I went to the eye exam. There was not much to it. I thought, hoped, I would be tested for glaucoma, but no such test I don't think. There was an eye chart, of course, on what almost looked like a mirror. Then he swung what looked like binoculars in front of my face and I told him which vision of the chart was clearer. Then he'd ask if it was clearer in red or green, and actually the letters looked the same in both red and green.
Then he held a pen light and shined it in my eye and then looked in each eye for a second with a handheld magnifier.
Then he had some small instrument, size of a pen, he briefly tried to put on each eyeball which was quite awkward in many ways---him trying to hold it against my eyeball with a shaky hand and my head moving, too. Made my eye sore, whatever that was. Just now, I read about four different ways to test for glaucoma and this isn't one of them, so what that was he put on my eyeball to test for what, I don't know. But my right eye hurts from it, whatever it was.
Actually both my eyes are now hurting and watering from whaterever that thing was. I am going to wash them out. Anyhow, I guess I would have had to go to a medical eye doctor, you know an opthamologist, to get glaucoma tested maybe.
Then he said I needed bifocals. I pretty much knew that already.
The receptionist then told me if I didn't get the Oregon health plan frames I was going to be charged a copay for the exam. I said I was told by both my medicare HMO and the first receptionist that medicare covered the cost of the exam. She told me not if I didn't get the OHN frames and lenses. I thought "Well, this is a different story than I understood at first." I felt totally under pressure and confused at this point and didn't know what I should do.
I don't know anything about glasses, but what I do know is I do not think I could live with bifocals. The lenses they had there are so small. If you cut those in half, for bifocals, that leaves you with almost no visual field for most of life. I don't use close up vision much and can use dollar store lenses for reading close up, I figure.
Here's the bad thing: I did get a prescription, but was too uncomfortable under the pressure of the receptionist to make a decision on what to get. So I left with just the prescription. I don't even know where to get advice on what to do now. I should have been better prepared.
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My two cents...
ReplyDeleteStrayer, you were very wise to leave 'cos you felt under pressure from the receptionist. I made the mistake of letting my eye doctor and receptionist push me into buying a pair of 'progressive' bifocal glasses when I really didn't need to -- won't let that happen again!
Although both the doc and the receptionist raved about how great progressives are, I HATED the 'progressive bifocals' -- what they don't tell you is
(1)it's not two but THREE types of lenses combined in one i.e. for long distance, medium distance (computer) and reading. What this means, of course, is each of these is TINY.
(2) ...and they don't tell you how horribly TINY the fields are. You literally have to look through a few milimeters of lens for each of the three -- if your eyes move even the slightest bit, things sway and roll. I got bad headaches and was utterly miserable.
(3)Progressives have no 'peripheral vision' -- everything at the periphery will be blurred in a really annoying manner.
I know you're not thinking about progressives, but just bifocals (they eventually agreed to change my lenses to just plain bifocals). Well, now I have a pair of bifocals and I'm not crazy about them either, although they are WAY better than the progressives. With my bifocals too (do ask about this) the reading part is not really 'half' of the lens but a circle of about 1/2 inch diameter. If your eyes are not terrible, the only advantage of bifocals that I can see is that you only need to carry around one pair instead of two in your handbag. If this is not an issue for you....you might consider separate glasses, or, as you say, just the long distance ones for now.
Great advice. Thank you. I don't have any problem carrying around 2 pair. It's usually only when I'm home I need the reading glasses, that I do get at the dollar store, but I also carry a pair in my car.
ReplyDeleteSo do you have any idea what the little pen sized thing might have been, that he tried to hold on my eyeball? I can't imagine what that was for, because I don't see how a reading of any sort could be accurate, if it generated one, due to his hand being unsteady and my head moving. It had a tiny little disc on the end, less than a quarter inch in diameter. It was quite awkward, too, him trying to put it on my eyeball, his hand moving, my head moving slightly. What was that? I should have asked, but just as he quit with that, he walked out, said he was done and that I needed bifocals.
ow, sounds creey. No, I'm afraid I haven't encountered that pen sized thing :).
ReplyDeleteIt's really shameful how even doctors sometimes try to push you into buying stuff before you really know what's happening!
Well, it wasn't the doctor at all who pushed anything. I thought he was very nice. As for that instrument and whatever it measured, maybe it was something new???
ReplyDeleteI don't think they were pushing anything on me, other than those OHP glasses, just kind of expected me to make a decision I wasn't ready to make. I made the appointment yesterday and did not expect to have them have openings so soon, was really expecting it to be next week or even later, giving me time to do some research. So, I should have prepared and not made an appointment until I was.
You made a great decision! Good for you!! I always go to an ophthalmologist - who does not charge (because in Canada if you go to an optometrist who is someone who has a 4 year degree yet calls themselves dr., you are not covered by our health plan (unless you are on social assistance or are a child - and it depends a lot on the provincial plans). An ophthalmologist is an MD who is Board certified or should be (check to make sure before you go to one!) while an optometrist well, NOT- cannot prescribe for example) - I don't get the dr. part but maybe I am just biased as someone who spent more money and time to get my PhD and MD and more time to do residencies in pediatrics and hematology, lol)
ReplyDeleteBut even a good regular exam by an optometrist includes a quick glaucoma exam and they test essentially the pressure in your eye (around the norm for low intraocular pressure - IOP is ≤ 20 mm Hg 20 is the norm. A good one will then either suggest an ophthalmologist or your GP can suggest one.
