Communicating with Eye Specialists

I wanted to comment that I gained a lot from asking my new retinologist a difficult question today. I was very much afraid, because my 1st retina doc treated me very roughly, giving me responses that were very odd;they even seemed cruel.. I have often tried to ask my important questions of the forum, instead of asking my doctor, because of the experience with the first doctor.

I also realized today that it is sometimes just very difficult to ask important questions of our doctors. The doctor, in fact, said he was uncertain where I was coming from. I said that I was honestly confused, and that everyone, everyone who had suffered a vision loss wanted to know, as mush as possible, why and how it happened. I told him these points with a lot of emotion emphasis--tone of voice and facial expression. I was surprised at myself, yet I often have given professional presentations to large audiences, and I have been told that I am a persuasive speaker. I have also taught adults for 20 years.

My point is that I felt that I spoke out for all eye patients when I said we want to know why. It feels terrible going down the retinology assembley line (to my doctor's practice), where we sometimes don't seem to be treated like people, where emotions are never much recognized .

However, the doctor's clear response to my question today, his demeanor of listening carefully, and his not being impossibly uncomfortable that my question was asked very much in earnest, convinced me that he is probably a fine doctor, and also that when medical personnel treat us carefully, even in greeting us kindly, they sometimes do show compassion.

I had thought that he had given me a wrong answer before, and I felt that I could not trust him. I believe now that it was a misunderstanding. I am so glad that I cleared it up. I need to communicate with my doctor on those important questions.He gave me some very valuable information today; I believe that what he told me will help me to heal some emotionally from my tough eye experience.

Best of all, he thinks both my eyes are still stable. (I have lost most of the vision in one eye, due to lattice/retinal detachment/5 surgeries.). I feel that I might have a future.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Thanks for sharingyour experience.
JCH III MD