Charlie Collins interview at Vision Dynamics. The one stop shop for people with Low Vision, Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy , Retinitis Pigmentosa. A hands on solution center for all your needs.
Contact him at:
http://www.visiondynamics.com/
or
Charlie Collins
Phone: (203) 271-1944
Fax: (203) 271-3997
Email: support@visiondynamics.com
Monday, August 27, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Hyundai donates $100,000 for Marshfield Clinic pediatric projects Grant supports cancer research
MARSHFIELD -- Three years ago, Heather Adler received news no parent ever wants -- or expects -- to hear: Her daughter had cancer.
Abigail Adler was 4 years old when her parents took her to the doctor to check on what they thought was a lazy eye. It turned out the left eye had a tumor and needed to be removed.
"We thought, 'Why our child?'" Heather Adler said.
Fortunately for the Marshfield family, the cancer didn't spread, and it went into remission after eight months of treatment. Abigail now has a prosthetic eye, but she has handled it all with optimism and "high spirits," her mother said.
"We need to be aware of, no matter what age, children can get cancer," Heather Adler said. "We need to raise more awareness."
To that end, Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a joint effort of Hyundai Motor America and its more than 800 dealers nationwide, announced a $100,000 grant Friday to the Marshfield Clinic for childhood cancer research.
The grant is part of $7.1 million Hyundai is donating this month to 71 pediatric cancer research projects and groups nationwide. September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
By the end of 2011, Hyundai Hope on Wheels will have committed $43 million in donations to pediatric cancer research since its inception in 1998.
Part of the grant to the Clinic came from regional Hyundai dealers' sales.
"Every time a car is sold, a portion goes to Hope on Wheels," said Don Scaffidi, owner of Scaffidi Hyundai in Stevens Point. "It's wonderful -- this money will hopefully go toward finding a cure (for cancer)."
The funds also will be used to foster communication and teach coping skills to patients and families, said Dr. Michael McManus, a pediatric physician at the Clinic. Doctors will work with patients both in-person and through videoconferencing.
"It's a privilege for our oncology team here at the Marshfield Clinic to care for these children and watch them grow up," McManus said during a press conference about the grant.
Abigail and several other cancer survivors attended the press conference, and afterward dipped their hands in paint and placed their imprints together on a poster.
"These children and their loved ones have gone through so much and are true heroes," said Dr. Karl Ulrich, Clinic president and CEO.
Abigail Adler was 4 years old when her parents took her to the doctor to check on what they thought was a lazy eye. It turned out the left eye had a tumor and needed to be removed.
"We thought, 'Why our child?'" Heather Adler said.
Fortunately for the Marshfield family, the cancer didn't spread, and it went into remission after eight months of treatment. Abigail now has a prosthetic eye, but she has handled it all with optimism and "high spirits," her mother said.
"We need to be aware of, no matter what age, children can get cancer," Heather Adler said. "We need to raise more awareness."
To that end, Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a joint effort of Hyundai Motor America and its more than 800 dealers nationwide, announced a $100,000 grant Friday to the Marshfield Clinic for childhood cancer research.
The grant is part of $7.1 million Hyundai is donating this month to 71 pediatric cancer research projects and groups nationwide. September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
By the end of 2011, Hyundai Hope on Wheels will have committed $43 million in donations to pediatric cancer research since its inception in 1998.
Part of the grant to the Clinic came from regional Hyundai dealers' sales.
"Every time a car is sold, a portion goes to Hope on Wheels," said Don Scaffidi, owner of Scaffidi Hyundai in Stevens Point. "It's wonderful -- this money will hopefully go toward finding a cure (for cancer)."
The funds also will be used to foster communication and teach coping skills to patients and families, said Dr. Michael McManus, a pediatric physician at the Clinic. Doctors will work with patients both in-person and through videoconferencing.
"It's a privilege for our oncology team here at the Marshfield Clinic to care for these children and watch them grow up," McManus said during a press conference about the grant.
