410 WORDS, 150 SECONDS
EYE ON HEALTH
WELL I HADN’T HAD MY EYES CHECKED IN A VERY LONG TIME AND I KNEW IT WAS TIME TO GET THEM CHECKED. I FOUND OUT ABOUT EYECARE AMERICA THROUGH A T-V AD FOR PEOPLE THAT COULDN’T AFFORD THE EYE CARE. I CALLED AND I TALKED TO ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES AND SHE SENT ME THE INFORMATION OF THE DOCTOR TO GO GET MY EYE EXAM. IT WAS VERY EASY. I HAD A RECENT PATIENT, MS ANDREA FRANKLIN, THAT WAS REFERRED TO ME BY EYECARE AMERICA AND SHE HAD PROBLEMS WITH HER VISION AND PEOPLE GET REALLY ANXIOUS ABOUT THEIR VISION. AND THAT HELPED HER. THAT CHANGED HER LIFE AND HER ABILITY TO GO ABOUT HER ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING. WELL, IT HAD PROBABLY BEEN OVER THIRTY YEARS SINCE I’D HAD ANY PROFESSIONAL EYE CARE AND I HAD BECOME DIAGNOSED AS DIABETIC, AND I HAD A FRIEND OF MINE GO BLIND BECAUSE OF DIABETES. THE ONLY INCOME I HAVE IS SOCIAL SECURITY. I’VE RETIRED AND NOT INVESTED WELL SO I HEARD ABOUT EYECARE AMERICA THROUGH A FRIEND OF MINE AND I WENT TO THE LIBRARY, GOT ON A COMPUTER LOOKED UP THEIR WEBSITE, FILLED OUT AN APPLICATION. IT WAS VERY EASY. JUST TOOK A FEW MINUTES. MISTER HASTERT IS A DELIGHTFUL PATIENT. HE CAME TO US BECAUSE HE DEVELOPED DIABETES. HE HAD NOT SEEN A DOCTOR IN YEARS AND YEARS AND WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE HIM AS PART OF OUR PRACTICE FAMILY. BUT IF YOU WERE TO DEVELOP DIABETIC RETINOPATHY, THEN WE COULD SEAL OFF ANY LEAKY BLOOD VESSELS WITH A LASER. I HEARD ABOUT EYECARE AMERICA AT A CONFERENCE WHERE I HEARD DOCTOR TOM HUTCHINSON TALK ABOUT THE TRAGEDY OF AMERICANS WHO HAD MEDICARE WHO ARE LOSING VISION BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO PAY THEIR DEDUCTIBLES AND CO-INSURANCE. HE WENT ON FROM THERE TO FOUND THE EYECARE AMERICA PROGRAM THROUGH THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY. I DO A LOT OF SORT OF GLOBAL OUTREACH-TYPE WORK AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF IF I CAN REACH OUT ACROSS OCEANS TO GO HELP PEOPLE SOMEWHERE, HOW ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NEXT TO ME? AND EYECARE AMERICA WAS THE PERFECT WAY OF DOING THAT. I GOT MY EYES EXAMINED. IT GAVE ME PEACE OF MIND THAT MY EYESIGHT WAS NOT GETTING ANY WORSE AND I THANK EYECARE AMERICA FOR OFFERING THIS PROGRAM. EYECARE AMERICA ROCKED. THEY HELPED ME SO MUCH. THEY’RE MY ANGEL.
