Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Is it better now...or now?

Ok I need to warn you this is a venting rant. If you do not wish to read then might I suggest the following blogs to help you allude the ranting vent that will follow Melanie Sherman's humorous look at life the pearl of Carol is always a great read mynorthwestexperience is always a tasty experience I dare you NOT to laugh at Tawna Fenske's blog.

Ok - still here.  Cause honest I told you it's going to be a rant and a vent... I suppose that would be a rent or a vant.

Anyway ... here's the tale.

Lately I've been having headaches at the back of the eye.  I suspected my glasses.  There's an odd film on them I can't get off and when I wear my contacts I don't get the headache.  Only problem with wearing the contacts is that they're mono-vision and I have migraines.  I get a migraine - mono vision goes boom!  So, no contacts.

I call the ophthalmologist - this guy is an MD he's been to college, medical school and then specialized in all things eyes so I'm figuring he can help.

I get to the eye place, fill out the form.  Why am I there...HEADACHES followed by new contacts.  Sue me I like contacts.  A few minutes later I'm called in.  This is not the Dr.  this is an assistant.  She's going to do the checking of my vision.  Hmmm...ok.  I guess that's cool.  I tell her, I'm having headaches,  can't wear the contacts due to migraines, I think there's a film on my glasses - etc.  She does the usual - which is clearer - one or two... two or three..blah blah blah.  She then has me read the oh so familiar chart on the wall.  Ok - left eye not much difference, right eye - yeah there's a difference from before.  Could this be the reason for my headaches?  yes probably - she says.  She dilates my eyes and then off she goes, reassuring me the doctor will be with me shortly.

Shortly must mean something different to some doctors, because shortly was NOT shortly.  Finally he rushes in.  He shakes my hand as he's moving towards the desk.  This guy is ALL motion.  Ok, so I wanted contacts...well yes, but.....and what contacts did I have before...um I couldn't remember mono-visions - ok not a problem we can call where you got them before.  Um..ok.  Let's look at the eyes.  Ok.  Now he gets out the thing that makes it feel like a klieg light is shining in my dilated eyes.  No... what it will be bright, no sorry this might be bright.  Nope - look here, here, here, here, and here.  I'm not sure he's even looking because he's having me look up down right left so fast.

"Have you ever had a glaucoma test?" Ummm...have I?  I can't remember.  I did something years back but was that a glaucoma test?
"no." I reply and he starts off to do something else. Then it dawns on me.  The eyes.  So I tell him

"By the way, my mother and I have this odd genetic thing with our eyes, it looks like we have the early stages of glaucoma."

"I'd like you to take the test."  Um...ok what part of genetic thing didn't you understand?

Ok we're done.  Done?  Wait...um headaches..what I wrote down.  What about my headaches.  He assures me they'll call the place where I got my contacts and find out what I had so they can give me something different.  Ok, but headaches.  You know...why I came in?

He's escorting me out the door when I mention the glasses.  OH!  Yeah he forgot to give me the prescription.  So again I ask...um will this help my headaches.  He's scribbling.  Um, you know I get headaches when I look at the computer all day...I work on a computer all day and I get headaches I think from these glasses.  Scribble.  Will this prescription help with the headaches?

"No it's not much different then your old one."
"but the headaches."
"You're 47...I'll up the reading portion of your prescription."

That was it.  What was I thinking. I mean did I really expect to have him sit down and us chat about my headaches? Did I really expect him to brainstorm with me WHY I could be getting them?  Light at my desk, closeness of the computer monitor, etc.  Did I really expect him to act like he was LISTENING to a SINGLE WORD I SAID?

Frankly, yes.  Wouldn't you?

8 comments:

  1. Oh my...been there, though not with the eye doctor. :)

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  2. Grrr...perhaps you should have offered to share your headache with him? I'm sure it could be arranged. Then he might be more sympathetic.

    Tawna

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  3. Tawna - if Guido the Sumo Wrestler wasn't chowing down at Burgerville I'd have sent him, but he dearly loves those colossal burgers and the rosemary shoestring fries so how could I deny him. He'd have been more then happy to give "Da Doc some headaches".

    I think he also happens to be the only one in Vancouver (The ophthalmologist not Guido)

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  4. grrrr! F*%&$£*&!!!!! Doctors!!! They think they're the effing bees' knees, the mutt's nuts and the sodding second coming all in one!!! i had a problem that it took TEN YEARS to get a doctor to listen to me about, so i feel your pain and frustration ***(((massive sympathy hug)))***
    just keep screaming until the arrogant, ignorant bastard listens to you!

    big love,

    Squeaky

    XXX

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  5. This was very weird for me to read, because I kept getting confused and thinking that I'd written it.
    Because I've had this same experience, almost exactly word-for-word.
    Weird!
    (also sorry. they're such idiots sometimes, aren't they? don't you have to be smart to be a doctor? is selective hearing a prerequisite?)

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  6. Thanks for following Flannery! Yeah I'm finding out I'm not the only person that had this happen. On the plus side the lady that fitted me with my contacts was fantastic - they're mono-vision but she said the reason why I had issues with my migraines was because they had the reading contact too strong. I should be 20/20 in one eye and 20/30 in the other now. And the lady who did the glaucoma test was great too. Hm...what does that say about doctors?

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  7. I really am not fond of doctors, no matter the area they focus upon. Weren't you supposed to participate in Harley's Body Language Blogfest?

    I hope you are feeling well. If so, come check out my entry - and when you enter, I'll return the favor. Roland

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  8. BTW, you get rants on my blog too. :)

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