Has anyone else had these patients?

[stephanie]

I had a girl the other day complain that she could not see out of her glasses when she looked out in the distance. After checking everything I finally asked her if she wore her gls all the time. She said no that she wore them just to read. Ok there's the problem. I explained to her that she only needed to be wearing them to read and that she probably would have problems with them in the distance because that is not their purpose. She then asked what if she needed to read something on the wall. Now I don't know about the rest of you, but this aggravates me beyond words! We have a little saying in our office. I don't know who started it but it goes like this: you can't get 20/20 out of a 20/200 brain. Need I say more?
Have a great day,
Steph
I sure hope the rest of you don't get as many as we do :)

[Steve Machol]

Gee I'm almost embarrassed to admit it but this is very similar to how my wife reacted to her first reading glasses. She told me they were great for reading, but see couldn't see in the distance very well with them on!

Of course, I tried to explain to her that this is why they call them "reading" glasses, but I'm afraid she doesn't quite buy the story. <Sigh!>



------------------
Steve
OptiBoard Administrator

[JennyP]

How about the brand new progressive wearers that want to watch tv from bed or the fully reclined recliner, and can't figure out why their glasses quit working...and the parents who want large glasses on little johnny so he can see better? :)

[Dave Nelson]

Stephanie, you said your customer was a "girl"- I assume you mean under 40 and not yet a presbyope? If so then this person may have a valid complaint. A hyperope who is not yet a presbyope should be able to see distance just fine, even with the "readers" on. With hyperopia beyond the amplitude of accomodation, the spectacles will improve both the distance and the near vision. A moderate hperope who has accomodated hyperopia for a long time is sometimes unable to "exert" the needed accomodation to overcome all the plus power given in the rx, and will comlain of blurred distance vision: not normal or acceptable for someone under 40 or so, unless there is an accomodative disorder, an unlikely occurance. If your client is well under 40, she may simply be over-plussed- easy to do- and if she is over 40, she is likely presbyopic, and, as you mentioned, would not be expected to have clear distance vision through readers. You may be more familiar with this material than I am, and if so, I apologise in advance. Yours, Dave.

[stephanie]

Hi everyone! The patient was about early 20's and they were +0.75 ou readers. She was told by our doctor only to use them to read, and that she would need to take them off to see in the distance. I guess she didn't quite grasp the concept. I am just a few years older than this patient and have the exact same rx. While it does distort things some it is not unbearable. Of course I know what is going on with my readers and usually take them off when not reading. So she is not hyperopic or presbyopic just needs a little help like I do with reading. We get so many just like her every day. She just seemed to stand out in my mind. I guess because it sort of caught me off guard.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Steph

[Ed_Optician]

Sounds like this one was not the brightest bulb in the chandlier. I tell patients that reading glasses are used at arms length or closer generally at about 16"

Ed

[Clive Noble]

Our lovely one was an elderly lady who only wanted reading specs, not distance, she claimed she could see really well for distance (even though her d/v was about +4.00 ou)

She complained that reading was all blurred with her new specs. On rechecking we found that at close she was OK.

"No, I want to read the translation on the foreign films on TV- READING GLASSES" Duhhhhh!

[Ed_Optician]

If any of us ever wrote a book based on our experiences as an optician it would be imediately classified as fiction as no one other than a fellow optician would ever believe it

Ed

[RGC_man]

How about the classic...

No, I didn't sit on them, they just went like that.

:)

[For-Life]

A customer of mine wore progressive lenses. She had an eye exam and decided that this time she just wanted distance only. We warned and warned, but she said distance only. When she got them she comes back in saying that something is terribly wrong with the prescription, because she cannot read with them on.

[Ed_Optician]

How many times have we all heard that one.

I love the one where we see a patient raising holy he__ about a frame that didnt wear well when you see they were sat on or stepped on or were run over by a Sherman Tank. Then they demand a new pair of glasses at no charge

Ed

[Aarlan]

My old man, who has been an optician since dinosaurs ruled the earth, responds in the best way to the absurd comment, "I didn't do anything, I set them on the bedstand (drawer, table...feel free to insert), and in the AM they were all bent like this." My old man simply takes his glasses and sets them on the dispensing table and waits... and waits... and when the patient is silly enough to ask him what he's doing, he simply responds that he's waiting for his glasses to do what theirs did.


My own favorite is the state assistance patient who came in and politely asked if I could put the medicine back in her glasses...It fell out cause she can't see too well.

AA

[Ed_Optician]

I heard that on e about 15 years ago from a NYC employee. Someone must not have been too careful with their choice of words in telling the patient that the correction he/she needed was stronger than the previous correction

Ed

[optocarol]

My old man, who has been an optician since dinosaurs ruled the earth, responds in the best way to the absurd comment, "I didn't do anything, I set them on the bedstand (drawer, table...feel free to insert), and in the AM they were all bent like this." My old man simply takes his glasses and sets them on the dispensing table and waits... and waits... and when the patient is silly enough to ask him what he's doing, he simply responds that he's waiting for his glasses to do what theirs did.


My own favorite is the state assistance patient who came in and politely asked if I could put the medicine back in her glasses...It fell out cause she can't see too well.

AA

Just had to reply to this - love it! My stock answer has become, "Well, they didn't leave here like that."

[Ed_Optician]

It appears that these patients show up in droves....EVERY FULL MOON

Ed