First the Dr freaked me out telling me I had swelling in my optic nerve but wouldn't tell me what he thought was causing it. He looked into my eye was like "oh that's not good" and then had me go sit out in the waiting room Googling "swelling on optic nerve". So according to Google I have MS, Lupus or Diabetes. Then the girl working there took pictures of my eye ball and I had to go back out to wait. He took me in and I stood holding my purse while he showed me pictures of my fucked up eye and a normal one. Awesome. Like can I have a chair to sit down in while you're telling me I'm dying? He refused to tell me what he thought would be the cause of this optic nerve swelling but assured me that it was any worse he would have sent me to the ER. He's just giving me an URGENT referral to go see a Neuro Opthamologist, ASAP! He tells me first thing when I get home I need to find one that my insurance covers because this can get very expensive.
Oh and then to add to that they don't have any trial contact lenses for me to try and will have to order them.
So then I go up to the counter to pay and they are like it's $110.00. I was like oh I have insurance did you bill that? Last time I was there it was $5 for the same exam minus the pictures of my eye ball. They are like no that's with insurance. So I'm trying to figure out exactly what they are charging me for and the girl is like CREDIT OR DEBIT. I'm like I'm sorry but I'm trying to figure out why my bill is so much and also I'm a bit upset since I have something wrong with my eye. None of the three girls behind the counter seemed to care (where did that nice girl go that helped me when I came in...). I eventually realized they charged me $69 for my toric contact lense exam (not sure why they couldn't just say that) and the rest was for pictures. So last time I was there they must not have charged me that on accident or something. Ok so I pay my bill.
Text Scott and my Mom that I'm dying and have MS and cry in the car. Get my shit together enough to start driving home, but we have nothing for dinner so I decide I'll go to the Wal Mart/Safeway shopping center. You have to make a U-turn to get into the shopping center and I saw Jessica's car at Denny's in the same center. I pull up next to her and she asks if I'm tracking her (lol) and I tell her I'm dying and have MS. She gets in the car and tells me she's sure I'm fine. They always freak you out at the dr etc. TG the kid can calm me down. After that I decided we'd just have Taco Bell for dinner. While I'm in the drive through my mom is googling about how I'm dying also and says "I don't like what I'm reading". Yes, I know mom! Scott texts me that it could just be sinusitis and I decide that has to be what it is since I just had a sinus infection a couple weeks ago.
I get home and research neuro opthamologist on my insurance website. The only thing that comes up when you put that in is a pediatric one. That won't work. Then I search opthamologist and a bunch come up. Grr which one do I pick?
In the morning I call my regular doctor and ask if they have any recommendations. She first says no then I'm like what about just a regular opthamologist and she tells me one that the Dr goes to. I call that one and they tell me they should have sent reports and referrals to like UCSF. Uh yeah freak me out some more. I was like can I just get a regular appointment and then if I need it you can take care of that? The first appointment they have is 6 days away. Doesn't really seem very urgent.
So I call another one and ask if they know of a neuro opthamologist and they tell me 2 names. One is a woman that mostly does botox? The other one I saw on my insurance. Ok here we go. So I call them and they can get me in for 3 THAT DAY. Now we're talking. I had to drive to Stockton but that's ok my mom lives there and she's meeting me there for moral support.
I get my eyes dilated and eventually the Dr comes in to blind me with a really really fucking bright light in my eyes. When he's done he says that he sees what the other dr saw but it's not what he thought it was and it's nothing to worry about. Thank you God I'm not dying and I don't have MS. They scheduled me another appointment in May to do a regular exam I think and then a follow up one two weeks after that.
In the meantime I still have no contacts. I've paid $110 plus a $40 copay and the 2nd place and no contacts. I call to find out when they are going to get the "trial pair" in and the gal tells me it takes a week OR LONGER. I was like WTF you are LENSCRAFTERS don't you have your own warehouse? I can get just about anything from Amazon and sometimes it's even in the same day. Where are they coming from a slow boat from China?
Today they call and tell me that my trial lenses are in but they can't give me an appointment to come and get them for another week. I was like OH NO. If you can't get me in I want a refund. So I have an appointment for tomorrow at 3. Lets see how much more bullshit I have to go through to get my prescription. I already know they are going to make me come back after a week of "trying them" to get my prescription even though I've been wearing almost the same contacts for 20 years. Such a racket. Such a waste of time.
Oh my goodness! What a story!I would have been a wreck as well. What on earth was it that was wrong with your eye?
ReplyDeleteThat was definitely not a good day(s). Although good news from the ophthalmologist! So what DID he think the swelling was from?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I hate those sort of appointments where I feel that I'm just throwing money at everyone.
Oh my. I feel your pain.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I have been through with my eye and still dealing with.
It was an optometrist who thought my retina was detaching.
But when going to the ophthalmologist is when we found that I had this big ole mass in my eye.
I heard that the optometrist can't see what the Ophthalmologist can see hence the difference.
But holy shit it's scary. I hope you get this figured out. As you know i have greatly reduced sight in that eye and still no one knows what it is and how to treat it.
Be wary of the steroids in the eye. I am dieting now to get that #!@#$! weight off.
Oh, my goodness!! I am glad you aren't dying though! ;-) You poor thing. You are really being put through the wringer! All for contacts!!
ReplyDelete