| rev:text
| - I need to have eye surgery, and came to this place because of my wonderful regular ophthalmologist, Dr. Perozek, who knows about my weird night owl schedule; though he'd be perfectly happy to do my surgery, he understands that it would be hard for me to comply with his own surgery schedule, with me having to show up at 6:30 a.m., and then again just past the crack of dawn the day after for the follow-up. So he recommended that I have Dr. Wellish do it, because, as owner of the surgical center, his hours were more likely to mesh with mine. How thoughtful is that?!
When I visit Dr. Perozek, I almost never have to wait at all, sometimes maybe five minutes. Here I was faced with a large and full waiting room, with almost every seat taken. I suspected I was in for the long haul, and nearly four hours later I was proven right.
Reams of paperwork, more than usual. Then some tests. Then a long wait in another inner waiting room. Then more tests, than another long wait in that same waiting room. I got so fed up playing my usual word games on my phone that I started reading the Yelp reviews about this place, something I would have normally done beforehand, but didn't due to the referral and promise of surgery at a time I could live with. After reading those reviews, I was not a happy camper.
Finally, I was taken in to the room where I'd meet the doctor. But that's when he goes into the room to see the previous patient, so another long wait. He did introduce himself, and apologized for the long wait (with the usual "there were some emergencies" excuse), but then it all broke down. He talked really, really fast, and most of the time he was mumbling to his assistant, who was taking notes. He told me that I had astigmatism. I am no babe in the woods, have been wearing glasses since I was 9, and have never been told that. When I mentioned it, he shoved a paper with colored graphs in front of me and asked "Well, did you ever have this test?"
He also told me that I had a severe case of dry eyes. Yes, I know, and I'm being treated for it. But then he produced a slick, colored brochure, outlining a complete program for dealing with the condition. All very fast, with no time to ask questions. What I was able to glean from this is that I would start out with a 5-day course of antibiotics (SUSPECT!). Then follow up with antibiotic eye ointment. I told him I had it at home, but learned later that he called it into the pharmacy anyway. Finally, there was the real money-maker: an eye medication that would be the gift that keeps on giving - from me to him - because it's not covered by insurance. I kept thinking that I was in one of those incessant medication commercials that end with "Ask your doctor about..."
My husband had to go to CVS to pick up some meds for himself. I told him not to get the 5-day Z-pack, but I assumed the doctor had listened to me about the ointment. Wrong! Hubby brought it home, and I noticed that it had been prescribed with 11 refills. ELEVEN! That told me that this "program" for dry eyes was obviously a cash cow.
I am distrustful of doctors who push programs that look designed to keep patients tethered to them by a checkbook. I am also distrustful of doctors who own the surgical centers in which they operate.
Needless to say, I'm meeting with my regular ophthalmologist next week for a second opinion, but he will be my first and only choice. And I know he will listen to what I have to say and answer all of my questions. It'll be worth forgoing a few nights of sleep.
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