In Part II of this two-part article on testing your own emergency response system, you’ll read about the diagnosis, insurance coverage, what I learned, and testing your own emergency response system.
If you have not already, first read: Have You Tested Your Own Emergency Response System? Part I of II: Caregiver self-care is critical. Last month, I had a potential vision-related emergency. I panicked. Then I began to act. What happened? Phone calls. Time to get my mind off me.
Vitreous Detachment
I called the ophthalmologist’s office soon after they opened on Monday. I said, “I’m a patient of yours. I don’t know if this is an urgent vision issue or an emergency.” I then briefly shared my symptoms. The receptionist immediately connected me with me a technician (a nurse-like role for vision). He listened to me as I highlighted my symptoms. Before I even finished, he said it sounds like a vitreous detachment. He advised me not to go horseback riding. What?
After scheduling an appointment for the following day, feeling a bit unnerved by his rapid-fire assessment, I searched online for vitreous detachment.
The symptoms were spot on! I began feeling less unnerved. However, the ophthalmologist would have the final say after looking inside my dilated pupil. There’s a slim chance it could be a detached retina or the start of glaucoma. Both can cause blindness if not treated.
As for the horseback riding, the recommendation online for this condition is to refrain from any strenuous activity. I’m okay with staying off a horse. I’ve had limited success staying on top of nearly all horses I’ve ridden. Now, those tethered ponies walking circles at a carnival? That’s my kind of horseback riding!
Which healthcare providers are covered by my insurance?
Now that I felt a little more at ease, I looked to see if my ophthalmologist was still “in-network.” I had checked earlier before calling both hospitals’ emergency rooms and the two urgent care offices. While I do prioritize my healthcare; especially, the older I grow, I was weighing my options given my limited resources after spending about $6,000 on dental care, alone.
What did I learn?
It is important to be a strong yet respectful self-advocate. There are a lot of people who need medical attention. It’s important to weigh one’s need among many and while being gently insistent, weighing our own needs against others’. This process of prioritizing patients’ needs is called triage and emergency centers perform it 24-7.
Having served as a patient advocate, I feel comfortable navigating healthcare. But I often wonder, as a single person, what if I cannot advocate for myself? Yes, I have an Advance Health Care Directive and a healthcare proxy. While all this was happening, my proxy was visiting family in another country. And my back-ups were far away. Somewhere, among those panicked initial calls, I called to inform him. He listened asked questions. After we finished our call, he called back. He had talked with his mom, the long-time family matriarch, who had similar symptoms before receiving treatment for glaucoma.
On Tuesday, I asked the ophthalmologist if the emergency number, I called was correct. The call never got through to him. It was the second time his answering service failed him. I showed him my phone log and the text message. He thanked me for the information so he could follow-up with his service.
About a dozen years ago, I asked my PCP for his private cell number. Understandably, he hesitated. Knowing I was getting older, I figured if there were an emergency and I wanted to have immediate contact. Recently, he confirmed upon my request that this number was still active. It is rare for a doctor to do this and I wouldn’t advise it in most situations. However, the doctors with whom I have this arrangement have witnessed my discretion over the years. After at least a dozen years, I used it for the first time.
The symptoms started much earlier. As I reflect, I realize I misidentified my symptoms. I had scheduled a haircut sooner than I usually do. I told the stylist that I kept seeing hair along the left side of my face. She trimmed it. I told her I still see the hair. She looked a bit stunned but wanting to please her loyal customer, she trimmed my hair some more. Now, I realize I was seeing floaters even then. And of course, after the ophthalmologist dilated my pupils, he assured me that while I’ll need cataract surgery in a couple years, my retina was attached and I did not have glaucoma.
Test Your Own Emergency Response System
If you have an urgent medical issue, test your own emergency response system.
You must advocate for yourself. I learned this as a patient advocate over the last 25 years. The significance of this was further ingrained in me after a former client-turned-friend suffered a brain aneurysm. Her family froze. She literally had enough presence of mind to opt for the surgery that saved her life.
My eye was not a life-or-death emergency. But I took advantage of the opportunity to learn what resources were available in case it was an urgent issue. I didn’t know if delaying a few hours might lead to permanent loss. I channeled my urgent panicked energy with measured consideration of others’ priorities when I pleaded for help.
What was the diagnosis? Vitreous detachment. Just as the technician said, a day earlier. The cause? The ophthalmologist looked deeply into my eyes and with the greatest sincerity answered, “Too many birthdays.”
Now, it’s time for my brain to learn to ignore these floaters.
Real life is not always easy. If my eye didn’t scare me enough, I immediately applied what I learned about my emergency response system when I needed emergency dental surgery. I’m writing this with five stitches in my mouth. Parts of me are falling apart! But most of me is still functional. Still, what a way to close out 2023!
