Guest guest Posted July 19, 2008 Report Share Posted July 19, 2008 , I have been blind since age 3 (now 51) and have had prostheses since. I have had three sets. The second was because of growth and the third because of poorly made second set. I have had them now for 35 years. I just saw a doctor last month for the first time and he was amazed at how well they have held up for all that time with admittedly poor attention to them. I know that some people will remove them every night, but I never have. I guess you are supposed to remove them at least weekly for cleaning and I never do that, either. You should have them and your eyes examined every year, and well it has been 35. They must be like artificial teeth in that the construction is the most important part and not necessarily care of them. Funny story. I don't know what they are actually made of, but I know they will bounce like a super ball. In high school I had to go to the restroom to take one out because I got a grain of sand or something behind it. I dropped it. The room was all tiles and concrete and this thing bounced who knew where. I was on my hands and knees looking for it and it struck me what it would look like if someone walked in at just that time. " Yeh, right, you lost your eye... " Really, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. I hope they work out great from the start and for a long time to come. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 19, 2008 Report Share Posted July 19, 2008 Oh now that has made me laugh. Just related the story to my wife...she was laughing before I was half way through...Brilliant! Thank you. . From: S Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2008 8:29 PM To: blind-diabetics Subject: RE: Cosmetic shells , I have been blind since age 3 (now 51) and have had prostheses since. I have had three sets. The second was because of growth and the third because of poorly made second set. I have had them now for 35 years. I just saw a doctor last month for the first time and he was amazed at how well they have held up for all that time with admittedly poor attention to them. I know that some people will remove them every night, but I never have. I guess you are supposed to remove them at least weekly for cleaning and I never do that, either. You should have them and your eyes examined every year, and well it has been 35. They must be like artificial teeth in that the construction is the most important part and not necessarily care of them. Funny story. I don't know what they are actually made of, but I know they will bounce like a super ball. In high school I had to go to the restroom to take one out because I got a grain of sand or something behind it. I dropped it. The room was all tiles and concrete and this thing bounced who knew where. I was on my hands and knees looking for it and it struck me what it would look like if someone walked in at just that time. " Yeh, right, you lost your eye... " Really, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. I hope they work out great from the start and for a long time to come. SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 , Well, I do understand very well how you are feeling as I have had some surgeries which went well and others which did not. Just keep your faith and turn the worrying over to God. After all, He stays awake all night so let Him worry and you get a good night's sleep. Cy, the Anasazi.. _____ From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Mills Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2008 6:06 AM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: Cosmetic shells Thanks Maggie. I'm glad you understand what I mean. Thankyou very much. I promise I will let you know how I get on tuesday. I must admit I'm still nervous but feel much knowing you all care. . From: Maggie Rush Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2008 6:14 AM To: blind-diabetics@ <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: Cosmetic shells good luck , I know what it's like when old memories rear their ugly heads, and fears come back, I'm liek that with dentists. Just know we're all batting for you. Hugs, Maggie. There's music in a horseshoe, there's music in a nail,There's music in a tomcat, when you stand upon his tail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Hi , I just got my first shells last week, after going without them for my first 30 years of blindness. They are made of acrylic plastic, and are painted by hand. On Monday they used a waxy substance to make casts of my shrunken eyeballs so that they could make the shells to be an exact fit. By Thursday they had made the shells, and worked with me to get the details of the coloring just right. When I came back Friday the shells were complete, so they just showed me how to put them in and remove them. They are surprisingly comfortable. I've only been wearing them for a few days, and I already forget that they are there. It isn't difficult at all to install and remove them. My daughter drove me to the doctor's office, so when they asked me what color I wanted I just pointed to her and said " The same color as her eyes " . Her eyes are blue, just as mine were 30 years ago when I could see. She says it's striking how much my eyes now look like hers. I'm waiting for someone to use that old line " Your daughter