I want you to know how very thankful I am to you and to your staff. I would like to share with you that when I was diagnosed in the fall, by Dr. Greg Russell of Kingsport, with cataracts at 56 years old that I was devastated. I thought “how could this be? All I wanted to do here was to update my prescription for contacts and glasses”. I have never been able to see w/o very thick glasses and/or the old time gas perm hard contact lenses. Now, I have cataracts!!! It just seemed unfair. I was terrified. I cried. I complained. I was mad at the world.
I was referred to you, at The Reeves Eye Institute, in Johnson City. I wish that I could say that my feelings changed when I came to see you. They did not. The fear was building inside of me and I was not able to control it. I was afraid to go w/o my contacts for an ‘undetermined’ amount of time. I knew that it was necessary so that you could get the measurements that were needed to implant corrective lenses. I depend on those lenses to function in life. I depended on them for everything/anything!! I needed them!
Dr Reeves, you and your staff were supportive and understanding when I was ‘out of control’. I know that I cried and panicked and I was a horrible patient. I cannot thank all of you enough for putting up with me. You have a thriving business and certainly did not need me as a patient. You and your office continued to help me through my terror.
On Dec 12th, the day prior to my first surgery, I felt frozen in fear and sick to my stomach that ‘something bad might happen’, ‘I might be blinded’. Dec 13th I went to Hawkins County Memorial Hospital. They were wonderful. The staff explained everything as they went through their job of preparing me for the surgery. It helped me to know all of the reasons for whatever they were doing. They were all very professional and understanding and supportive of me. I believe that my actual surgery only lasted 15 minutes or so. Immediately I could see! I could see! Out of my eye! My own eye could see! I have never seen out of ‘my eye’. I had to have thick, awful glasses or hard gas perm contacts.
I cried and cried (again), this time in thanks and appreciation for the gift that I never, ever could have even thought to ask for, the gift of sight. I am thankful to all of you who have been involved in getting me here and for putting up with me along the way. Thank you, Thank you very much.
For 6 weeks I wore one soft contact lens on my bad eye that used to be my good eye! Then you operated on the second eye and implanted another corrective lens. I wear no glasses, except readers, and no contacts. I am so blessed. There is not a way to thank you and all the people involved in my care through these two surgeries for all that you have given to me. You gave me gift of sight, what a wonderful thing to be able to give to another person. I am full of gratitude to you Dr Reeves, for your surgical skills as well as your patience with my distress. Your office staff treated me wonderful even when I did not deserve it. I thank Angie for those accurate measurements that came up with the perfect implant lenses. I thank Dr Russell for his diagnosis, and he and his staff for their care of me pre and post op. My entire life has been changed for the better, thanks to all of you.
The things that thrill me now, I have never seen before at all! I smile more and am reminded daily of all I have to be thankful for.
- The tips and angles on bird wings overhead that I have never seen.
- The veins in the dried leaves on the ground that give them texture that I have never seen.
- The wrinkles in the upholstered furniture in my house that I never knew were there.
- The stray grey hairs in my dogs face that I’ve never seen.
- The wrinkles in my own face!!! I had thought I looked better than that!
Sight was never an option for me. I had previously pursued having corrective surgeries done and was never a candidate to get good results. I knew that I would always be totally dependent on glasses and contacts, so getting the ability to see those wrinkles on my face with my own eyes, no glasses, no contact lenses, has proved to be a wonderful blessing. Who would have ever thought that? Not me!
I am forever grateful and so very thankful to you for the beautiful, clear, crisp, and colorful world you have given to me through the wonderful work that you do.
- M. Harris