne Rogers was impressed by the great energy in the room and the candidness and openness of the participants in sharing their stories. Sue Emirali noted that the training was extremely valuable and increased her knowledge in the area.At the training, blind lawyer and mediator Paul Hutcheson ran an excellent session on effective conflict mediation and alternatives to conflict. Some key figures in the blindness community lead a panel about the history of blindness advocacy in New Zealand, from which the Access for All campaign has stemmed. Advocates were taught about (de)constructing an effective campaign narrative. Labour MP for Mana Kris Faafoi enlightened trainees about a day in the life of an MP, while playing a version of snakes and ladders communicated the complex process a bill goes through before being passed into law. The Blind Foundation hopes to host a further two trainings in the South Island within the coming year.

“Rock Your Retina” Food ChallengeI challenged Emma to create some recipes which will help us get our much-needed nutrients from real foodand she has come up with the “Rock your Retina Food Challenge”.Its simple … just include as many of these recipes in your weekly meal plan and try to eat at least 50 different foods in 7 days. And the catch? For best results you need to repeat the 7 day challenge at least 520 times! The recipes that follow are enough to make anyone salivate and are not too difficult to make, so give it a try! Your eyes [and everything else] will thank you for it.

My “Paleolithic” Bread1 cup buckwheat flour1 cup tapioca flour1 cup coconut flour1 cup almond meal1 cup sunflower seeds for crunch

salt, waterMETHOD: make into a dough and knead for 10 minutes, leave to stand in a warm place for 5-12 hours. Bake the next morning at 180ºC. Butter lavishly. Suitable for open sandwiches or toast.

Fried Eggs & Toast(Free range organic eggs from genuinely pasture fed hens, Paleolithic/grain free bread)Fry eggs in coconut oil or butter. Butter toast lavishly.

Green Smoothie“What are the benefits? The benefits are increased amounts of enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential fatty acids and fibre. They help boost the immune system, maintain the correct pH balance in the body, cleanse our inner organs and are a complete, easily digestible superfood. Refer to Julia’s site for many recipes. juliasedibleweeds.comI love green smoothies as a menu choice and a medicine as the nutrients are all readily available to be absorbed. Smoothies are packed with goodness and are an easy way of accessing what would otherwise wear your teeth out if you had to chew through it all on a daily basis. The advantage over juicing these same vegetables is that you’re not wasting the goodness in the soluble and insoluble fibre. The soluble fibre is what good bacteria in the gut feed on. The good bacteria in turn produce unique chemicals that our enterocytes (cells that line the gut) themselves feed on. A high fibre diet, both soluble and insoluble, decreases your rink of colon cancer and high cholesterol.The great thing with Green Smoothies is that you can throw almost any edible plant or weed in there – including your broccoli that’s bolting to flower – and it will come out tasting delicious. You can add a frozen or fresh banana, oils that are challenging to the palate like your fish oils, cod liver oil etc. I often add hemp oil to mine. You can make them with either almond milk, coconut milk, cream, dairy milk or yoghurt. There should be some fat/oil in it so that the fat soluble nutrients can be absorbed by your gut.Ensure that you alter your recipe daily as this will avoid excesses or deficiencies occurring. E.g. avoid spinach daily as it is high in potassium. Excess potassium interferes with the electricity flow in the heart and can lead to arrhythmias.

Get on the Pith The pith of citrus fruit is incredibly important. It helps to maintain strong and non-leaky blood vessels and strong connective tissue. Instead of peeling your citrus just shave off the rind.Fresh Fruit Salad and yoghurt with a dried fruit and nut garnish is one of my favourite breakfasts.

Grain Free PancakeThis is another Dr. Libby’s Real Food Kitchen recipe. This is also adaptable to make corn fritters.¼ cup chia seeds1 cup buckwheat flour1 teaspoon of baking powder

pinch salt1 ½ cups water (you may need more or less depending on your flour)

METHOD: Put your chia seeds in the blender and grind, add buckwheat flour and combine with water to make a batter. Preheat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a frying pan. Ladle ¼ cup of batter into the hot oil. As the pancake loses it’s shine and bubbles are appearing on the surface, your underside will be golden brown and your pancake is ready to flip.Serve with blueberries and coconut yoghurt. A great breakfast treat.Herby PestoPick a handful of herbs and edible weeds and season with Himalayan salt and blend with ample olive oil to create a paste. You can add garlic and also blend in seeds, pistachio or cashew nuts. Soaking nuts and seeds first, will help to to activate and soften them.This pesto is made from Fennel, Broccoli, Plantain and Garlic.

