Doctor-Patient Stories
All eyes on the future
The youngest surfer to qualify for the world championship tour, USA Surfing member Caroline Marks discusses the important role preventative eye care plays in her sport—and her future in general—as someone who is regularly exposed to the elements.
One year after COVID-19 and fighting for my vision
Struggling with symptoms including light sensitivity, pain and poor depth perception, Mark didn’t know what was wrong with his eyes. But his doctor of optometry did: the lingering effects of COVID-19. Together, they were able to work through a treatment plan to help Mark on his road to recovery.
Emory Mitchell: Lifelong eyecare starts at birth
Diagnosed with congenital cataracts (a clouding of the eye's natural lens that is present at birth) when he was just an infant, 12-year-old Emory Mitchell understands firsthand the importance of addressing eye and vision problems early on.
Julie S.: How seeing the bigger picture saved my life
Dismissed as a side effect of cataract surgery by her ophthalmologist, Julie S.’s experience with double vision turned out to be symptomatic of something much more serious. At the insistence of her optometrist, Andrea Thau, O.D., Julie had an MRI that detected a brain tumor. And most likely saved her life.
Alison Teitelbaum: Paying it forward, one eye exam at a time
Don’t wait until you notice a problem to see an optometrist because it might already be too late. That’s the message 41-year-old Alison Teitelbaum hopes readers will take away from her story of having ocular melanoma, a type of eye cancer, detected during a comprehensive eye exam.
Janice Cook: From piano teacher to optometry advocate
After more than 50 years as a piano teacher, Janice Cook’s eyes were opened to the connection between some of her most challenging students’ musical abilities and their underlying—and often undiagnosed—vision issues.
Matthew Jones, O.D.: Personalized care that goes the extra mile—literally.
As the world moves more and more online, Matthew Jones, O.D., believes his patients deserve the kind of expert, individualized care that can only be achieved through an in-person comprehensive eye exam—so much so that he often picks them up himself when patients are unable to make it to his office without assistance.
Jennifer Douglas: Living with Sjögren’s
What happens when chronic dry eye turns out to be something more? Patient Jennifer Douglas describes her Sjogren’s Syndrome journey from initial symptoms to daily maintenance routine.