Really thorough medical care.

[Guest guest]

Hi folks,

Today I had a taste of medical care alsmost at its best.

I have to have some eye surgery & visited the Optometry/Opthalmology

center of my medical plan, where the standards are pretty high & staff,

over-worked as they may be really take pride in their work.

I knew it was going south when the first technician escorted me into

an examining room. She told me that I wasn't going to have the surgery

today, as the surgeon had to do a pro=op exam & tests. Well, I was a

little surprised, because the last doc I saw a month ago told me he was

scheduling me for surgery. Quite awhile later, the surgeon finally

explained to me the last doc was an optometrist, and the surgeon would

never operate without first examining the patient. Makes good sens, no?

About 3 hours of eye exams & tests ensued. At various times I was

told I'm just going to put a little anasthetic in your eyes so you don't

feel it>' Sounded reasonable.

Went through more tests. Finally the apthalmologist gave me the results,

& told me I must bring someone to the surgery to bring me back & forth.

Was surprised, as people who had this surgery had told me it took 20

minutes & they drove home.

Was a little concerned about this, because I don't really have

anyone to bring. So I concluded that a cab, though expensive, would be

needed.

Got into my car ^ started to drive home. As I went along my ability

to see was breaking down, and boy did my eyes start to hurt. There I was

on the road & I could see less & less.Guess the anasthetic was wearing

off, and maybe all the stuff they put in my eyes (the dialation drops

should have worn off long before) just reacted or something. Since I did

a lot of driving through bilzzards & such, I rememberd old skills & got

home OK.

Isn't concern great!

Ken

[Guest guest]

Now you know why they want you to bring someone along ! Allow me to whisper

sweet nothings in your ear. Come closer...a little closer yet...DON'T DO

THAT ! IT SCARES THE HELL OUT OF US !.

Mike

> Today I had a taste of medical care almost at its best.

> I have to have some eye surgery & visited the Optometry/Ophthalmology

[Guest guest]

Hi Ken, sounds like ur visit wasn't a walk in the park to say the least.