has your eyes " so I can reply " no, I have her eyes " . I thought about getting a blue pair and a brown pair so I could mix and match, to see if people would notice that one day my right eye was brown and the next day the left was the brown one, but decided it just wouldn't be worth the trouble. I guess the shells must have improved my appearance, as one of my friends said they would be " chick magnets " . Mark Cosmetic shells Hi All. Has anyone in the group have or have had prsthetic eyes? The shell variety, not the whole eye? I'm getting mine on Tuesday in a four hour appointment. I'm pretty nervous, and that's saying something for me as most medical procedures don't phase me. I was discharged from any Opthamologist just under ten years ago and only recently have had to visit the Royal Eye Infirmary in Plymouth as I was getting a lot of shrinkage. Anyhoo, my first visit there was highly traumatic for me as it just brought all the memories and feelings back. I couldn't answer any questions and my list of meds went completely out of my tiny little brain, so my wife helped me out. Dunno why I told you all that because all I wanted to know is if anyone has them and how they get on with them, but I do have this habit of digressing off on a tangent. My wife, , once described me as being able to talk underwater if I wished...there I go again. Anyway thanks all, . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Hi , I just got my first shells last week, after going without them for my first 30 years of blindness. They are made of acrylic plastic, and are painted by hand. On Monday they used a waxy substance to make casts of my shrunken eyeballs so that they could make the shells to be an exact fit. By Thursday they had made the shells, and worked with me to get the details of the coloring just right. When I came back Friday the shells were complete, so they just showed me how to put them in and remove them. They are surprisingly comfortable. I've only been wearing them for a few days, and I already forget that they are there. It isn't difficult at all to install and remove them. My daughter drove me to the doctor's office, so when they asked me what color I wanted I just pointed to her and said " The same color as her eyes " . Her eyes are blue, just as mine were 30 years ago when I could see. She says it's striking how much my eyes now look like hers. I'm waiting for someone to use that old line " Your daughter has your eyes " so I can reply " no, I have her eyes " . I thought about getting a blue pair and a brown pair so I could mix and match, to see if people would notice that one day my right eye was brown and the next day the left was the brown one, but decided it just wouldn't be worth the trouble. I guess the shells must have improved my appearance, as one of my friends said they would be " chick magnets " . Mark Cosmetic shells Hi All. Has anyone in the group have or have had prsthetic eyes? The shell variety, not the whole eye? I'm getting mine on Tuesday in a four hour appointment. I'm pretty nervous, and that's saying something for me as most medical procedures don't phase me. I was discharged from any Opthamologist just under ten years ago and only recently have had to visit the Royal Eye Infirmary in Plymouth as I was getting a lot of shrinkage. Anyhoo, my first visit there was highly traumatic for me as it just brought all the memories and feelings back. I couldn't answer any questions and my list of meds went completely out of my tiny little brain, so my wife helped me out. Dunno why I told you all that because all I wanted to know is if anyone has them and how they get on with them, but I do have this habit of digressing off on a tangent. My wife, , once described me as being able to talk underwater if I wished...there I go again. Anyway thanks all, . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Hi Mark, I've literally just walked in through the door from the Royal Eye Infirmary where I had the impressions and wax templates done for my shells. Very stressful day and it will be six to eight weeks before I get my completed shells. Lot of demand for them I suppose. Few problems mainly that my eyes have shrunken so much that basically my eyes are flat and it's proving difficult to get the edges right. And boy have I got a headache or what?! I chose the colour today too, basically as close to my original colour as possible, which is Hazel. Anyway thanks everybody for your support. . From: Mark M Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:21 PM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: Cosmetic shells Hi , I just got my first shells last week, after going without them for my first 30 years of blindness. They are made of acrylic plastic, and are painted by hand. On Monday they used a waxy substance to make casts of my shrunken eyeballs so that they could make the shells to be an exact fit. By Thursday they had made the shells, and worked with me to get the details of the coloring just right. When I came back Friday the shells were complete, so they just showed me how to put them in and remove them. They are surprisingly comfortable. I've only been wearing them for a few days, and I already forget that they are there. It isn't difficult at all to install and remove them. My daughter drove me to the doctor's office, so when they asked