Abigail and several other cancer survivors attended the press conference, and afterward dipped their hands in paint and placed their imprints together on a poster.
"These children and their loved ones have gone through so much and are true heroes," said Dr. Karl Ulrich, Clinic president and CEO.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
The ‘Art’ Of Prosthetic Eyes Doss Tannehill Ocularist
I've had three prosthetic eyes fitted over the past 10 years. I'm getting my fourth prosthetic eye at the end of May. I had an eye lift at the end of March because I have the largest prosthetic that can be mad but my eyelid still droops. It looks so much better now. Here is some info below about it.
Are you one of the few ocularists on the island who make prosthetic eyes?
If the eye is removed which is called an enucleation usually six to eight weeks after the surgery the patient will come to see me, when the healing is completed and most of the swelling is down. For people who have diabetes or who are older, that process can take longer.
Is it common for diabetics to need an enucleation?
Diabetic retinopathy is quite common in Hawaii, as diabetes is very prevalent. And oftentimes the eye will become blind, at which time I can fit a thin prosthesis called a sclera cover shell over that eye, or if the eye has to be removed, then I fit a regular prosthesis.
When might the eye need to be removed?
If there’s pain or pathology. But if those things are not there, there’s no reason to remove the eye. You get less sunkenness and better motility when the eye is there, albeit blind and usually shrunken. You get a better result from my end, and the patient doesn’t have to go through the trauma of surgery and losing a body part. That’s huge.
The eye is part of the body, and the subject of losing it is so private that most of them don’t want to talk about it. It’s a very personal thing. When you talk with someone, you look each other in the eye, so it’s about judging someone’s character.There’s also psychosexual connotations -
when you make googoo eyes at someone, you look them in the eye. When you have loss or disfigurement of an eye, patients feel like there’s a loss of self-esteem.
Even though in their logical mind they know they’re no less of a person. It’s a far bigger loss than fingers or sometimes arms or legs. Eyes are what we use to communicate. It’s not nearly so much about the loss of vision, because with sight out of one eye you can still do many things. In fact, there was a guy who played professional football with one eye.
To what extent do you help patients deal with the psychological trauma?
I talk to them about it and I encourage them to get counseling if they’re struggling. Usually you can tell when you’re fitting the patient and painting the iris, I say “Look at me,” and they don’t want to. But once you break the ice and let them know you’re on the same side I say, “I’m not going to insult you and tell you I know how you feel. I don’t know how you feel, I have two eyes. But I probably know a little bit more about how you feel than the average guy on the street because of what I do for a living.”
You literally look at them and paint one eye to match the other?
Yes.
How realistic is the prosthesis?
If there’s been no lid or facial damage and it’s just a problem with the eyeball and you have a good surgeon, you can expect a good result. The people the ocularist is trying to “trick,” are the ones you meet for the first time, not family and friends. They know they went through the whole ordeal with you.
Are you working with an empty socket, and does the eyeball still move and look natural?
When the surgeon removes the eyeball, they want to fill up some of that space, otherwise the prosthesis is going to be heavy. They attach the existing extraocular muscles to the implant to get motility within the socket. The tissue that’s inside of your socket is mucus membrane, the same thing that’s inside of your mouth.
The most commonly used implants nowadays are made out of a coral that’s only found in Tonga and is very much like human bone. The doctors sew the muscles to it so you get a lot of motility in the socket.
What kind of care or upkeep is needed?
The eye needs to be cleaned and polished every six months. Once a month, take it off and take a look to be sure there’s nothing different going on in your socket or your eye.
Does it last for life?
For seven years, and not because the prosthesis falls apart, it’s because the socket with the eyeball will change, necessitating a refit.
When someone comes to you, what next?
I take an impression by injecting alginate. If you’ve ever had an impression of your teeth, it’s the same stuff; ours is more refined. Also in that first visit I paint the iris.