A Posh Nosh LunchSmoked salmon atop a rice cracker with herby pesto or cashew nut butter.

Vegetable Frittata and SaladDice any vegetables to hand into pieces, 1-2cm cubes for the denser more slowly cooking root vegetables and florets or bite size for others. Again lightly fry in butter or coconut oil starting with the root vegetables, then onions and then add less dense vegetables and finally lightly sweat your finely chopped herbs before adding your pre-beaten eggs then stir so that the egg mix gets between you vegetables as a binding agent.

Replace the frying pan lid, turn down the heat to prevent burning on the bottom and allow to cook through before adding your cheese gratin (grated cheese+/- crumbs on top) or add your cheese into the beaten eggs. This recipe can easily be adapted to the more traditional oven baked dish.

As a side dish, slices of cucumber are canapé-like bite sizes of yum, with peanut or almond butter on top.The salad is seasonal greens including, broccoli leaves, beetroot leaves, fennel, kale and spinach. The vinaigrette is apple cider vinegar and olive oil, or sesame, avocado or nut oil. Ring the changes as much as you can with your greens and your oils. I often sprinkle with nuts and seeds.

Herby PastaThis is made with seasonal leaves. This particular one is made with NZ spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides) also known as Kōkihi (in Maori), Botany Bay spinach, Cook's cabbage, sea spinach, and tetragon. Add finely chopped Fennel, Broccoli florets and diced stalk,Shallots, Garlic – about half a bulb.Cook the “pasta” (I’ve used quinoa and rice) and about 10 minutes before the pasta is ready sweat the herbs in butter about 100g (serves 4). Strain the pasta and then stir in your buttery-herby-garlicy yumminess. Dress with grated cheese if desired.

Pumpkin Soup with Bread and Butter!Chop skin and pip pumpkin as normal. Cover the pumpkin in water and salt and low simmer until soft. Stick blend until smooth. Add a nob of butter, dash of cream or a dollop of yoghurt, coconut yoghurt or coconut cream.Serve with Paleo bread and sink your teeth into that salty buttery goodness

Tofu and Vege CurryBean curd and soy should always be properly fermented! There are some great NZ brands of Tofu that can be bought at your local asian store. Use any seasonal veges. I added a tin of sweet corn for colour and that burst of sweetness. This was a quick lazy dinner, where all the veges got thrown into a pan with a can of coconut cream, a dessert spoon of garam masala, bit of salt and by the time it came to the simmer it was done.

Raw Salad OptionsThis raw vegetable salad is sliced french beans, orange pepper, carrot, spinach, red onion and tomato. Stir in pumpkin seeds, walnuts and home made mayonnaise.These are a wonderful new way of presenting tasty vegetables all year round. Vary and get creative with your dressings. You can serve nicely with hot or cold meats, scrambled eggs or any other protein source of your choosing.

Salmon with Pasta or ChipsSalmon is a great source of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). I source mine from Aoraki Smokehouse Salmon www.smokedsalmon.co.nz, which I buy bulk, cut half boned tails into portions and then freeze.Sweat the greens with a finely chopped onion in butter. Stir through your pasta. Salmon is great served with home made chips which are easily done in a frying pan or in the oven using olive oil or coconut oil. Turn occasionally until golden and crisp on each face.

Smoked Fish & Stir Fried VegesSeasonal vegetables chopped into bite-sized pieces. Stir fry in coconut oil and Tahini. Serve with smoked fish on the side.Smoked Fish SaladFresh cold-smoked fish from your local market or Smokery is the best option. Some smoked fish is cooked and then smoke-flavoured syrup poured over the top! Avoid tinned fish as most of the good oils are destroyed. Just add some salad vegetables, sliced pear, avocado and baba ghanoush. Accompanying red wine optional.

