Way less than impressed.

[kyrielle]

I've been going to the same eye doctor for years now. They're right next to the Lenscrafters in the mall, and they have seemed quite competent.

Until this year. As far as I can tell the doctors are still competent, but the assorted other staff, not so much so. I went in for an appointment to get contacts again (I've done without for several months). I will yield on the fact that the initial pre-doctor screening was chaotic in that I did agree the trainee could help do it, and that meant for a lot of chaotic explanations, although the fact that the guy giving them had to be reminded to give me back my glasses at the end of the sequence (I can't find them if they're not on, and not where I expect them) doesn't win points, even if I know he was distracted.

However. After that, they called me to say, gee, I did have to pay for the lenses now. Previously it had been not so much so because you get a trial pair, but the company didn't do that any more, so you had to order the whole set. I protested, but really, what do you do? They'll reorder if the prescription's wrong on their dime, so...I agreed. Reluctantly. And very put out not to have been warned earlier - this is the same brand and type I previous used and they have always had a trial pair. So, they place that order.

Then they call me and say one of my lenses (I think right, but I forget which) is on two-week back-order. SIGH. Okay, fair enough. Then they call two days after that to say my lenses are in and can I schedule an appointment to try them on. "But," say I, "one was on two-week back order! Do you have both eyes already?" Oh, no. They just have the one that wasn't on backorder, oops. Never mind. (Why the **** do you not make sure you have everything before hassling me?)

Thursday night, Scott advised me I had a voice mail and it was from the eye doctor's office. The voice mail was from a couple days prior, and said that she forgot in her earlier call that she needed to make an appointment with me to fit the lenses. It was too late to call them then, Friday I simply didn't get around to it (too many other things going on) and yesterday I plain forgot. I called this morning. And grilled about whether BOTH sets of lenses were in because other than the call when only one was in THERE WAS NO PRIOR CALL. Wonder who Miss Brilliant left a voice mail for that wasn't me....

They confirm both sets are in, and can fit me in at 3:30 today, and only then (for today). I accept. Then a voice in the background tells the (I don't doubt new) chica on the line that that will not work but 1 and 3 will. I'm not sure if those were open or if they were where they could cram me in, but I take 1 pm and head for the mall. Not before trying to make sure my cell is on there. It is. I ask her why they never called it. Well, they called my home. Yes, I noticed, but I don't get notification of voice mails left there unless I pick the phone up. Oh, so we should always call your cell! No, I like my minutes. Call my house, if you don't get me, call my cell.

Why have space on the form for a cell number if YOU NEVER EVER BOTHER TO USE IT ANYWAY? Grah. I swear I'm going to change my voice mail message to tell people I won't get it until next month, I am so sick of this. But I also don't understand why they didn't call my cell when I hadn't called them back in a day or two, at least. Feh.

Got in, got taken back to try them on, washed my hands and asked where I could dry them. "Paper towels there," says the girl. I look at her in horror. "Are they lint free?" "Oh, no," she replies, "lint free wipes there." And points them out to me. If you don't have contacts, paper lint in your eye is not a good thing. I was washing my hands before putting lenses on, at her request. She should never ever have pointed at the regular paper towels - if I had been a newbie, I would have been in for a very painful surprise.

Then I had to make the next followup appointment and we had a lovely conversation that briefly went in circles before we found a time for it, on Thursday. But, compared to the rest of it, that was at most slightly irritating, rather than screamingly so.

Comments

[davmoo.livejournal.com]

Its kind of nice to know I'm not the only person here who can't see well enough to find their own glasses.

[kyrielle]

I hear you. My vision's pretty grim without correction. Dad's was worse: he couldn't read the E at the top of the chart when he had his glasses off. (It kept him out of the army when he wanted to enlist as a young man, as I recall.)

My eyes are bad, but not quite that bad, I don't think.