With the impression, I make a wax pattern and I fit it for size and symmetry. Then I make a mold and put the iris that I painted in there surrounded with white plastic, which is like your sclera, the white part of your eye. The next time they come in I put the veins on and paint the sclera, and then I put it back in the mold with a clear overlay and process it. Next time they come in I deliver it.
Can you talk about your work with patients from Kalaupapa who had Hansen’s disease?
You know what, they’re all gone (chokes up). This brings out my emotions. My dad used to go there and fit them because there were plenty, but the last one died a year ago. Neat people, many of them. That’s a chapter that’s closed. Another one that will be coming to a close in time will be the 100th Battalion, 442nd special guys. The young ones are in their late 80s, so that will be another group I soon won’t be working with anymore
Where did you receive your schooling and training?
I’m a Kamehameha Schools graduate and I went to college at Colorado State. I learned ocularistry from my dad.
How long have you been an ocularist?
I started going to work with my dad when I was 8 years old. Our main business was contact lenses, and he was quite an innovator. After I graduated college, I started doing ocularistry it’s been 39 years.
I’m the only one who lives and works in the state who does this.
At what point does someone come to you after losing an eye?If the eye is removed which is called an enucleation usually six to eight weeks after the surgery the patient will come to see me, when the healing is completed and most of the swelling is down. For people who have diabetes or who are older, that process can take longer.
Is it common for diabetics to need an enucleation?
Diabetic retinopathy is quite common in Hawaii, as diabetes is very prevalent. And oftentimes the eye will become blind, at which time I can fit a thin prosthesis called a sclera cover shell over that eye, or if the eye has to be removed, then I fit a regular prosthesis.
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If there’s pain or pathology. But if those things are not there, there’s no reason to remove the eye. You get less sunkenness and better motility when the eye is there, albeit blind and usually shrunken. You get a better result from my end, and the patient doesn’t have to go through the trauma of surgery and losing a body part. That’s huge.
The eye is part of the body, and the subject of losing it is so private that most of them don’t want to talk about it. It’s a very personal thing. When you talk with someone, you look each other in the eye, so it’s about judging someone’s character.There’s also psychosexual connotations -
when you make googoo eyes at someone, you look them in the eye. When you have loss or disfigurement of an eye, patients feel like there’s a loss of self-esteem.
Even though in their logical mind they know they’re no less of a person. It’s a far bigger loss than fingers or sometimes arms or legs. Eyes are what we use to communicate. It’s not nearly so much about the loss of vision, because with sight out of one eye you can still do many things. In fact, there was a guy who played professional football with one eye.
To what extent do you help patients deal with the psychological trauma?
I talk to them about it and I encourage them to get counseling if they’re struggling. Usually you can tell when you’re fitting the patient and painting the iris, I say “Look at me,” and they don’t want to. But once you break the ice and let them know you’re on the same side I say, “I’m not going to insult you and tell you I know how you feel. I don’t know how you feel, I have two eyes. But I probably know a little bit more about how you feel than the average guy on the street because of what I do for a living.”
You literally look at them and paint one eye to match the other?
Yes.
How realistic is the prosthesis?
If there’s been no lid or facial damage and it’s just a problem with the eyeball and you have a good surgeon, you can expect a good result. The people the ocularist is trying to “trick,” are the ones you meet for the first time, not family and friends. They know they went through the whole ordeal with you.
Are you working with an empty socket, and does the eyeball still move and look natural?
When the surgeon removes the eyeball, they want to fill up some of that space, otherwise the prosthesis is going to be heavy. They attach the existing extraocular muscles to the implant to get motility within the socket. The tissue that’s inside of your socket is mucus membrane, the same thing that’s inside of your mouth.
The most commonly used implants nowadays are made out of a coral that’s only found in Tonga and is very much like human bone. The doctors sew the muscles to it so you get a lot of motility in the socket.
What kind of care or upkeep is needed?