Crock Pot Roast ChookThis is one of my favourite bases for meals for the next few days. Hot roast, cold chicken salad, chicken risotto made with the bone broth. This is one I prepared earlier. Here I have rendered it into it’s useful components, i.e. all of it. The bones are bagged-up and frozen ready for the big cook-up of broth that I do twice a year. I reserve the hearts and stomach muscle for soup making and the livers for pate and stir frying. If you buy from your butcher ask for the giblets [neck & organs].

Home Made BurgersThis is the beginnings of a batch of burger cooking. I defrosted 2kg lamb mince and 600g minced offal. The ratio of flesh meat to organ meat (heart, liver and kidney) of around 3:1 will give a strong gamey flavour without being overwhelming.Finely chop an onion and combine this and the meat with 3 whole eggs. Form into patties and fry in butter. Replace the lid to aid heat retention and flip to cook through. These are great hot or cold with a salad.Burger and SaladThis is a bread-less burger, where the burger is set upon a slice of boiled beetroot and a thick slice of fried potato. Additional slices can be added and served on the side. The salad here is predominantly spinach, with a sprig of fennel.

Colourful SaladGet creative with using those lovely high lutein flowers: Tropaeolum [nasturtium]; Tagetes erecta from which Lutein is extracted to create lutein supplements; Caledula officinalis [petals and leaves].Other edible flowers can be found on eattheweeds.com/edible-wild-flowers/

Chilli Con CarneThis is another reminder about adding organ meat into your menu and mince is a great way to hide it. I get my butcher to mince organ meat into the mince meat for me. My kids think its normal and often comment on how tasteless normal meat is. You can re-educate your palate. Gradually increasing the amount of organ meat in your mince can help your palate yo adjust. Ask your butcher for 200g bags of pre-minced offal. Then you can control your proportions.Instead of kidney beans, this one has chick peas in it. They are easier to digest than kidney beans. Serve on a bed of brown rice or quinoa.

Poached Pears & Coconut YoghurtPlace the quartered and cored pears in a pan with a little water, a dessert spoon of ground cinnamon and a tablespoon of raw sugar. Warm through on a low heat, barely a simmer, until soft and aromatic. Serve with yoghurt or coconut yoghurt etc. and dress with pre soaked nuts and seeds as a garnish.

Blueberry ‘Cheesecake’[from Dr. Libby’s Real Food Kitchen]BASE2 Figs finely chopped, 1 cup soaked Almonds, 1 cup Shredded Coconut,1tsp Vanilla extract, 1Tbsp Tahini,1Tbsp Honey, 1Tbsp of Water.

Place all the base ingredients in a food processor or blender and grind, then add the water to make a paste. Line a 21cm spring-form tin with greaseproof paper. Press into base and set aside.FILLING1½ cups raw cashews – pre soakedA pinch or 2 of salt [to your taste]1 cup water & Juice of 1 lemon [or add at least 3 lemons and use less water, if you prefer a sharp and sweet taste].¼ cup of Maple Syrup, 100g Cacao Butter – melted. Place all ingredients for the filling, except the cacao butter, into a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Add melted cacao butter and combine for 5 seconds. Pour over the base and refrigerate.

COULIS1 cup blueberries, Juice of ½ lime (or use a whole one), 2 Tsps honey, ½ Tsp Psyllium husk [or Chia seeds ground finely]. Pour and spread over filling.

OrCam launches “My Eye” into NZ.In November 2016, Rob Drummond from Quantum RLV came over from Australia to launch the new OrCam My Eye in New Zealand.OrCam MyEye is an intuitive wearable device with a smart camera that clips onto a regular spectacle frame. It is designed to assist anyone that struggles to read, recognise faces or objects. By converting visual information into the spoken word, OrCam reads any printed text, on any surface, and instantly relays it to the user through a built-in mini speaker.As someone with low vision, I do struggle to read print and recognise faces so I was intrigued by the OrCam. The first thing that struck me was its small size. I couldn’t believe such a tiny object could do so much. After getting used to the OrCam, I read a newspaper article. Not content with that I then trained the OrCam to recognise the TV remote and the Air Conditioning remote, then used it to tell me which was which. I also got the face recognition to recognise Rob’s face. OrCam can always be with you, wherever you go. You will always be able to access printed information wherever you are! Rob is coming over in April to do some product demonstrations in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch so if you are interested please let me know.Genevieve McLachlan – Adaptive Technology Solutions Ltd. Phone: 04 5287600 or 021 2242875 Email: genevieve@adaptivetech.co.nz

