Advice? My eye doc won't listen...

[trvaliant]

So I've been to this gal now many, many times over the past few years (issue #1;-).

I always tell her I don't see as clearly as I'd like and I really struggle remembering to take out my contacts at night.

I swear she's always trying me in new types and they always fail...my eyes feel like they have scratches on them in anything but accuvue oasis-which I wear day and night for about 2 weeks. So comfortable, it's like I'm not wearing anything at all. But, vision so not clear, it's like I'm not wearing anything at all.

So she changed the lenses again today stating they are the best in the market for extended wear...yet the site says nothing about extended wear. She also gave me a cool new solution (Clear Care)...contacts are Pure Vision 2 HD...ha ha ha...HD contacts! What's next Bluray???? So this post is leaning towards being worthless...but I guess I vented and am looking for feedback-how can I get her to listen to me that the Rx just isn't high enough??? And if you use these Pure Vision 2 HD contacts, do you like them and how long did it take you to get used to them and how extended of wear do you use them for...

TIA;-)

[434Teresa]

get glasses and be done with it..

[CW&M Mom]

I'd try a new doc.

[meggers]

Sounds like she might be listening to her pharma reps more than her patients.

Isn't this how many doctors get all those free golf clubs?

[lmcconne]

My experience over the past 10 years has taught me that optometry is just as much an art as a science. I would have felt no customer loyalty if the doctor is not providing the end product I find satisfactory. When it comes to balancing the far vision with the near, contacts are particularly troublesome. The lazy optometrists I have encountered are pushing me to get bifocals. I tell them I came in with single vision and I'm leaving with single vision.

[gctattoo]

I had this problem in the past with a specific doctor at WM's vision center. I could see okay, just not as well as I should've with a brand new script. So when my next eye exam came around, I was happy to see they had added a second doctor to the practice. And I was determined to get the right script this time so I essentially laid down the law and said a little something like this:

"Look-- the other doctor didn't believe me when I said I couldn't see that well with the new script. I don't care what all your little instruments tell you about how I well I should be seeing. If I can't see, I can't see. Who cares if I need a stronger prescription? And who would lie about it?"

And he agreed with me. The script I ended up with that day was quite a bit stronger than the previous one. So I could finally see.

You really do have to get tough. You're the one paying for the exam and the contacts. Why bother paying for something that doesn't benefit you? Tell her if she's unable to help you, you'll take your business elsewhere.

[motherofmolly]

I had this problem in the past with a specific doctor at WM's vision center. I could see okay, just not as well as I should've with a brand new script. So when my next eye exam came around, I was happy to see they had added a second doctor to the practice. And I was determined to get the right script this time so I essentially laid down the law and said a little something like this:

"Look-- the other doctor didn't believe me when I said I couldn't see that well with the new script. I don't care what all your little instruments tell you about how I well I should be seeing. If I can't see, I can't see. Who cares if I need a stronger prescription? And who would lie about it?"

And he agreed with me. The script I ended up with that day was quite a bit stronger than the previous one. So I could finally see.

You really do have to get tough. You're the one paying for the exam and the contacts. Why bother paying for something that doesn't benefit you? Tell her if she's unable to help you, you'll take your business elsewhere.

yeah what she said. tell the doctor that you dont think she is listening to you since the problem is not fixed. and if she continues, find a new doctor.

your eyes are those one things you should not mess with. they are kind of important

[Rene S]

I think you need to find another doctor, one who will work with you and listen to your concerns. There are plenty of other optometrists out there!

Secondly, are your eyes having problems with the contacts? Perhaps your eyes are telling you something. I wore contacts for nearly 20 years, and just could not anymore--my corneas swelled and my eyes hurt all the time.

Try wearing glasses only for a month and see what happens.

As for extended wear contacts, do you mean wearing them overnight? From everything I've read, it's generally not healthy for your eyes to leave contacts in overnight, even if the manufacturer says you can. Your eyes just won't breathe like they need to.

[surgerynurse]

I normally shy away from advice giving for family and friends. Being the nurse in the family screams, "If you want to complain about something, come talk to ME!!"

However, your post really drew my attention because I worked very closely with a group of ophthalmologists for over two years, and I learned so much about eyes. It was a passion of mine until I returned to school to earn my Master's in Nursing. (I still love to help with eye surgeries when I work at the hospital in my spare time!)

I want to weigh in because many people have said many very true and important things.

1) No contact should be worn at night, even if the manufacturer says that it can. Technically, they all can, BUT your eyes will eventually end up damaged. Corneal scratches can and will lead to blindness. Also, the person who stated that your "eyes won't breathe" is absolutely correct. Your cornea (very top layer over your pupil) gets its oxygen from the air. Taking your contacts out at night let your corneas rest and breathe. Contact lens wearers form numerous blood vessels (which normally aren't there) to the cornea to supply oxygen. Your eyes breathe easier if you take your contacts out.

2) Optometry/ophthalmology is truly an "art and science." It takes a very skilled and patient physician to match your eyes up to the proper prescription. Even though it can be very frustrating, the right doctor might have you coming back every few weeks until your prescription is the best that it can be. Unfortunately, not everyone can be corrected to 20/20 vision, but it can be pretty darn close. There is also the possibility that cataracts are beginning to form, and that type of vision problem cannot be corrected without surgery.

3) There is no need to be loyal to a doctor, especially if they are not meeting your expectations. In my humble opinion, the best way to pick a doctor is through word of mouth. Ask around! Who do your friends, co-workers, neighbors see, and are they happy with their doctor? You'll get lots of great information on who to see, and furthermore, who to avoid! Doctors can afford to buy those expensive advertisements to draw us in, but they speak nothing truthful about their skill and personality.

4) The fact of the matter is that your doc might be prescribing to the reps. They do get rewarded for using particular products, so that unfortunately does happen at times.

Ok....I will step down off of my soapbox now. Your post just appealed to my heart and reminded me of a specialty that I so dearly love.

[trvaliant]

Thanks for all the responses...

I can't stand glasses (for me). The lenses are always scratched and dirty. They slip and look crooked (I think my ears are crooked-LOL!). The smudges drive me insane.

I do wear my contacts all the time...literally every second. I've only been needing an Rx since 2000 when my first was born. Then, my eyes went back and I was able to see without glasses until my 2nd was born (2003). My eyes didn't return so I wore my glasses again. Then I tried contacts and was hooked (2004). I can wear one certain kind "all day and night" and not feel like I even have them on. Which is why I forget to take them out;-(

I have had these on since I saw her yesterday, and I took them out overnight (out for about 9 hours) and put them back in this am...I feel after 6 hours like I have sand in my eyes. So frustrating. I do go to Walmart, b/c I have no insurance for eye exams.

So what I take from these replies is:
1) I've been unknowingly mistreating my eyes
2) I should find a new doc

I'm super irritated. I sure wish glasses weren't such a hassle. I don't even have that bad of an Rx...just a slight astigmatism in one eye (which she doesn't treat)...

Arghhh! I have 7 months of contacts and I can't see! (insert sound of me screaming and visualize a 2 year old rolling around on the ground throwing a tantrum-except not as small and cute;-).