What is the Best Experience You've Ever Had as an Optician?

[NCspecs]

This is a thread about the good, AND ONLY THE GOOD experiences we have had as eye care professionals. What made you feel warm and fuzzy? What made you feel intelligent, capable, and helpful today? Who's lives have you touched with the gift of sight?

I refuse to acknowledge any snark, any sarcasm, or any off topic, negative foolishness. I will also not accept anything "funny" at the expense of others.

Basically, to everyone talking about professionalism? Put your money where your mouth is. How did you make a positive impact on society today?

If you can't follow the rules, I will ask Mr. Steve to delete or close this thread. Prove me wrong, show me that we do have a modicum of diginity around here.

Who is first?

[ldyflsh]

Had an 18 month old and had to fit her with a pair of +5.00 ou. Put them on her face.She turned
to her Mom...put her hands either side of Mom's face and broke into a huge smile...not a dry eye in the office ..(pardon the dry eye pun)

[coupe]

18 yr old girl from a troubled family, brought to my office,by another client. Full exam and a free pair of eyeglasses. Have you ever seen and 18 yr old girl cry from the sheer pleasure of being able to see clearly for the first time in her life. Worth every penny I spent and more, to have helped. I understand she is now in school studying to be a nursing assistant.

[chip anderson]

Now you know Optiboards is trying to uphold it's image. How could you possibly ask such a question? If I actually answered it, I'd get banned and they would never let me back on. I am gratefull for such experiences in my youth though.

Chip

[mdeimler]

Back to our regularly scheduled question...

[pseudonym]

I am gratefull for such experiences in my youth though.
Chip

You really should have kept a journal of the great ones. Come on, there must be a few that stand out in your mind. You wrote here about a guy who'd had an unscheduled rest stop in his pants, yet you ploughed on and got his job done anyway.

My favorite dispense so far is the fellow who was forced to use glasses due to contact lens overuse. He had over 2.5D difference between eyes and told me he'd never had glasses that didn't make him feel cross-eyed. I came on here and got a little advice about materials, cajoled the lab to do the bigger correction in 1.67 and the lesser in poly. I wish you'd all been there to see his reaction. He stills comes by every now, points to his glasses, then gives me a thumbs up.

[SharonB]

OK - another "tear jerker." 18 month old little boy diagnosed as "developmentally disabled." Pediatrician finally got around to having this kids eyes examined - he did not walk, did not reach for things, etc. etc. Turned out he was a -18.00D myope. I was so scared at the final dispense regarding what his reaction would be! I prepared his parents for the worst. His name was Kurt, and the parents called him Kurtie - he was so fascinated by the world when he got his first pair! He looked around the room amazed, touched his mom's face, and smiled. He walked within 2 weeks, eventually wore contacts, had cataract surgery/implants, and is now a college grad. I still get teary when I think about that day.

[pseudonym]

SharonB, I haven't had such a miraculous experience as that yet, but it will happen. Also wanted to tell you all about one that got me in trouble with the boss. Lady came in with glasses from the VA with the lenses popping out at the top. She wanted to buy a new pair because her lenses kept coming out and the VA only allowed her one pair a year. She was in a motorized cart because she couldn't walk very far. I took a pair of eyewire forming pliers and straightened the top, then bent it to conform to the curve of the lens at the top. Bent it a little more at the bottom and tapped in a 1.6 screw. The job was perfection. I was so proud of myself.

Until I saw the bosses face. He said he's going to take those pliers away from me. I said "she's a VETERAN!"

[obxeyeguy]

Many more good than bad, as that is the reason I can come back everyday, 2 quick ones. First, fit a little lady about 9 with her first pair, about a -1.50 ou. She picked out a frame that was a little more $ then mom wanted to spend, but she said ok. I was by myself and busy, but told them to come back in an hour, and she could get her eyewear. Her eyes lit up when I put them on her, and she got up, and walked around the table to give me a hug. (I do live in the south, and we hug a lot) Priceless for me.

The other that stands out was very recent. Eighteen month old, +6.00 ou, and I have not done any peds in about 15 years. I had to order a couple frames to size up this child, and one was pretty close, but I wound up customizing the shape (zyl) to make it look better and fit better. Mom was thrilled at the results, and so was I.

[EyeCare Rich]

Awesome stories on here!!!! I'll have to think back a little and come back with one.

[Chris Ryser]

What is the Best Experience You've Ever Had as an Optician?
Soooooo...

I thought about this at lunch today in regards to Mr. Ryser's inflammatory thread about "Stupid".

I like the theme of this thread and honestly wishyou are going to beat the statistics of my so called "inflammatory"one with this post, and wish you all the best for your good intentions.

