Work Sucks.

To the dear contact lens patient I had earlier today:

Ma'am,
With all due respect I don't care what you believe.

Surprisingly beneath these rugged good looks lies someone who went to school for a couple of days to learn about eyes and contact lenses. Even more surprising is that I try to keep up with the latest studies and findings when it comes to eyes and contact lenses.

That said if you believe that my advice is wrong, fine, but please don't have the gall to say that your beliefs supersede years of research and experience. Further it doesn't have to be a "perfect world" to assume that one will wash their hands before handling their contact lenses. Also I can and do assume that patients use their contact lens solutions according to our directions.

So to repeat what I told you earlier:
1) Wash your hands before handling your contact lens (imperfect world and all)
2) Remove your contact lenses nightly (we both know you're not going to do this)
3) If not nightly (I strongly recommend nightly removal) remove them at least once a week (we both know you're not going to do this)
4) Get a pair of glasses (I know you're not going to, you know you're not going to but we can pretend can't we?)
5) Rub your lenses with the solution rather than just putting them in solution to soak overnight.


I will see you back when your already red eyes get more red. The pain you'll be feeling when I see you back will be God's way of saying; "Boy I sure created some idiots."

Sincerely,
The guy you scowled at for 20 minutes earlier this morning.

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I saw a patient a couple of weeks ago. This poor woman is 72. Physically she looks great but mentally she's just not doing well. I don't know how dementia is measured but she is at the top of the scale.

My exam a couple of weeks ago consisted of me doing some tests and referring her out for cataract surgery.

I saw her back the other day. She had cataract surgery on one eye the day before. I was doing her one day follow up. Broke my heart when I heard this:

"I had surgery yesterday? I don't remember coming here yesterday!"

Man with her: "We didn't come here yesterday. We went somewhere else."

Woman with tears: "I don't remember going there. I had surgery!?"

That night I happened across a tv show about people climbing Mount Everest. On this show a 71 year old Japanese man became the oldest person to summit Mount Everest.

It amazes me how their can be such disparity in the effects of aging. Here I had a woman who couldn't remember having invasive surgery the day before and a man just a year younger summited Mount Everest.

I'm grateful for my good health. I complain about my back and headaches but things could be much worse. I was hit by a car with only inconvenient after effects (The backaches, headaches, and left foot problems). My brother-in-law drove my van into a moose while I was sitting in the back seat sans seatbelt (there was no seatbelt to put on) despite the van rolling on to its side I was no worse for the wear. A classmate driving in front of a speeding truck while we were in a little sporty car left me without a scratch.

Very fortunate, very grateful for my health and the health of my family.

I don't know what my point was but I felt like telling that story.