Elsie Battaglia at 97 is one for the record books

The King City resident just keeps on truckin' as the years go by

By Barbara Sherman

The Regal Courier, Dec 26, 2008

WAY TO CELEBRATE 97 YEARS — Staff and members at Curves in the Willowbrook Center celebrated Elsie Battaglia's 97th birthday Dec. 12 and surprised her with a cake, balloons and presents along with a crown, which Susan DeMerit places on her head as Curves owner Stacey Stone walks by.

Elsie Battaglia works out three days a week, plays bridge almost every day and won a gold medal at a golf competitionship several years ago.

Not impressed? She just celebrated her 97th birthday Dec. 12.

"I don't feel incredible," Battaglia said, laughing. "Some people think I am because I'm 97 and exercise along with people half my age. I think it's pretty normal."

But Battaglia is not your normal 97-year-old.

"You'd think most people her age would be sedentary, sitting in front of the TV having aches and pains," said Pat Churchill, Battaglia's friend who drives her to Curves three days a week to exercise. "But not Elsie. She never seems to be down."

Battaglia has been working out at Curves for the last five years. She says she doesn't take any medication and is as healthy as she is happy.

"Why am I not sitting in a chair knitting?" Battaglia asked. "I'm afraid I'll atrophy if I don't keep moving. I've always been active and feel it's important.

"If you don't use it, you'll lose it."

Battaglia lives by her motto every day, even after she started developing macular degeneration three years ago.

"First I had to give up golf, which I started up when I was 70 and was pretty good at," she said.

"Pretty good" is her modest way of saying she's won awards for her game, including a gold medal at a senior ladies’ golf tournament in Palm Springs, Calif.

Still, Battaglia wasn't one to let a little macular degeneration get in her way.

When she lost her ability to drive, she called American Red Cross and set up a schedule to be driven three days a week to Curves so she could continue to work out.

"The first morning I got out of the Red Cross van, these two beautiful ladies said, 'What are you doing?' I said I needed a ride. And they said, forget that, they'd drive me."

Those two beautiful women were Churchill and Betty Jo Shore, two friends Battaglia now exercises with. They are her eyes on the road and perhaps helping hands every now and then.

"When Elsie's at home, she uses a walker for support, but when she walks into Curves, she'll grab your arm and walk through that front door," Churchill said. "If you saw her, you'd say she wasn't any younger than mid-80s."

And that's not just her face. According to Churchill, Battagalia has fashion sense even when she's sweating on the treadmill.

"She's always dressed up. She'll have on stylish capri pants, a nice knit shirt and jewelry. She doesn't dress like a little old lady - she sparkles," Churchill said.

On Dec. 12 staff and clients at Curves held a surprise birthday party for Battaglia.

"I was kind of pooped from celebrating the night before with my family, but they (Churchill and Battaglia's roommate) practically shanghaied me and pushed me out the door of my house," she said. "When I walked into curves, there must have been 30 to 40 people there wishing me a happy birthday. It was just overwhelming."

But, says Churchill, even a surprise party wasn't enough to thank Battaglia for all she's done.

"She really is a role model," Churchill said. "When other women at Curves feel down, they can think about Elsie and say, 'When I'm 97, I hope I can be as active as her.'

"Her positive attitude and smile are what make her young. You know how some people draw you in and you always want to talk to them? That's Elsie."

Battaglia said the next birthday she's looking forward to is her 100th, when her school sorority is holding its convention in Palm Springs, close enough for her to attend.

"I'm planning on being there," she said.

In the meantime she'll be working off all the birthday cake at Curves.

AMD/ Low Vision Awareness Month 01 Feb - 01 Mar 2009

Cases of age-related macular degeneration are expected to grow to 3 million in the next 15 years - this campaign addresses an issue that is still not widely known.

