Overheard Optometry

15 Insanely Frustrating Things That Eyecare Patients Really Said

‘I don’t see why in the hell you would need to know that!’

Published

7 years ago

January 10, 2018

Elvira Derhovsepian

15 Insanely Frustrating Things That Eyecare Patients Really Said

AFTER WORKING IN EYECARE for a while, you learn to take most patient questions and comments in stride. Every now and then, however, you hear something that makes you wonder if you should have pursued that dream career as a top chef in Shanghai.

But would the profession be half as enjoyable without the funny stories?

Take a look at these posts from the Facebook and Instagram pages of Overheard Optometry, featuring stories submitted anonymously by eyecare professionals all over the world.

I mean, the patient does have a point.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada #overheardoptometry #dryeye #weteye #dryeyesyndrome #tears #toronto

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Dec 7, 2017 at 9:51am PST

One can understand why she’d never want to get an eye exam ever again.

Birmingham, England, UK #overheardoptometry #single #double #visualmotility #birmingham #england

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Dec 19, 2017 at 10:33am PST

As we find a stack of previous autorefraction slips and retinal photos from the past 15 years in the patient’s file.

Every doctor's office, ever. #overheardoptometry #patients #patientsbelike #optometry #eyecare

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Oct 14, 2017 at 6:43am PDT

See versus read. Two very, very different words. Safe to say our patients are perfectionists.

Los Angeles, California, USA #overheardoptometry #lowestline #eyechart #snellen #losangeles #california

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Nov 29, 2017 at 7:16am PST

Nobody said it was easy — somebody had to do it. There are friendships being broken at the optometrist’s office.

Location: undisclosed #overheardoptometry #bifocals #patients

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Nov 27, 2017 at 11:21am PST

Replace the word “retinal detachment” with “astigmatism” and I guarantee you’d get a different reaction.

Auckland, New Zealand #overheardoptometry #retinaldetachment #retina #blind #patient #work #aukland #newzealand

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Oct 24, 2017 at 9:33am PDT

We can never seem to mind our own business.

Boise, Idaho. • #overheardoptometry #optometry #diabetic #diabetes #diabeticretinopathy #vision #boise #idaho

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Oct 16, 2017 at 7:56am PDT

When you remove the phoropter away from the patient’s face to uncover the trollface meme.

Finland #overheardoptometry #snellen #1or2 #or3 #eyeexam #finland

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Dec 12, 2017 at 7:55am PST

So … how sure are you that you’ve been taking care of your own kids, and not someone else’s?

Greece #overheardoptometry #myopia #highmyopia #glasses #contacts #greece

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Nov 20, 2017 at 1:46pm PST

Losing hope, day by day.

#overheardoptometry #odsonfacebook #odsoninstagram #optometry #ophthalmology #orthoptics #eyecare #health #medicine #surgery #drops #lasik #contactlenses #pediatrics #glasses #frames #eyedoc #medical #doctors #patients #aoa #retina #dryeye #macula

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Sep 1, 2017 at 8:59am PDT

Therapist, optometrist, potato, pohtahto.

Harstad, Troms, Norway #overheardoptometry #optometry #therapy #patients #troms #norway

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Dec 8, 2017 at 1:19pm PST

Facepalm

Overheard in an office in Blumenau, Brazil #overheardoptometry #blumenau #brazil #optometry #snellenchart #eyechart #patient #glasses #vision

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Oct 4, 2017 at 11:51am PDT

What’s worse: no contacts on at a contact lens follow-up, or no glasses from a new patient during an exam?

How many of you break out in a cold sweat seeing your CL follow-up patients coming in with glasses on? #overheardoptometry #odsonfacebook #odsoninstagram #optometry #ophthalmology #orthoptics #eyecare #health #medicine #surgery #drops #lasik #contactlenses #pediatrics #glasses #frames #eyedoc #medical #doctors #patients #aoa #retina #dryeye #macula

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Sep 17, 2017 at 8:32am PDT

Our patients just have a way with words.

Perth, Australia #overheardoptometry #optician #prescription #glasses #perth #australia

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Dec 20, 2017 at 10:57am PST

About that letter of resignation.

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia #overheardoptometry #contactlens #cleaningtablets #melbourne #victoria #australia

A post shared by Overheard Optometry (@overheardoptometry) on Nov 15, 2017 at 7:44am PST

Elvira Derhovsepian

Elvira Derhovsepian is an ophthalmic scribe and the creator of the social media platform @overheardoptometry, a community of people who share their unique (and sometimes so very common) stories in eyecare. Derhovsepian recently published the first volume of the Overheard Optometry book, now available at Amazon, and enjoys freelance writing and editing in her free time.

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