8 months to figure out I had cataracts? There’s a story there!

I’m always looking for things to write about. Sometimes my random thoughts sit in a journal for weeks or years before I do anything with them. Some don’t ever see print. But occasionally I'm driven to get these musings to the public, if for nothing more than to make me feel better.

This piece, published in the most recent issue of the Wharton Healthcare Management Alumni Association Newsletter, tells my lessons learned from uncomfortable dealings with the medical establishment in 2012 and early 2013.

In late 2012, I was diagnosed with cataracts in both eyes; two months later, I had very simple surgery to remove them. The diagnosis came about eight months, three different types of contacts, four doctors, and approximately seven consultations after I first told my eye doctor the glasses with progressive lenses I’d been trying to wear for the past several months weren’t working.

Neither doctor(s) nor patient (I didn’t get off easy!) took the extra time to ask the right questions; Plus, the doctors continued to think of cataracts as a purely age-related disease. Now that I’ve had the surgery, I can look back on the event clearly (no pun intended) and unemotionally. My hope is that after reading this, you’ll see your next visit to a doctor a bit differently. Perhaps you’ll do your research before your first visit. Or if you’re a doctor, maybe you’ll take an extra minute or two with your next patient to think outside the box.

BTW, the doctor (and friend) I quoted in this piece, Dr. Sanjay “Sonny” Goel, Executive Medical Director for LasikPlus Laser Vision Centers and Visium Eye Institute also had an article published in this issue of Wharton. It’s about the rising costs of healthcare as they relate to cataract surgery. Be sure to check it out.

Have you ever felt like you just HAD to share an experience to anyone who would listen? How did you tell your story? Share in the comments below.