Socialising Vision LossOne common objective Retina NZ shares with the Blind Foundation, VICTA and other independently operated groups, is the desire to give vision impaired people the opportunity to meet and support each other through local support groups.We are always looking to develop groups in new areas, but if there is already a group in an area who are happy for Retina NZ members to join in [whether they are registered with the Blind Foundation or not], then we will happily promote that group and recommend it to our members.In the Waikato & King Country regions there are low vision support groups in;

Hamilton [07 8477576], Huntly [07 8288118], Morrinsville [07 8243775],Cambridge [07 8273925],Matamata [07 8886193], Te Kuiti /Otorohanga [07 8788404]and Taumarunui [07 8966484].

Some of these groups are funded by the Blind Foundation while others are independently funded through grants or fundraising activities, such as Op-Shop revenue or Sausage Sizzles. These activities are a great way of creating community awareness, while having fun with likeminded people.

Most of these groups meet monthly except Taumarunui, who meet every two months. Taumarunui group organiser Dick Lancaster says “We are a small, friendly group and happily welcome all newcomers”. From time to time they participate in community awareness events at the Town Hall, to help raise awareness of Low Vision issues and resources. Their next meeting is 8th March.The Te Kuiti/Otorohanga group meet in each town on alternate months;Wed. 8th Feb in Te Kuiti at the Lyceum Club [Hikerangi Street], and March in Otorohanga at St. Davids Hall [Ranfurly Street]. Organiser Elsie Beever says they provide transport to the meetings which run from 1.30pm to 3.30pm, [gold coin afternoon tea]. They also organise about 8 or 9 outings a year, usually to daytime concerts in Hamilton. Hamilton Blind & Vision Impaired Social Group meet each Monday and Thursday between 10am and 2pm in the social-club room at the Blind Foundation, 15 Liverpool Street, Hamilton. “Happy New Year to you all. I want to extend an invitation for you to join us and see what we are  all about.” says George Nevill, Chairperson of the social group. “Our members’ age range is from early twenties to ninety-something. We endeavour to perform activities and outings that appeal to this broad spectrum. Plus we have a team of very supportive volunteers who cater to all our needs.”  “So if a trip to Raglan for Fish & Chips, a picnic lunch at Lake Karapiro, or simply enjoying the company of others over a cuppa sounds like you then please come along. Don’t be shy, we’re a very friendly bunch.” says George. You can contact George on 07 8477576 or mobile 022 1710617 or just turn up.The Blind Foundation has also fostered a number of other groups of various interests such as Coffee, Music, Gardening, Technology, Walking, Tramping and Reading. Contact the Blind Foundation on 0800 24 33 33 and speak with the Recreation coordinator in your area, or telephone Petronalla Spicer on 0800 569 849 ext 4.NEW RETINA SUPPORT GROUPS Retina NZ has just established two new support groups; in Fielding and Palmerston North. These groups aim to provide information and support for anyone with any level of sight loss.Fielding group meet 1st Tuesday of the month 4pm Fielding Public LibraryPalmerston North Group meet 3rd Tuesday of the month 4pm Palmerston North Public Library.

Please contact Jill 06 3236101 or Peter 06 3575020 or just come along. TAURANGA: When: First Saturday of the month, 10:30am Where: Tauranga Library on the second floor. Sara Ash (07) 577 6526 WAIKANAE: When: 1st Monday of the month Where: Cameo Rooms (Pop In Centre) on Mahara Place. Sue Patterson (04) 293 5174 KAPITI: When: 3rd Monday of the month Where: Kapiti Community Centre Elizabeth East (04) 299 1800 DUNEDIN: When: 4th Wednesday of the month, 1:30pm Where: Dunedin Public Library, 4th floor Dunnington Suite. Lynley Hood (03) 4877 686 We also hold public meetings around the country so give us a call to find out when we’re next in your area.Would you like a support group in your area? Retina NZ has support groups in various locations around the country. These groups are open to anyone with sight loss or their family & friends. If you would like to start a group contact Sue on 0800 569 849 (ext 2).