[davmoo.livejournal.com]

That's about how bad my eyes are, like your father's. A running joke I have is when the doctor says "read the smallest line on the chart that you can read" I answer "there's a chart somewhere?" I know the first letter is "E", but in reality I can't even see that.

And ironically, that is what kept me out of the Air Force when I wanted to enlist after high school. They had this silly rule that one had to be able to see well enough to land the plane even if their glasses fell off :-)

[kyrielle]

How strange and fussy! :)

[roadskoller.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking you need to start eye doctor shopping.

[kyrielle]

So am I. It makes me sad, though. They are very convenient, and the doctors are good. But the rest of this...it is not impressing me at all.

I can defer that until closer to the next time I need contacts, at least.

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

Ok, so here's a perspective from in the eye field. First, I've RARELY found a doc who works with Wal-Mart, EyeMart, LensCrafters, etc who I trust. I can count one, after working in ophthalmology for 10 years now. In my opinion, if you're looking for contacts, you need a private practice OD (i.e., one who either works in a small practice of their own, or onwe who works with a few MDs and does all the annual exams and CL exams for the MDs.) ODs in larger practices are asked to do so much follow-up for surgical patients for the MDs that they really don't spend the time required for astigmatism like yours; ODs attached to glasses places get bonuses for leading patients to glasses (not directly, mind you; they are often in the form of a monthly bonus if a certain glasses revenue is reached). If you happen to have VSP insurance (which I doubt if you're going to an OD attached to LensCrafters), check with them to find local independent ODs -- VSP is geared towards maintaining the small, independent practice. If you don't, get ahold of me when you're ready to shop for a new doc -- I've got access to their info, and can find you someone I think would be good.

Now, as far as the contacts themselves, I'm sorry that you tend to get stuck with such crappy lenses. Might I ask what lenses and script you're using? There are some that are really better for astigmatism than others, despite maintaining similar materials and base curves. Also, if you're having such a hard time with the contact settling in, you might want to consider asking the doc to confirm that you have an appropriate base curve. The higher the numbers on your keratometry readings (if you see them, high is usually considered over 47.00), the lower the numbers should be on your base curve (closer to 8.3 or 8.4 rather than 8.6 or 8.7, depending on the brand). If you want to get a copy of your exam and fax it to me, I could have one of my docs suggest a lens for you to try.

And, btw, it's pretty rare that people end up with paper lint in their eye from a paper towel. I usually suggest that my patients dry as little as possible on a towel and rub their hands together to dry them instead, just because it limits their expenses on lint-free towels.

Want to hear a scary Rx? I've seen a patient with an Rx around -20.00 in both eyes.

Just my $0.02.

[kyrielle]

First, last, and only time I used a paper towel, I got lint in my eye. Never again. I do use a flat-fiber kitchen towel, not a lint-free special, when using my own supplies - but I won't use paper towels EVER again. Owwie.

As far as in the glasses place - I have been going here since before I wanted contacts, when I refused to consider them. I started because they were convenient to my chosen glasses supplier! It was actually the doctors here who urged me toward contacts. They have been very good, and until this year I had no problems. I have some pretty severe astigmatism, and I wear soft lenses (my eyes are sensitive; not considering hard, not going to consider, unless my vision gets so bad I have to). I had the same problem when I first started into contacts, the first week or so. I had forgotten, is all. Once I'm "used to" them again they'll settle just fine. I haven't changed brands or type of lens, so with luck it will even work the way I expect.

I'm going to be very unhappy to replace these folks, honestly. I like them; they are conveniently located; they have always been quite competent. (And I will STILL have to drive over there: I have always gotten a pair of glasses on top of contacts, not at their urging, but because due to my allergies I sometimes can't wear my contacts. I had backup glasses the first year just because my prescription hadn't changed much and I still had my previous pair, and the necessity of that became quite obvious over that year.) But this year's display of ineptitude is very unhappy-making, so I probably will. Bleh.