Yes she was right about the optometrist They study refraction's in school

and while they do study drugs and diseases the really good ones might treat

a scratched cornea if u get to them b4 u get an infection(its so damn

painful I don't know how anyone could wait until they got an infection) But

other than that unless they are working with ur Ophthalmologist

controlling glaucoma or something they send u to a Opthamologist. The good

ones are making enough to live off of without doing what the

Ophthalmologists do and vice versa the really good Ophthalmologists are

busy enough with their practice that they send people who need eye checks

for glasses to the Optometrists that were trained in refraction's. I shared

this because I didn't know any better until I worked for an optometrist. He

had a really good working relationship with a great Ophthalmologist but I

could tell u stories of things I have seen from people who didn't know any

better and let the wrong one treat the wrong thing. One thing I have

learned from that and being ill until u really know ur Dr and feel safe

with him u have to becareful and not have blind faith and trust and there

was no pun indented on the term blind faith. I had a dear friend who went

to an optometrist for extended wear contacts well that was fine and she was

doing what she needed to. My boss was very careful with his patients as I

heard him say many a time your eyes are your independence take care of

them. Well her Dr went with what the lens companies were pushing also wear

30 days then take them out. My boss was wear 5 days then sleep without them

2 nights that way u can clean them well and give the eyes a rest why? I

found out through my friend her dad was a Dentist and a friend of my boss

so when she got in trouble her mom just went and got her and said I am

taking u to someone I know, trust and I know he will treat u like u were

his kid. Well I found out if u leave a lens in 30 days(and I have met

people who b4 they came 2 us had gone as long as 3 months shudder!) Well my

friend was in trouble bad I knew when she walked in the door as I was his

contact lens person in addition to assistant and receptionist(assistant

chief cook and bottle washer ) he called me in and had me look through the

slit lamp at her eye and I had to keep a poker face when I wanted to cry it

was the worse thing I had ever seen and I got to look at a lot through that

slit lamp my boss was great as he taught me he would also show me the why

or what to look for I miss working for him so bad, but pain and illness

robs us all of a lot. He sent her right then to the Ophthalmologist. She

told me the next day when she came in that the Rx he gave her the only

place they could find that carried it was the hospital Pharmacy. She had to

get up every 2 hours and put the drops in and she came back to see us on

her way to the Ophthalmologist. She almost loss her eye after she left the

first day I looked at Doc and asked can they save her eye He was friends

with her parents and she had married a friend of mines son so he knew she

and I were friends I worked for him a long time and he and his wife were

like 2nd parents to me they knew I had lost mine when I was pretty young so

when I went to work for them they sort of stepped in and it was like

working for my dad. When I asked him that he looked so sad and said I sure

hope so but its bad. I knew that, I saw that. Then he told me u know we

always have our patients sleep without their lens for 2 nights right. That

is why if u get a peice of lint or anything that can make an abrasion on

the eye the contact keeps the air from hitting it until u take the lens out

when u do and the air hits it then it hurts. Well its a lot easier to treat

something that has just happened rather than wearing it 30 days and not

knowing if u have a problem under that lens getting worse everyday and then

u have something like this. I am happy to report that she didn't lose her

eye and she told me I am so sorry that I didn't listen to u when u advised

me not to keep it in for 30 days months ago.(she had told me it was much

easier the way she did it and I dropped the subject as she was getting

ticked at my unasked for advice) What type of surgery are u having cataract

,glaucoma or something else. About the dilation any time I have had it done

it has taken me the better part of a day before I can see anything close to

me.I know this is long and un asked for but there are still some people

who for what ever reason couldn't have the implant after catratract surgery

and wear contacts rather than those heavy cataract lens in glasses Well I

have to go My husbands cat had 1 kitten and left it out side (I think he

crawled away from where she had him) anyway after a horrible downpour my

husband finds him in the open mud wet and dehydrated I had to take a q tip

and dig the dirt out be4 I could feed him I named in Shuva which means rain

in Portuguese the mother cat hates me and growls evertime she passes me but

she is still letting her last litter of 2 nurse she tried to jump down from

where I put him trying to get her to feed him some how the poor thing

caught the scratching post on the way down so I figure there goes 2 of his

9 lives I can get him to eat for me with a formula mix the vet gave me

years ago and I make sure I get at least 1 dropper of pedialyte in him

every feeding to keep his electrolytes in balance and so far so good he

hates the heating pad bud loves the bed buddy that u warm in the micro wave

so I get it hot rap it in a towel and lay it on the heating pad and make it

like he is curled up with his mom it must feel like that 2 him 2 because he

can be full but he cries until I get that ready and when I put him there he

shuts up and goes 2 sleep so maybe the little thing will make it I hope so.

He has done wet and pooped on me so plumbing seems to be fine. I just feel

bad because I have CFIDS and I am in a relapse and I feel guilty because I

can't give him 100% all the time he get the 100% when I wake up for a pain

pill or to go to the bathroom but it isn't the same time between feedings

but so far even in between long times of being fed I have to wake him up

and then he starts screaming he has a good set of lungs so hopefully it

won't matter how many hours it is between feedings. I hope everyone is

doing Ok and wish everyone a nice weekend. Barb

----------

>

> To: chronic_painonelist

> Subject: Really thorough medical care.

> Date: Thursday, July 16, 1998 4:51 PM

>

>

>

> Hi folks,

> Today I had a taste of medical care alsmost at its best.

> I have to have some eye surgery & visited the Optometry/Opthalmology

> center of my medical plan, where the standards are pretty high & staff,

> over-worked as they may be really take pride in their work.

> I knew it was going south when the first technician escorted me into

> an examining room. She told me that I wasn't going to have the surgery

> today, as the surgeon had to do a pro=op exam & tests. Well, I was a

> little surprised, because the last doc I saw a month ago told me he was

> scheduling me for surgery. Quite awhile later, the surgeon finally

> explained to me the last doc was an optometrist, and the surgeon would

> never operate without first examining the patient. Makes good sens, no?

> About 3 hours of eye exams & tests ensued. At various times I was

> told I'm just going to put a little anasthetic in your eyes so you don't

> feel it>' Sounded reasonable.

> Went through more tests. Finally the apthalmologist gave me the results,

> & told me I must bring someone to the surgery to bring me back & forth.

> Was surprised, as people who had this surgery had told me it took 20

> minutes & they drove home.

> Was a little concerned about this, because I don't really have

> anyone to bring. So I concluded that a cab, though expensive, would be

> needed.

> Got into my car ^ started to drive home. As I went along my ability

> to see was breaking down, and boy did my eyes start to hurt. There I was

> on the road & I could see less & less.Guess the anasthetic was wearing

> off, and maybe all the stuff they put in my eyes (the dialation drops

> should have worn off long before) just reacted or something. Since I did

> a lot of driving through bilzzards & such, I rememberd old skills & got

> home OK.

> Isn't concern great!

> Ken

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>