I have an ophthalmologist who is OK, I started seeing him when my daughter was attending high school in that neighborhood ( across town-I didn’t think I would be seeing him twice a month)
I had switched from an optometrist about ten yrs ago when I was 47.
But the last few years, my eyesight is progressively worse. I have double vision ( with one eye closed), I can’t see to drive at night and I have difficulty reading or making out detail.
I am in this cycle of seeing him every two weeks for months at a time while using steroid drops to try and get any inflamation or irritation cleared up enough to read an eye chart with my glasses.( eyes aren’t red, but they are uncomfortable)
After a few months of that, I got a new rx finally( last year) , I tried to make them work, but then I am back again with the same complaints.
I just want to have my eyes work.
It’s scary and frustrating.
It’s always a smart move to get a second opinion for something serious and/or ongoing. Go for it!
Has your ophthalmologist given you a specific diagnosis that explains your continued eye sight problems? Like Cataracts? or something else ?
If not, you need to go to your internist and tell him/ her what has been happening.
Ask to get a cat scan to see if there is another reason for your bad vision- i.e something pressing on the back of your eyes or optic nerve, etc, etc.
GET GOING!
second opinion time.
Agree with others to seek a second opinion. You are facing big dilemmas and I empathize completely as my never good eyes have become more complicated in the last 8 years. My Dr. does very thorough exams, using multiple machines. It sometimes takes 3 hours for the annual visit. I appreciate how up to date she is with options and how if one treatment isn’t working, she moves onto an alternative.
Hope you get answers and results.
I would get a second opinion as well. It seems like a really long time to have been getting such frequent treatment to no avail. SIL’s eye doc completely missed an eye issue that I (and several CC members) suspected had been a stroke rather than an eye problem. Unfortunately, she was not seen by a specialist until it was too late to do anything. PLEASE get seen by someone else as soon as you can.
Dr. Gilbert in Bellevue is where my wife sent her father, the go-to guy she refers to for complex eye issues.
They have been doing a lot of tests, but I’m not sure what they were for.( field of vision and others)
I think at one point my pressure was a little high, because when I went back in, the assistant commented that my pressure looked better.
I haven’t gotten a diagnosis, or suggestions of what to do besides use lubricating drops which I’m not sure are helping.
Thanks for the name Magentron, I will keep him in mind.
I looked up the eye dr that I had when I was a kid, and it looks like he is still practicing?
He must be in his mid 80’s at least! That’s amazing!
There is another guy, that sounds like his son, in Ravenna, who has a pretty informative web site and good reviews, although my current Dr has good reviews also.
I will get a second opinion though, it has been going on way too long. Reminiscent of how my knee went, I had to get a different Dr to actually do the replacement surgery, because my original Dr insisted I was " too young".
@emeraldkity4 - Your doctor’s obvious lack of explanation on procedures he is doing and why concern me. When you get another opinion, hopefully you’ll get someone who is more communicative with better “bedside manner”. Make sure you advocate for yourself and ask questions! Write your questions down and bring a list with you if it makes it easier to remember them all. Don’t be afraid to ask or to have things repeated if needed. As an example, I had to talk to a nurse recently because she was only using medical jargon and acronyms. It your right as a patient to get the info you need to understand your medical care. Don’t put medical professionals on a pedestal. If need be, take a close friend or family member with you who can advocate on your behalf. I hope I am not reading too much into your situation from what you’ve posted but it sounds like you are not getting adequate information to understand your care and prognosis.
I haven’t asked a lot of questions and that is my fault.
I haven’t had many Drs who are good at answering questions, so I’ve been conditioned not to ask.
I also don’t want to know, I guess, so I can pretend that it isn’t a big deal.
But if something was wrong with my car, I would ask until I understood it, so I need to be better about maintaining my own body. Asking, doesn’t make me a hypochondriac.
Wishing you the best, emaraldkity4, and agreeing with others that it is time for a second opinion. My ophthalmologist gave me a separate prescription for glasses to wear when driving at night. They are just a little bit stronger and I only use them when I am in unfamiliar locations, but they do help.