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is still not a commonly known affliction, yet approximately 1.65 million Americans age 50 and older have the disease, according to the Vision Problems in the U.S. report, published by Prevent Blindness America. And according to The Archives of Ophthalmology, these numbers are expected to grow to 2.95 million cases by the year 2020, due to the rapidly aging population.

AMD robs people of their central vision and often, the ability to read a book, recognize a face, see fine details, and distinguish some colors. There are two forms of AMD: "dry" and "wet". Dry AMD is the most common form of the disease. It involves the presence of drusen - fatty deposits that form under the light-sensing cells in the retina. Vision loss in dry AMD usually progresses slowly. Wet AMD is less common, but more rapidly threatening to vision. Wet AMD causes tiny blood vessels under the retina to leak or break open. This distorts vision and causes scar tissue to form. Laser therapies can be effective in controlling the advances of wet AMD, but are ineffective in treating dry AMD.

Although there is no known cure for AMD, research continues for the disease, including promising new drug therapies designed to slow the effects of AMD. Diets rich in certain antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin can help protect the eyes against AMD and a study by the National Eye Institute suggests that pharmacological-level doses of zinc, vitamins C and E, and beta carotene may help slow the progression of AMD. The benefits of the nutrients were seen only in people who were at high risk of developing advanced AMD, those with intermediate AMD in one or both eyes, and those with advanced AMD in one eye only. Vision rehabilitation by a low vision specialist can help persons with AMD to make the best use of their remaining vision.

The exact cause of AMD is unknown, but risk factors for the disease include age, race (Caucasians are more susceptible), smoking and those with cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Patients with a family history of the disease are also at high-risk. Those who are at high risk of AMD require periodic, dilated eye exams.

"Advances in AMD research have been profound over recent years," said Daniel D. Garrett, senior vice president for Prevent Blindness America. "But, until we can find a cure, the best way we can fight the disease is through early detection and treatment."

Garrett suggests regular eye exams through an eye care professional as well as the utilization of free tools and information provided by Prevent Blindness America through its Web site and toll free number, 1-800-331-2020.

"We've designed specific programs to educate the public on the seriousness of AMD and to give people the tools they can use in order to fight it," added Garrett. The Web site offers a user-friendly AMD test, along with other useful information, that can help visitors determine if they are at-risk."

The following are some signs of AMD:

Straight lines such as telephone poles, the sides of buildings or streetlight poles, look wavy.

Written text and/or type can appear blurry.

A dark or empty spot may block the center of your vision. If you notice any of these changes, schedule a dilated eye exam as soon as possible..

About Prevent Blindness America

Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness America is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness America touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, divisions and chapters, it's committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For free information or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call 1-800-331-2020.

FDA Grants NeoVista's Request to Utilize Novel Wet AMD Treatment in Compassionate Case

FREMONT, Calif., Dec 10, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- NeoVista's Epiretinal Brachytherapy Granted Compassionate Use to Attempt to Prevent Complete Vision Loss in Patient

NeoVista, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved the company's "compassionate case" waiver to utilize its novel wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treatment on a patient with an advanced form of the disease who did not meet criteria for inclusion into current NeoVista investigational treatment protocols. The patient received NeoVista's therapy today in Nashville, Tenn.; the procedure was performed by Dr. Carl Awh, President of Tennessee Retina, and an investigator in NeoVista's ongoing Phase III study, CABERNET (CNV Secondary to AMD Treated with BEta RadiatioN Epiretinal Therapy).

The patient suffered from advanced wet AMD in both eyes and had not benefited from any available treatment, including antiAvascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents, the current standard of care for wet AMD. The patient's left eye had progressively worsened despite treatment with photodynamic therapy and intravitreal steroids prior to the advent of anti-VEFG therapy, as well as later injections of anti-VEGF agents. Her right eye was following a parallel course, with advanced vision loss due to an enlarging exudative retinal detachment caused by wet AMD. Because of the similarity in the appearance of the two eyes and the failure of prior therapies to successfully treat the left eye, a decision was made to treat the patient's right eye with NeoVista's therapy.