However as you mentioned my name, which is real and no pseudonym, like 99% ofall OB posters, on the first line of your post, I believe that I have the rightto respond and create the first deviation on your theme.

By posting that line copied in the quote you leftan opening for opposition and discussion going back to the"inflammatory" post. If that line would have been left out you would havehad a virgin theme, which in this case you have not.

You also start a good meaning post with threatsof having it closed down if it deviates from it's theme. The only authority toclose a thread is in the hands of Steve or his moderators.

No member here has the right to control others intheir postings. Some of them a good and some of them are not. So therefore my"inflammatory" one was only in the title and not in the content andyou should not blame somebody for it.

I have tons of good experiences over a lifetimein the optical and probably could write a book on it. I will share some at alater date if you have not closed the thread before.

[scriptfiller]

I always love dispensing to ped. pat's. their first pr. of specs. and see their faces light-up!

I find it a joy to dispense to anyone who appreciates the effort taken to provide them with their specs, these pat's. are usually life-long.

Sometimes we need to remember we DO make a positive difference in the lives of people, especially the -7.00 who drove to the office with NO correction!

[NCspecs]

...because I know they simply can't help themselves. I'm sure its a knee-jerk reaction by now.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

P.S. Mr Ryser. I'm looking for you to surprise me by playing ball here.

[MikeAurelius]

...because I know they simply can't help themselves. I'm sure its a knee-jerk reaction by now.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

P.S. Mr Ryser. I'm looking for you to surprise me by playing ball here.

One important statistic that Chris never mentions: he has over 15,000 posts, but NO reputation green bars under his 'title'. To me, that says a lot.

About 25 years ago, we got a call from a dispenser about a young man who had seizures when he saw the color red. Think about this...red is an important safety color. Imagine going through life with the color red all around you.

I can remember my dad's face as he talked with the dispenser about this. He and I discussed it, and I was against making lenses due to the legal liabliity, but he was the boss at that time. He called our attorney, who also advised against it.

My dad's a stubborn old coot, and when he decides something has to get done, well, it gets done. Dad called the filter folks at Schott and discussed the issue with them, they made a couple of recommendations, and then sent us the material free of charge. It was flat plate, so we had to slump it, then surface grind it. Fortunately we were able to heat temper the glass because it was incompatible with the chem salts. The frame was a pair of mountaineering sunglasses with the leather side shields, easy peasy nice and easy.

About a week later, dad got calls from both the dispenser and the patient. He had been able to go outside for the first time in many years without having to huddle under a blanket in the back seat of the family car.

[optical24/7]

* Anybody can turn their rep points off. ( Some do)

* Although Me and Chris disagree at times, I still have tremendous respect for his knowledge of this business. He's been doing this longer than some of you folk's parents have been alive.

* Blaming Chris because a thread he started got Hi-jacked (like I'm doing here) is wrong.

* As Harry said in that same thread "the ignore button is your friend."

* If you've got nothing good to say about someone you should say nothing.

Now, back to the feel good stuff...

[NCspecs]

I refuse to acknowledge any snark, any sarcasm, or any off topic, negative foolishness.

Prove me wrong, show me that we do have a modicum of diginity around here!

I'm being lenient because I know old habit die hard. C'mon people. The last "on topic" posts were beautiful and inspiring. Tear down the defensive walls and show your heart, damn it.

[Judy Canty]

Perhaps it would have been more thoughtful to begin the thread without a swipe at Chris?

[Chris Ryser]

Thank you Judy...................you just said it right.

..................but NO reputation green bars under his 'title'

Yes Mike, I turned it off a long time ago

[Chris Ryser]

A long time ago when my father, a higher ranking free mason and me just a kid, serviced about 20 closed convents in the Swiss Alps with glasses for many years. It was during World WarII he sometimes used to take me along on the train and then by bike to the convent of destination. Cars were only allowed for officals and military. There he delivered the finished glasses or sold new ones and adjusted them through the gate in the visitors room while the nuns would not take off their hoods.

When it was all done we went to the adjoining church, I had to sit quite on a bench while father went in the next confession booth and worked out the business part of the visit with the priest. After it was completed they both came out and we went over to the farm. These convents usually owned the largest farm in their area. There we loaded our bags with hams, meat, sausages and butter, (Switzerland was then under food rationing that was only obtainable against food stamps for quantities). So as kids we always had enough of the real goodies.

Much later when I was a graduated optician, I used to take over the service in some of the convents, however no more by bike and train but by car.
The time I also will never forget is that i was asked by the senior nun, to take two of the nuns to the eye clinic of the hospital for a cataract operation in my home town.
Both of them had never been outside the walls of the convent in over 50 years. I had never seen any adult person so moved at what they saw during the 1 1/2 hour trip. They were in constant tears to see a country side, they had been familiar with 50 years earlier.

