Many folks who come to OptiBoard seeking advice about what could be wrong with their vision, what surgery should they get or if wearing their contacts against recommendations will hurt them often get mad at the moderators and members who tell them that we cannot give out medical advice here on OptiBoard. I think those who get angry don't understand what the consequences of not seeing a local eyecare professional or getting a second local opinion and following those individual's directions might be.
Today a woman came in to pick up her sunglass clip-on. She and her family have been coming to our office for at least ten years. We dispensed her clip on and were saying goodbye to her when she broke down in tears. Both her husband and two sons have had detached retinas and for the last three years, her youngest son has undergone surgery after surgery on his right eye. After the last surgery, I believe pneumatic retinopexy, they thought everything was going to be fine. It wasn't. This weekend blood and pus started coming out of the15 year old's eye. He is going to loose his eye and has to have a prosthetic eye made up. He's a -12.00 in the other eye so he will be at a serious disadvantage.
The young man is humourus, charming and has never shown anything other than tremendous will power to get over his health problems and be just like the rest of his friends. His school pulled him out of sports and wouldn't even let him use the stairs with his friends while he has been going through all of his surgery. Now, the school has determined that his new disability will seperate him permanently from many peer activities and must have special books and tests printed out; we can tell he is crushed by this. He doesn't want to be treated any differently. When the young man was asked about how he feels about losing his eye his comment was "look at it this way, if I decide to get contacts it will only cost half as much as everyone else pays." A brave little guy, he can still crack a few jokes but he has a whole different obstacle course to face in the near future. He must have really loved it when I mentioned getting a sport goggle even if he wears a contact to protect his left eye.
Sorry, I am upset about our young friend but I wanted the public to know that there is a reason we keep telling people see their doctors and follow your doctors' instructions. I am sure I am not the only one in this business that has a story that breaks their heart but at least folks should try not to be the patients we have to get upset over.
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