me what color I wanted I just pointed to her and said " The same color as her eyes " . Her eyes are blue, just as mine were 30 years ago when I could see. She says it's striking how much my eyes now look like hers. I'm waiting for someone to use that old line " Your daughter has your eyes " so I can reply " no, I have her eyes " . I thought about getting a blue pair and a brown pair so I could mix and match, to see if people would notice that one day my right eye was brown and the next day the left was the brown one, but decided it just wouldn't be worth the trouble. I guess the shells must have improved my appearance, as one of my friends said they would be " chick magnets " . Mark Cosmetic shells Hi All. Has anyone in the group have or have had prsthetic eyes? The shell variety, not the whole eye? I'm getting mine on Tuesday in a four hour appointment. I'm pretty nervous, and that's saying something for me as most medical procedures don't phase me. I was discharged from any Opthamologist just under ten years ago and only recently have had to visit the Royal Eye Infirmary in Plymouth as I was getting a lot of shrinkage. Anyhoo, my first visit there was highly traumatic for me as it just brought all the memories and feelings back. I couldn't answer any questions and my list of meds went completely out of my tiny little brain, so my wife helped me out. Dunno why I told you all that because all I wanted to know is if anyone has them and how they get on with them, but I do have this habit of digressing off on a tangent. My wife, , once described me as being able to talk underwater if I wished...there I go again. Anyway thanks all, . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Hi Mark, I've literally just walked in through the door from the Royal Eye Infirmary where I had the impressions and wax templates done for my shells. Very stressful day and it will be six to eight weeks before I get my completed shells. Lot of demand for them I suppose. Few problems mainly that my eyes have shrunken so much that basically my eyes are flat and it's proving difficult to get the edges right. And boy have I got a headache or what?! I chose the colour today too, basically as close to my original colour as possible, which is Hazel. Anyway thanks everybody for your support. . From: Mark M Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:21 PM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: Cosmetic shells Hi , I just got my first shells last week, after going without them for my first 30 years of blindness. They are made of acrylic plastic, and are painted by hand. On Monday they used a waxy substance to make casts of my shrunken eyeballs so that they could make the shells to be an exact fit. By Thursday they had made the shells, and worked with me to get the details of the coloring just right. When I came back Friday the shells were complete, so they just showed me how to put them in and remove them. They are surprisingly comfortable. I've only been wearing them for a few days, and I already forget that they are there. It isn't difficult at all to install and remove them. My daughter drove me to the doctor's office, so when they asked me what color I wanted I just pointed to her and said " The same color as her eyes " . Her eyes are blue, just as mine were 30 years ago when I could see. She says it's striking how much my eyes now look like hers. I'm waiting for someone to use that old line " Your daughter has your eyes " so I can reply " no, I have her eyes " . I thought about getting a blue pair and a brown pair so I could mix and match, to see if people would notice that one day my right eye was brown and the next day the left was the brown one, but decided it just wouldn't be worth the trouble. I guess the shells must have improved my appearance, as one of my friends said they would be " chick magnets " . Mark Cosmetic shells Hi All. Has anyone in the group have or have had prsthetic eyes? The shell variety, not the whole eye? I'm getting mine on Tuesday in a four hour appointment. I'm pretty nervous, and that's saying something for me as most medical procedures don't phase me. I was discharged from any Opthamologist just under ten years ago and only recently have had to visit the Royal Eye Infirmary in Plymouth as I was getting a lot of shrinkage. Anyhoo, my first visit there was highly traumatic for me as it just brought all the memories and feelings back. I couldn't answer any questions and my list of meds went completely out of my tiny little brain, so my wife helped me out. Dunno why I told you all that because all I wanted to know is if anyone has them and how they get on with them, but I do have this habit of digressing off on a tangent. My wife, , once described me as being able to talk underwater if I wished...there I go again. Anyway thanks all, . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Cosmetic shells definitely are an appearance improvement but also provide better protection for the eye behind them. If the eyes didn't look bad to begin with there would be no need for the shells, so you can bet the hand-painted shells will always look much better than the real eyes behind them. I wish I had my prosthesis when I was back in high school rather than the bloodshot eye that was shriveled up and didn't work anyway. As an adult, I made that decision to have the bad eye removed and then a prosthesis made, and have been glad about that ever since. Bill Powers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Cosmetic shells definitely are an appearance improvement but also provide better protection for the eye behind them. If the eyes didn't look bad to begin with there would be no need for the shells, so you can bet the hand-painted shells will always look much better than the real eyes behind them. I wish I had my prosthesis when I was back in high school rather than the bloodshot eye that was shriveled up and didn't work anyway. As an adult, I made that decision to have the bad eye removed and then a prosthesis made, and have been glad about that ever since. Bill Powers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Congrats on the new (almost) eye, . Sorry it is taking so long, but I'm sure you will glad when it is over. Re: Cosmetic shells Hi , I just got my first shells last week, after going without them for my first 30 years of blindness. They are made of acrylic plastic, and are painted by hand. On Monday they used a waxy substance to make casts of my shrunken eyeballs so that they could make the shells to be an exact fit. By Thursday they had made the shells, and worked with me to get the details of the coloring just right. When I came back Friday the shells were complete, so they just showed me how to put them in and remove them. They are surprisingly comfortable. I've only been wearing them for a few days, and I already forget that they are there. It isn't difficult at all to install and remove them. My daughter drove me to the doctor's office, so when they asked me what color I wanted I just pointed to her and said " The same color as her eyes " . Her eyes are blue, just as mine were 30 years ago when I could see. She says it's striking how much my eyes now look like hers. I'm waiting for someone to use that old line " Your daughter has your eyes " so I can reply " no, I have her eyes " . I thought about getting a blue pair and a brown pair so I could mix and match, to see if people would notice that one day my right eye was brown and the next day the left was the brown one, but decided it just wouldn't be worth the trouble. I guess the shells must have improved my appearance, as one of my friends said they would be " chick magnets " . Mark Cosmetic shells Hi All. Has anyone in the group have or have had prsthetic eyes? The shell variety, not the whole eye? I'm getting mine on Tuesday in a four hour appointment. I'm pretty nervous, and that's saying something for me as most medical procedures don't phase me. I was discharged from any Opthamologist just under ten years ago and only recently have had to visit the Royal Eye Infirmary in Plymouth as I was getting a lot of shrinkage. Anyhoo, my first visit there was highly traumatic for me as it just brought all the memories and feelings back. I couldn't answer any questions and my list of meds went completely out of my tiny little brain, so my wife helped me out. Dunno why I told you all that because all I wanted to know is if anyone has them and how they get on with them, but I do have this habit of digressing off on a tangent. My wife, , once described me as being able to talk underwater if I wished...there I go again. Anyway thanks all, . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Congrats on the new (almost) eye, . Sorry it is taking so long, but I'm sure you will glad when it is over. Re: Cosmetic shells Hi , I just got my first shells last week, after going without them for my first 30 years of blindness. They are made of acrylic plastic, and are painted by hand. On Monday they used a waxy substance to make casts of my shrunken eyeballs so that they could make the shells to be an exact fit. By Thursday they had made the shells, and worked with me to get the details of the coloring just right. When I came back Friday the shells were complete, so they just showed me how to put them in and remove them. They are surprisingly comfortable. I've only been wearing them for a few days, and I already forget that they are there. It isn't difficult at all to install and remove them. My daughter drove me to the doctor's office, so when they asked me what color I wanted I just pointed to her and said " The same color as her eyes " . Her eyes are blue, just as mine were 30 years ago when I could see. She says it's striking how much my eyes now look like hers. I'm waiting for someone to use that old line " Your daughter has your eyes " so I can reply " no, I have her eyes " . I thought about getting a blue pair and a brown pair so I could mix and match, to see if people would notice that one day my right eye was brown and the next day the left was the brown one, but decided it just wouldn't be worth the trouble. I guess the shells must have improved my appearance, as one of my friends said they would be " chick magnets " . Mark Cosmetic shells Hi All. Has anyone in the group have or have had prsthetic eyes? The shell variety, not the whole eye? I'm getting mine on Tuesday in a four hour appointment. I'm pretty nervous, and that's saying something for me as most medical procedures don't phase me. I was discharged from any Opthamologist just under ten years ago and only recently have had to visit the Royal Eye Infirmary in Plymouth as I was getting a lot of shrinkage. Anyhoo, my first visit there was highly traumatic for me as it just brought all the memories and feelings back. I couldn't answer any questions and my list of meds went completely out of my tiny little brain, so my wife helped me out. Dunno why I told you all that because all I wanted to know is if anyone has them and how they get on with them, but I do have this habit of digressing off on a tangent. My wife, , once described me as being able to talk underwater if I wished...there I go again. Anyway thanks all, . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Smile.Thankyou .I was very nervous but the technician knoew that and he was very compassionate about it all. All went well and the time involved was a surprise to me, I thought I was going to be walking out of there with sparkling new eyes.He said it might be sooner but we shall see. From: LaFrance-Wolf Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 6:32 PM To: blind-diabetics Subject: RE: Cosmetic shells Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Larry, well that's one way to clear a pool. I'll have to remember that one. Bet you never did that again. Ruth From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Larry Naessens Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 8:28 PM To: blind-diabetics Subject: Re: cosmetic shells I remember a hot summer evening when a friend and I were swimming in a pool that was primarily populated by teenage girls. To this day, I'm not sure what happened, but I managed to pop one of my shells. I grabbed for it, but it was gone. My friend started diving vor it and after a while one of the kids asked her what in the world she was doing. " larry lost one of his eyes, " my friend reported, with no apparent thought of reducing the news to a whisper. You never saw a pool clear so fast of so many screaming kids. But, on the bright side, the shell was found quickly and we had the pool to ourselves for the rest of the evening. Larry From: ruth hogue To: blind-diabetics <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 9:01 PM Subject: cosmetic shells Hi , Glad I could put a smile on your face. My husband and myself are your distant English cousins from Manitoba Canada. I learned something from your e-mail and that is why the eyes need to breath. As for the ugly, I'm sure you won't scare off the wee kiddies now and I'm sure you were never ugly to begin with. As they say, beauty is skin deep, but ugly is to the bone, and you sound like a terrific person so you can't possibly be ugly. Besides, your wife kissed you and turned you into a prince from a frog, don't you remember? Anyways, enjoy your shells when you get them. Here's another funny story for you about shells. A friend of mine went into the Edmonton mall in Alberta and was stopped by a security guard when he saw her coming in with her guide dog. He said you can't come in here with that dog. She said I can this is my guide dog. He said but you don't look blind so get the dog out. She said just wait a minute and proceeded to pull out her shells. The guard practically threw up his lunch in front of her. After that she was never bothered again. Anyways, stiff upper lip and all that. Ruth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Hi Yolanda, I just found out the name of the company that did it and phoned and got an appointment. I contacted a company by the name of Le Grand and Associates. I think they operate in the U.S. too. Ruth From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Yolanda Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 8:58 PM To: blind-diabetics Subject: RE: cosmetic shells I want to look into this as well, so allow me to show my total ignorance. Who did you see to get this started? An ophthalmologist? Yolanda _____ From: blind-diabetics <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto:blind-diabetics <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of Larry Naessens Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 7:50 PM To: blind-diabetics <mailto:blind-diabetics%40yahoogroups.com> Subject: Re: cosmetic shells , I thought I'd just let you know how valuable this thread that you started has been to me. Several years ago, while knee deep in the process of beginning the imigration maze that would eventually lead me to Canadian residency, it became clear that my shells were ready to be retired. There was a lot of pain and one kept slipping a slight bit, giving me rather an odd appearance. With no health coverage at the time, i set them aside. Well time passed and there the old shells sat, of no use, but still occupying their storage nitch. Then this thread came along and wondered alound if it might be time to do something about some new shellls. I now have an appointment in mid August to get the process rolling. Had it not been for this thread, I don't think the subject would have come up when it did. So, thanks . Guess I owe you one. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Hi Yolanda. You need an Eye Prosthetics specialist. You could be referred by an ophthalmologist. As for me, I just phoned a few offices and went with the one that impressed me the most. I chose the one where they explained the process clearly and answered my questions without rushing me. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Gosh , that seems ages, the last time I had a prosthesis made, I went on the Monday, Tuewsday Thursday, Friday and then the following Monday and the job was done. Having to wait a further six weeks must seem like ages. Hugs, Maggie. There's music in a horseshoe, there's music in a nail,There's music in a tomcat, when you stand upon his tail. Cosmetic shells Hi All. Has anyone in the group have or have had prsthetic eyes? The shell variety, not the whole eye? I'm getting mine on Tuesday in a four hour appointment. I'm pretty nervous, and that's saying something for me as most medical procedures don't phase me. I was discharged from any Opthamologist just under ten years ago and only recently have had to visit the Royal Eye Infirmary in Plymouth as I was getting a lot of shrinkage. Anyhoo, my first visit there was highly traumatic for me as it just brought all the memories and feelings back. I couldn't answer any questions and my list of meds went completely out of my tiny little brain, so my wife helped me out. Dunno why I told you all that because all I wanted to know is if anyone has them and how they get on with them, but I do have this habit of digressing off on a tangent. My wife, , once described me as being able to talk underwater if I wished...there I go again. Anyway thanks all, . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Yolanda, An ophthomologist or medical doctor has to prescribe the prosthetic eye and gie a diagnosis for it, but an ocularist is the person who makes and fits the eye. You might want to google that word to find one in yur area-or your local ophthalmologist would probably know of one. Re: cosmetic shells , I thought I'd just let you know how valuable this thread that you started has been to me. Several years ago, while knee deep in the process of beginning the imigration maze that would eventually lead me to Canadian residency, it became clear that my shells were ready to be retired. There was a lot of pain and one kept slipping a slight bit, giving me rather an odd appearance. With no health coverage at the time, i set them aside. Well time passed and there the old shells sat, of no use, but still occupying their storage nitch. Then this thread came along and wondered alound if it might be time to do something about some new shellls. I now have an appointment in mid August to get the process rolling. Had it not been for this thread, I don't think the subject would have come up when it did. So, thanks . Guess I owe you one. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Bill, I think I'm in love. LOL _____ From: blind-diabetics [mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Bill Powers Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 1:38 AM To: blind-diabetics Subject: RE: cosmetic shells Well if you want a really cool eye story, try this one out for size. About 15 years ago, I had just gotten a replacement prosthesis, which, BTW, fit perfectly. About two months after I got the prosthesis, the ocularist called me saying the insurance company continued to stall them and wouldn't pay for the eye. They were willing to work with me as long as it took, but I wanted them to be paid and was not happy the insurance company was stonewalling. I asked how they were stonewalling, and the lady at the ocularist's office told me that the insurance company said they " needed a diagnosis. " Well, I looked at all the papers I got and it was perfectly clear why I needed it and diagnosis was given where it was appropriate, so they were just using that as a ruse so as not to pay. I found out where the nearest office of the insurance company was, and decided to take a day off from work to give them a personal visit. When I arrived, I told the receptionist I needed to see the person in charge. She told me they were in a board meeting and I could not see him. I said I'd wait. She insisted it would be an all-day meeting, to which I said I had all day. Then she got nasty and said there was no way I was going to see the boss. I lost my cool, got up and walked past her and she protested " sir, you can't be here. " I replied " well, I already am, so spare me the physical impossibility stuff, I'm already here and I'm giong through that door. " " Sir, you can't go through that door. " I began to open it and said " Of course I can, see, the door opens, I enter, and here I go. " Once inside, it was like walking into a movie. There's a big long table with these men sitting around with all their files and charts. One blurted out, " Sir, you can't be here. " I said, " Well, I already am, so deal with it. " He retorted " What is the meaning of this? " I replied, " I recently had an ocular prosthesis made to replace one that was too old and ill-fitting. Your company has been stalling on paying my ocularist for this eye, saying you need a diagnosis. " I proceeded to move my left hand up to my left eye, popped it out and put it down on the table for all of them to see. They could now see the prosthesis and the fact I had nothing in my left eye. As they were all gasping, I said " There's your damn diagnosis. " I picked up my eye, put it back in, walked out and said " Have a nice day. " The eye was paid for in full the next day. Does the song " Don't Mess With Bill " come to mind? Bill Powers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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