"With the FDA granting a waiver for this case, today both my patient and I had access to a promising, new therapy for the treatment of her case of severe wet AMD," said Dr. Awh. "If this approach proves effective in her case, other patients with similar types of advanced, progressive wet AMD may also benefit under compassionate use waivers from the FDA."

NeoVista's novel therapy applies a targeted dose of beta radiation to the abnormal leaking blood vessels that affect central vision in patients with wet AMD. Preliminary data show that NeoVista's targeted radiation therapy can be safe for both the patient and the physician, and may be able to improve patient's vision. The current standard of care for wet AMD requires monthly injections of anti-VEGF drugs into the eye for an indefinite period of time.

In contrast to other forms of radiation therapy for wet AMD, NeoVista's approach delivers the peak dose of energy directly to the lesion without damaging the normal retinal vasculature. Utilizing strontium 90, the focused energy is delivered to a target area up to 3 mm in depth and up to 5.4 mm in diameter. Importantly for patients, the systemic exposure to radiation is minimal, as the effective dose to the entire body from NeoVista's epiretinal device is less than that from a typical chest x-ray.

"We're extremely pleased that the FDA has granted us a compassionate use waiver in this circumstance," said John N. Hendrick, President and CEO of NeoVista. "Even though this patient has not benefited from currently approved therapies, our hope is that she will benefit from our treatment as a final effort to avoid complete loss of vision."

The purpose of the compassionate use waiver is to offer a limited number of patients with serious conditions and no other alternatives the opportunity to potentially benefit from an investigational treatment that has not yet been approved for use by the FDA. While receiving the compassionate use approval for this patient, NeoVista continues to enroll patients in the company's pivotal trial, CABERNET.

CABERNET is a multicenter, randomized, controlled study that will enroll 450 subjects at 45 sites worldwide, evaluating the safety and efficacy of NeoVista's epiretinal brachytherapy delivered concomitantly with the FDA-approved anti-VEGF therapy Lucentis(R) (ranibizumab) versus Lucentis alone.

About NeoVista, Inc.

NeoVista, Inc. is a privately held development-stage medical device company based in Fremont, California. NeoVista's epiretinal beta radiation therapy is currently being studied in a definitive Phase III clinical study to support eventual filing for regulatory approval to market the product in the United States. For more information about the company, the clinical trial or this novel wet AMD therapy, please visit the company's Web site at www.neovistainc.com. For detailed information about the CABERNET clinical trial, please visit the study Web site at www.cabernetstudy.com.

Contact: Tony Moses
O: 510.933.7600
C: 510.402.3394
tmoses@neovistainc.com

Clinic to offer eye screenings

MOSINEE,WISCONSIN -- Marshfield Clinic Mosinee Center will offer free screenings Dec. 16 for a pair of conditions that, if left untreated, can rob people of their sight.

Diabetic retinopathy can damage the retina, the light-sensitive membrane at the back of the eye that receives images from the lensand sends them to the brain through the optic nerve. Macular degeneration is an age-related problem that affects the retina.

The clinic's TeleHealth program will offer free screenings from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 16 at its center at 390 Orbiting Drive, Mosinee.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 715-693-9100.

Vision Van

15 December 2008

The Vision Van will be at The Hellenic Club on Monday 15 December 2008 from 9am to 4.30pm.

Local residents who are aged 50+ will have free access to a professionally qualified optometrist who will be in the Vision Van at Woden conducting free Age-Related Macular Degeneration screenings.

Book now by phoning 1800 176 255

When: 15/12/2008 - 15/12/2008, 0900 - 1630

Venue: Hellenic Club, Matilda Street

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Reference-id: EVENT04906.488

Note: Event information posted on Canberra Online is provided by 3rd Parties and has not been independently verified. We recommend confirming with the Venue or the Organiser before making any plans to attend Vision Van.