Notices: Urgent Notification from Ai SquaredAi Squared has learned that the digital certificate in newer versions of ZoomText and Window-Eyes software products has been compromised and will be revoked on or around January 26th. Shortly after this date, users who have not updated these software products will begin to experience startup failures and error messages. Software updates to fix these problems will be released before January 26th. These updates will be available using the Check for Updates wizard where available or by download from the Ai Squared website. To determine if your product is affected and how to acquire the software updates, go to www.aisquared.com\CertificateFix. If you have questions or require assistance resolving this problem, contact the ZoomText support team at support@aisquared.com

Editor’s Note: The day after receiving the above warning notice, I was rather amused to receive another email from Ai Squared … This time announcing the release of ZoomText 11 and all its great new features. Let’s all hope one of those great features will be an updated security certificate!

NZ Genetic HotlinesRing any of the following free-phone numbers if you want to speak to a genetic counsellor or geneticist about your own diagnosis of RP, macular degeneration or other retinal degenerative disorders.Auckland Genetic Hotline 0800 476123 or 09 3074949 [ext 25870] [Northern Regional Genetic Service] Wellington Genetic Hotline 0508 364 436 or 04 385 5310 Christchurch Genetic Hotline 0508 364 436 or 03 379 1898

Retina NZ Inc – Values, Vision and MissionOur most important values are Empathy, Respect and Ethical Practice. These ideals underpin our decisions and actions. Our vision is for all people with degenerative retinal disorders to have access to safe and effective treatments, and to the information and support they need at different stages of their sight loss journey We aim to raise public awareness of degenerative retinal disorders, provide accessible information and support to patients and their families, and to contribute towards the development and equitable availability of safe and effective treatments.

Disclaimer & AcknowledgementsThe opinions or position expressed in articles are the author’s own views and do not necessarily express the policy or views of Retina NZ Inc. The products and services featured in Retina Newz are not tested by Retina NZ Inc.Retina New Zealand Inc is grateful to the Blind Foundation, and the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board for helping to fund this newsletter.

How do you like to read your newsletter?Members may receive email versions in addition to a posted copy at no extra cost.Email options: WORD; Accessible PDF; EPUB. Posted options: Large Print; Audio CD.If you would like to receive an email version please email your request to secretary@retina.org.nz [so we have your correct email address]. If you would like to discuss your newsletter options, please phone 0800 569 849 [Ext 4]

[Display Ad] - R.I. 2018Retina International World CongressFeb 7th –11th 2018, Auckland, NZFor More Info Visit Our Website: RIWC2018.orgOr Email: ri2018@retina.org.nz

Our PublicationsYour Blue Book is our 40 page A4 guide to coping with vision loss with all its daily challenges. You can get a FREE copy by contacting us on 0800 569849 or secretary@retina.org.nz “Understanding …” series Adapted from RNIB info for relevance in NZ. There are currently 4 booklets; RP, AMD, Cataracts and Retinal Detachment.Other resources: We have Amsler Grids [A5 Card], business cards and the “Where do you turn” booklet [an overview of Retina NZ], which are useful handouts for eye professionals when talking to clients. Ask about our updated version of the “Good Look Book” – a compilation of stories by people living with sight loss and the unique experiences of their sight loss journey.Retina Youth - A place for us is a DL sized colour brochure full of info and stories for young people by young people. Includes links to Facebook and Retina Youth website.

[Back Cover Display AD]Where do you turn when you’re losing your sight?Retina NZ – Low Vision Support & InformationWe have a range of FREE publications full of useful information about specific eye conditions or coping with vision loss.Our Peer Support volunteers are contactable by phone to answer any of your questions, or simply to listen to what you need to talk about – they understand. Contact them direct on 0800 233 833In various areas around the country we have support groups who meet to support each other on their sight loss journey.For all enquiries contact us on 0800 569 849[end]