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Originally Posted by Quixote;83***9
I virtually never post on TOTV, but I had something happen yesterday that I’ve been encouraged by my primary care physician to share with TOTVers.
A family member experienced a severe bruise to an eye and as a result was not able to see at all out of that eye—only darkness. Having experienced eye bleeds myself, I knew the potential extreme seriousness of this and the need to find an ophthalmologist—and fast!
I contacted every hospital in the region—first The Villages Regional Hospital, then Leesburg Regional, then both hospitals in Ocala (Ocala Regional and Munroe Regional). I tried urgent care facilities, though probably not all of them. I could not find an ophthalmologist on call on weekends—anywhere! I even contacted my own ophthalmological practice, in whose care I’ve been for many years and where there was a physician on call, but their requirement is that one must be an established patient to be seen on an emergency basis. (I prefer not to name names, and I will deal with this in my own way.)
The only suggestion I was given was “Go to Shands.” I have heard enough stories about patients going to Shands on a weekday for a scheduled appointment and finding no one available! In truth I did not even try calling Shands. Instead I was able to find an ophthalmologist (not in practice in our area) who made himself available more as a favor than anything else.
We are an older population who can easily develop an eye problem spontaneously anytime or bruise ourselves in a myriad of ways that could affect an eye. I don’t mean to be an alarmist, but I feel this is something that Villagers need to be aware of—the lack of availability of ophthalmological care on weekends anywhere within our region!
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I went to urgent care affliated with the Villages Hospital when I accidentally stuck a straw branch in my eye when making a floral arrangement - the doctor there looked to see if there was any damage to the eye beside the stratch that the branch left - I was given a script for eye medication and within a week my eye was fine - I was told to go to an ophthamologist if need be but the medication took care of it - this was on a Sunday!