Patients had to stay in the hospital for 7-8 days and then got fitted with the first temporary pair of cataract glasses. We did that too on an exclusive basis. But that is another story.

[NCspecs]

Perhaps it would have been more thoughtful to begin the thread without a swipe at Chris?

Okay, fair enough. Removed. :)

[NCspecs]

A long time ago when my father, a higher ranking free mason and me just a kid, serviced about 20 closed convents in the Swiss Alps with glasses for many years. It was during World WarII he sometimes used to take me along on the train and then by bike to the convent of destination. Cars were only allowed for officals and military. There he delivered the finished glasses or sold new ones and adjusted them through the gate in the visitors room while the nuns would not take off their hoods.

When it was all done we went to the adjoining church, I had to sit quite on a bench while father went in the next confession booth and worked out the business part of the visit with the priest. After it was completed they both came out and we went over to the farm. These convents usually owned the largest farm in their area. There we loaded our bags with hams, meat, sausages and butter, (Switzerland was then under food rationing that was only obtainable against food stamps for quantities). So as kids we always had enough of the real goodies.

Much later when I was a graduated optician, I used to take over the service in some of the convents, however no more by bike and train but by car.
The time I also will never forget is that i was asked by the senior nun, to take two of the nuns to the eye clinic of the hospital for a cataract operation in my home town.
Both of them had never been outside the walls of the convent in over 50 years. I had never seen any adult person so moved at what they saw during the 1 1/2 hour trip. They were in constant tears to see a country side, they had been familiar with 50 years earlier.

Patients had to stay in the hospital for 7-8 days and then got fitted with the first temporary pair of cataract glasses. We did that too on an exclusive basis. But that is another story.

Absolutely Beautiful Chris, I knew you had it in you. You can be an excellent, thought-provoking writer. :)

This is great folks!!!! Keep em coming!!!!

[NCspecs]

At the previous practice where I worked, I had a pretty incredible experience.

I had a woman come in with her two children around the end of the day for an exam. It was her first routine exam ever and so she took quite a bit of time to refract plus she seemed out of it and needlessly short-tempered with the staff and with her kids. I braced myself for her nastiness when it became my turn to deal with her. I don't know how I got through it but she trusted me well enough to place an order for a pair of glasses with me. Her correction was pretty tame but I remember she needed a fairly significant amount of prism.

I'll never forget her reaction when she put on those glasses. She gasped and then she started to literally sob. "I had no idea I was so screwed up!" she kept saying.


It turns out she had suffered from headaches so much that at the end of the day she took breaks at work to lay her head on her desk. She was constantly straining to accomodate before I dispensed her glasses. As soon as she put her new eyewear on her life became easier.

Next time I saw her she was happy and relaxed and she had brought her entire family for routine eye exams. :)

[THE MEB]

I have been doing this for 38 years, and I always said the best moment in my career came 2 years into it, when a third grader, first pair of specs, picked up her -4.00 OU RX. She didn't realize that trees had individual leaves on them, she wept, so did we. But about 5 years ago now, I had the pleasure of ordering and fitting an infant of 9 months old who was born with cataracts. She had them removed maybe a month prior. But because of her age, or maybe another good reason that I am unaware, they didn't put in IOL'S. It brought back memories of post IOL days because the rx called for +18.00 OU. I had the honor of having her see her mother for the first time, her mother who was holding her as I sipensed her eyeglasses. The baby made the biggest grin, no noise. There haven't been many tears of joy in my 38 years, but there was on that day, to all that were watching.

[idispense]

For me it was the freindship of the customers who thought of me as family over all the years . The ones who came in beccause they just needed someone to listen . The elderly who were stricken with emotion because a loved one had passed or was sick and now in a nursing home . The one who broke down crying because of something in their life . The ones who remembered me when they knew my life was changing and they came to check up.

Then there was the day I was visiting a fellow optician and I watched a hug being exchanged between the optician and customer and then a tear rolling down the customers cheek and I knew this optician was respected just as much by customers .

[Pogu]

We do a lot of Medicaid here, but which can be quite frustrating. But, it also brings patients who live in group homes and suffer from various mental and physical disabilities. I had a cousin a couple years older than me who lived to 29, but never developed past an infant, so I have a soft spot for them. Also, I can interact with them without being consumed by their differences. Taking the time to fit someone with a - 15, has emotional outbreaks, physical abnormalities, and is limited to PC due to Medicaid so that the glasses are comfortable enough they won't be destroyed yet secure enough to stay in place despite all odds. That kinda stuff really makes the day.

To be honest though, that is still second to my first paycheck with a comma in the money part.