When I lived in NY, the guy that was supposed to be looking at my retina was basically a scam-artist (I realize that now). So when I moved to Florida and had my eyes examined, the doctor said, "So, did you have an eye injury?" Then he looked at the other eye and said, "Oh, no. So, you have Macular Dystrophy." I went to an opthalmologist who confirmed it was AMD. You probably know that it's really a waiting game until you either turn wet or (in most cases) it remains dry. So, even if I were diagnosed early on, I don't think it would have changed much. I wouldn't beat yourself up much about the quick progression. I don't think you could have done much to thwart it.
That doctor saw me every six months and would just say, "You're stable; keep taking the vitamins." I don't think he ever said I was early, intermediate, or advanced. Eventually, when I realized the lines on the Amsler Grid were no longer straight, I got into my doctor and he referred me to a retina specialist. Thus, wet AMD in my right eye. When I auditioned for the PreserVision commercial, I mentioned that every doctor said, "But you're too young to have AMD," and I'd always say, "Well apparently that's not true!"
The injections have been a game-changer. My vision (with correction-I've always been very near sighted) is 20-20. My retina doctor claims I won't lose my eyesight, will always be able to drive, etc. Don't be scared. This is not a blind-death sentence! We are living in an amazing time! They say there's no cure, but eventually if I only need an injections once a year, I'm good with that. A Johns Hopkins study showed that 30% of us will only need a year of injections. I don't know how long that will last, but it's promising. I am healthy in just about every other way, and am grateful this diagnosis is not going to kill me (or cause blindness)!