60 Minutes Story: "The Blind Architect"
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One of the most inspiring stories we’ve seen lately was a recent episode of “60 Minutes (CBS television) about Chris Downey, an architect who lost his sight shortly after surgery to remove a brain tumor. For most people, blindness is one of their biggest fears in life, right up there with getting cancer. However, for Downey “…I came to realize that the creative process is an intellectual process. I just needed new tools.” He discovered embossed drawings that he could read like Braille and invented wax sticks that he could use to draw. He also started improving his hearing sense and his sense of feel using his cane. Downey turned his new ability to working with the Veterans Administration for veterans with sight loss, similar projects at Duke University and Microsoft and to working on a San Francisco commuter terminal accessible for those with vision loss or blindness. Losing one’s vision at the age of 45 with a ten-year-old son might seem like the end of the world for most of us but this story is a testament to those with the courage to take on life’s challenges and moving forward with one’s life. A link to this inspirational story can be found
here
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Thank you for all of the positive feedback we’ve received about our new associate, Dr. Brett Burns. Dr. Burns graduated from the New England College of Optometry this past May and was one of only a handful of students inducted into the prestigious Beta Sigma Kappa Society for excellence in clinical proficiency. He’s from Manchester, CT and is delighted to be working at Chicopee Eyecare three days a week and working at Ludlow Eye Associates, owned by Dr. Katarzyna Babinski, two days a week. Dr. Babinski, who speaks fluent Polish, sees patients at our office about one day a month.
As we mentioned last month, Dr. Burns will be seeing patients at Chicopee Eyecare on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and will work with Dr. Babinski at Ludlow Eye Associates on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Brett Burns, O.D.
Camille Guzek-Latka, O.D.
David C. Momnie, O.D.
Julianne M. Rapalus, O.D.
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Welcome Our Newest Intern
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Chicopee Eyecare welcomes our newest optometry student intern, Esther Lee. Esther is from Bergen County, New Jersey and received her undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Boston College. She will receive her Doctor of Optometry from the New England College of Optometry in Boston next May. Esther’s previous rotation was at the VA Hospital in White River Junction, VT and she will be with us for the next three months before she heads back to Boston for her next clinical assignment. Welcome to Chicopee Eyecare, Esther!
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If you have diabetes, there are three important numbers you should be familiar with. Keeping track of these ABCs will reduce your risk of complications from diabetes including heart disease, stroke and loss of vision.
A is for A1c,
your average blood sugar control for the previous three months. The recommended goal is at or below 7%. Several important studies show that good blood sugar control reduces the risk of microvascular disease including damage to the retina.
B is for Blood Pressure
and keeping it less than 130/80 has also been found to reduce the risk of retinal damage.
C is for Cholesterol
. Lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and lowering triglycerides have been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease. Finally, as recommended by the American Diabetes Association, getting an eye exam once a year will allow us to monitor your eyes for any early signs of diabetic eye disease.
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Yellow-night-Driving Glasses - As Seen On TV
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A recent study at Mass Eye and Ear, a specialty hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School, found that yellow lenses did not improve detection of pedestrians at night and also did not reduce disabling headlight glare. The yellow “night-driving glasses” are often promoted on TV and in magazines. Oncoming headlights are certainly more bothersome to older drivers because of aging changes of the cornea and lens (cataracts) and some optometrists, ourselves included, report that their patients insist that the yellow lenses make night driving more comfortable. However, the study, which was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, found no statistical data that supports the claims that yellow lenses improve visibility or increase safety when driving at night.
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About once or twice a year, patients present to our office having instilled ear drops, their pet’s eye drops or more frequently, another family member’s eye drops into their eyes. There have even been reported cases of people accidentally instilling glue or other home products in their eyes. I recall a patient who had airplane glue on one of his eyelids and I was able to remove the glue with a cotton ball dabbed in acetone. To avoid eye drop mix-ups, leave them in the original box and keep them apart from all other small bottles. Dropper bottles often look similar and another tip is to read the label immediately after you’ve reached for one, reducing your risk of mixing them up with something else not meant for your eyes.
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Case of the Month
Sleeping With Your Eyes Open!
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Nocturnal lagophthalmus is the inability to fully close the eyes during sleep. Causes of this condition may be a problem of the muscles or nerves of the eyelids (e.g. trauma, stroke, Bell’s palsy) or of the skin around the eyes. However, sleeping with the eyes partially opened sometimes just runs in families. Mild cases are common in children and they usually outgrow the condition. (This child’s picture was posted by his father in a Facebook group for optometrists.) The most common complaint associated with nocturnal lagophthalmus is waking up with dry eyes or a foreign body sensation, a feeling that something is rubbing against your eye after each blink. Fans in the bedroom can make the dryness worse.
Using an artificial tear eye drop or ointment before bedtime and upon awakening may be helpful and using a sleeping mask and a room humidifier can further help prevent evaporation of the tear film. In severe cases, eyelid surgery may be indicated. If you constantly wake up with dry and irritated eyes, schedule a morning appointment with one of our doctors as we can invariably determine whether or not your eyelids are working properly and recommend an appropriate treatment.
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Thank You for Google Reviews
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Thank you if you’ve given us a nice Google Review.
If you were happy with your experience at Chicopee Eyecare, your positive review helps us spread the word and market our practice to potentially new patients.
Click Here
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Catch up on our newsletters
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I
N CASE OF EMERGENCY
Chicopee Eyecare provides "24/7" coverage for emergency eye care for our patients.
We recommend that you do not go to the emergency room for an eye injury or acute eye problem unless it is very serious. Drs. Momnie, Guzek-Latka, Rapalus and Burns keep slots open for urgent care visits for new and established patients during normal office hours, and provide around-the clock emergency coverage for our established patients for after-hours and weekends.
Call 592-7777 before calling your PCP or visiting a hospital ER!
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Office Hours
We are available when you need us
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Our office and optical department are open during the following hours:
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Monday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9:00 am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9:00 am - 6:30pm
Friday 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
Saturday 9:00 am -12:30 pm
One of our doctors is always available for emergencies on nights, weekends and holidays. Call (413) 592-7777 and our answering service will put you in touch with an on-call optometrist.
"The people in this office are committed to providing you with the highest quality of eye care and to treating you with kindness and respect.
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If you would like to share any feedback or comments please email us at
[email protected]
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©2019 Chicopee Eyecare - All Rights Reserved
Chicopee Eyecare · 113 Center Street · Chicopee, MA 01013 · (413) 592-7777
[email protected]
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Privacy is important to us at Chicopee Eyecare and we will not share your email address with anyone. At any point, you can select the link at the bottom of every email to unsubscribe.
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