My insurance actually covers eye exams and 80% of the cost of glasses (Insurance has to be inventive in Canada with our system, lol) even if I buy them in the US yet I usually get a deal with two at the same place I see m regular ophthalmologist who is superb.
I have worn glasses since I was 5 if you can imagine tho I have contacts now. One idiot optometrist - when my guy was away - suggested I needed bifocals and I just knew I did not and my ophthalmologist - when he returned- agreed. I think optometrist who overcharge imho (they work less hrs than doctors for ex - well at least the docs I know, with a few glaring exceptions).
So, it is always best to see an ophthalmologist and make sure your glaucoma pressure is in the right range - about every two yrs if good unless you have a family history. I have also had referrals from ophthalmologists who have been able to detect cancer of the eye - for some reason, I have had quite a few children (over 200 maybe) with cancer of the eye. If caught early, we can save the eye. I have one patient now who is 16 months old with cancer of the eye.
Anyway - good decision!
A tech I know, with the FCCO, Siobhan, has had a child with a nonmalignant brain tumor for a long time. It's her son. She was told he wouldn't live this long even, think he's probably 13 or older now. It's wrapped around the optic nerve. He wears a helmet, gets chemo now and then, but the doctors told her he would eventually die from the tumor. Then later on, she pulled me aside at an FCCO clinic, and it was something about some very bad doctors and she thought she'd made a big mistake by not getting him elsewhere, that there were better treatments elsewhere. I haven't heard how he is now, but I know you deal with kids with tumors, and, I bet I'd have to know more about his condition to actually ask you anything. Sorry Siobhan.
ReplyDeleteIt may be true that you need to purchase the OHN frames, sometimes they get deals on certain ones, but, I'm betting it's a "sales pitch". And just because they say you need bifocals doesn't mean you have to get them. I only need reading and medium distance glasses (computer, reading...) I just get checked and my silly opthalamist tells me what strength "off the shelf" glasses to get.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny, Zippy, that your eye doctor tells you that. You know what I do? I do what the dollar store reading glasses display says, stand back from the mirror, that has some writing on it, 14 inches, and check which strength allows me clear vision of the writing.
ReplyDeleteI'm just going to get reasonable priced lenses/frames for normal distance sight and keep using the dollar store glasses for the close up stuff.
Strayer, if you can find more from her, ask away. I loathe when any health care professional claims to know how long someone is going to live. Maybe yes, when there is a few days left and it is abundantly clear and there are some cancers still (cancer is a group if illnesses, not just one) that are not the best ones to be diagnosed with but even there, people DO survive sometimes. There are so many variables.
ReplyDeleteEspecially with a non malignant tumour, I'd hardly see anyone making such dire predictions. I know several children living with such tumours and I do not anticipate any of them dying for awhile.
With brain tumours - and ppl are interested now that Ted Kennedy has one it seems - it very very much depends in what part of the brain they are. They can be excised if caught early and if they are in part of the brain that will not affect neurological function.
I myself have survived an illness that was supposed to kill me so I don't give anyone odds and I am uncomfortable when parents ask me such questions. For the record, kids almost never ask. They are certain they will survive and many of them do. When I first began as a pediatric oncologist, acute leukemia was a death sentence. Now these kids go through chemo and survive. Granted, now we are seeing the effects of the older types of chemo and radiation especially on kids who are adults and they develop other cancers or chronic heath care problems. So that is an area I am particularly interested in.
As for bifocals or progressive lens, I'd get a 2nd opinion since they are not always necessary. There are some very good optometrists out there but many do try to sell the most expensive lens- yet for years as a child, I went to a wonderful optometrist whose optician was also excellent. He was honest as the day is long and recommended an ophthalmologist when I needed one.
Still, it's good to shop around. It is important to take care of your eyes. After 40 especially, we need to test for a variety of things- glaucoma and even macular degeneration which is coming much more common with so many more boomers.
I cannot understand how you can do it, Siobhan, take care of kids with cancer, as a job. Is it really sad? I have a very soft heart for kids, too, and cannot stand to see kids suffer. So it hard for me to fathom how you do it, so glad you do, and so many other doctors help very ill kids, but it must take constant courage and how do you deal with the heartbreak?
ReplyDeleteYep, it can be sad - and I am often in tears (I am a very caring and sentimental soul, sigh!) and it always bothers me when a patient dies because they and their family inevitably become friends. There have been a few exceptions - some families are just I don't know, different but they are few and far between.
ReplyDeleteThere are on the positive side so many that do well in the end that it makes it worthwhile to know you had a part in saving someone's life. To be honest, I love what I do. It seems to me when children are dying I see the best come out of many people- their families, others around them, the nurses, other docs and health care professionals, rekindles my hope for humanity.
I hope you are feeling better!! We all need days for ourselves you know!!!