This week, I went to the eye doctor for the first time in seven years! I have glasses for far away things and for nighttime driving, but I never wear them. (I have a very weak prescription I'm blind without them.)
My old glasses are so out of style! Check them out...
I'm sure they were tres chic in 2011...
My insurance covers and annual eye exam and contributes money toward frames, so I figured I may as well go get a check up. The doctor was very nice and informative. But there was two times during the appointment I had to speak up for myself.
Near the end of my exam, the doctor said the last thing she had to do was look behind my eyeballs. I had the choice between getting my eyes dilated (which was covered by my insurance) or having her look at the pictures she took of my eyes (which would cost $39). I hate having my eyes dilated, so I told the doctor I would just pay the money and have her look at the pictures.
Then it dawned on me... Do I HAVE to do one or the other? Does she NEED to look at the back of my eyeballs? I asked her politely whether I could do neither, and she said of course, it was my perogative. Awesome! Now I didn't need to get my eyes dilated or pay the money to have her look at the pictures! I'm glad I thought to ask and wasn't forced to choose one or the other.
The second time I had to speak up was when I was choosing my frames. Right away, I told the girl who was helping me that I was looking for frames that were covered by my insurance. She explained to me that they don't sell the Davis frames (the ones my insurance covers) because the frames are not as good of quality. The frames my eye doctor does carry start at $120 and my insurance will contribute $60 toward any frame I pick.
I did not like the sound of that. I was not in the mood to pay money for frames if I didn't have to. So I asked the girl if she knew of any places that carry the Davis frames so I could get them there.
What do ya know... She happened to have some Davis frames in the back. (Funny how that works, right?) She brought out at least 12 frames and helped me pick out ones that would look good on me. I got a brownish/blackish pair that aren't to aggressive or big because I have a small face. They will be perfect for the small percentage of the time I will actually wear them.
Of course I forgot to take a picture... but I will show you them as soon as they arrive!
Of course I forgot to take a picture... but I will show you them as soon as they arrive!
The reason I am sharing all this with you is because it's always nice to be reminded that we can say NO to things in the doctor's office and we can inquire about other options.
I recently decided that I am going to decline being weighed at the doctor except for certain circumstances. For instance, I am getting a physical in a few weeks, so I will let them weigh me and ask for them not to tell me the number. On the other hand, if I go to Urgent Care for poison ivy or strep throat or something random like that, I will ask to not be weighed. (Getting weighed gives me anxiety, even if I ask them not to tell me the number, I sometimes accidentally see it on my paperwork and it affects my mental health a lot.)
I recently decided that I am going to decline being weighed at the doctor except for certain circumstances. For instance, I am getting a physical in a few weeks, so I will let them weigh me and ask for them not to tell me the number. On the other hand, if I go to Urgent Care for poison ivy or strep throat or something random like that, I will ask to not be weighed. (Getting weighed gives me anxiety, even if I ask them not to tell me the number, I sometimes accidentally see it on my paperwork and it affects my mental health a lot.)
Have you ever had your eyes dilated? Was it uncomfortable?
When was the last time you said "no" at the doctor's?
When was the last time you said "no" at the doctor's?
I love this! I think as I get older I have become more aware of the things I am willing to "go along with".
ReplyDeleteThis has nothing to do with "speaking up", but the last time I went to the eye doctor (this summer), I ended up seeing a new doctor that I haven't seen before. When it was time for me to take my contacts out and do the examine, I started freaking out a bit because even when she said "which looks better 'View A' or 'view B', neither of them looked good and she flipped it a few more times and I could not see anything. I thought I had become blind without my contacts or glasses and became visibly upset. Here, the doctor took a look at the machine and it was fogging up because of all the humidity that day. OMG I was so relived it wasn't me. OKay, now I feel like I should tell that story on my blog some day...haha
"Going along with" is the best way to put it. I feel like we were raised to be polite and trust authority (which is good of course) but it is good to know we don't have to go along with everything.
DeleteThat eye doctor story is funny! Definitely write about it. Sometimes when my doctor did A or B a had to have her flip back to A because they were so similar.
For many years I said NO to routine blood work at the doctors because I hate getting my blood drawn if there is no specific reason. But now that I'm over 30 I just suck it up and let them do it because the older I get the more I realize how invincible I am not!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind hearing my weight at the doctor's office anymore but for a long time I opted out of hearing it too. I remember one time when I was DEEP in the restrictive part of my eating disorder the nurse said to me, "we see a lot of overweight women these days, but you look great. what do you do to stay in shape?" And I was like, "well let's see I never eat more than 500 to 700 calories a day and then I burn at least 1,000 in the gym and then I black out! Glad you like the way I look!" I mean that's what I was thinking in my head anyway. I still can't believe she commented like that.
I also can't believe your eye doctor's office had SO many pairs of the glasses in the back. It could be a mistake if they only had like 1 random pair left back there but to have 12 options... wow!
I get the picture thing done because my insurance covers it completely. I've only had my eyes dilated once and I did not like it so I'm glad there are alternates available these days. My eye doctor told me that you can actually detect some brain tumors through those pictures so I like to know it's all good especially since it's covered.
Great now I'm scared they missed a brain tumor because I didnt want to pay $39.
DeleteDon't even get me started on eye doctors. Did I blog about my last appt? Probably not. They scheduled a follow up appt 6 months from my last regular exam. I though they were concerned about some color in my eye. I went to the appt and they did a bunch of exams that I had no idea what they were looking at or for. It was a long appt, freaking annoying, and I walked out of there paying $359 (yes, out of POCKET - I have no vision insurance). WTF??? I was livid.
ReplyDeleteOh no! I would be soooooo mad! I would not trust that place. You should ask how much everything will cost upfront from now on I suppose.
DeleteI just did this last week. I went in for my semi-annual dental cleaning, and this place wanted to take x-rays. I already took x-rays last year, and no other dentist I've had does x-rays every year. I said no, I wasn't going to go thru it. I got the spiel of needing up to date x-rays for cavities, etc, and I didn't care.
ReplyDeleteWell good for you! Especially if you have to pay for the X-rays or they make you uncomfortable.
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