The eye needs to be cleaned and polished every six months. Once a month, take it off and take a look to be sure there’s nothing different going on in your socket or your eye.
Does it last for life?
For seven years, and not because the prosthesis falls apart, it’s because the socket with the eyeball will change, necessitating a refit.
When someone comes to you, what next?
I take an impression by injecting alginate. If you’ve ever had an impression of your teeth, it’s the same stuff; ours is more refined. Also in that first visit I paint the iris.
With the impression, I make a wax pattern and I fit it for size and symmetry. Then I make a mold and put the iris that I painted in there surrounded with white plastic, which is like your sclera, the white part of your eye. The next time they come in I put the veins on and paint the sclera, and then I put it back in the mold with a clear overlay and process it. Next time they come in I deliver it.
Can you talk about your work with patients from Kalaupapa who had Hansen’s disease?
You know what, they’re all gone (chokes up). This brings out my emotions. My dad used to go there and fit them because there were plenty, but the last one died a year ago. Neat people, many of them. That’s a chapter that’s closed. Another one that will be coming to a close in time will be the 100th Battalion, 442nd special guys. The young ones are in their late 80s, so that will be another group I soon won’t be working with anymore
Monday, August 20, 2012
Legg enjoying basketball from an entirely new point. of view
Less than 10 months after the rare ocular melanoma that cost her left eye and nearly her life, Meredith Legg hasn't lost her ready smile and her enthusiasm about practically everything.
"I have to wear glasses the rest of my life," the former USC Aiken basketball standout told Mid-Day Lions Club members. "But that's okay. God gave me two eyes, and I've adjusted to having one. I am careful when I drive, because I really have a blind spot!" Legg said to laughter.
"I have to wear glasses the rest of my life," the former USC Aiken basketball standout told Mid-Day Lions Club members. "But that's okay. God gave me two eyes, and I've adjusted to having one. I am careful when I drive, because I really have a blind spot!" Legg said to laughter.
Lions International supports many sight programs and services, and Legg thanked the members for their support -- the cards, letters and flowers "and your outpouring of love."
Legg had completed her senior season at USCA in early spring last year as the program's all-time leading scorer. She was a few weeks from finishing school as an honor graduate with a business degree and had a job lined as an accountant with the URS Corporation.
She was shocked when she suddenly lost the sight in her eye, but that occurrence almost certainly saved her life. A specialist in Philadelphia found a tumor and used extended and painful radiation treatments to remove it, although the eye was lost permanently.
Legg returns to the specialist every four months to undergo tests with the understanding and acceptance that the cancer could return. She did graduate with her class last spring and has settled in at URS.
She and her family members had been through this kind of ordeal before: Legg's older brother was 18 when he was diagnosed with leukemia. He has been in remission for five years and Legg knew she could get through it too.
"I was in a state of mind knowing I could die at 22," she said. "I didn't want to take my life for granted. I was an emotional player on the court, and I had to learn a bit of calming down, that it could be worse. God had a reason for this, and I don't know if I have to understand or explain it."
Legg attended a Pacers' game Wednesday night. There's a Meredith Legg award now for courage in the face of adversity. She was the first recipient. And there she was in the stands, trying to send out mental messages to her friends on the court just one more time, but knowing she has to let that part of her life go.
She loved the Pacers, loved basketball and wanted to play forever, perhaps even professionally somewhere. She has found a new way to keep up with her sport, however, coaching a group of 9- to 12-year-old girls at Mead Hall. Now Legg realizes that God gave her those skills, that gift to share with others.
"They bring me absolute joy," she said. "They want to tell me about their whole lives. At this age, they have to learn basketball the right way, and I've always said, 'You can't pick it up and run with it.' I love it, and knowing I can make a difference really helps. We're doing really great."
Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.
Legg had completed her senior season at USCA in early spring last year as the program's all-time leading scorer. She was a few weeks from finishing school as an honor graduate with a business degree and had a job lined as an accountant with the URS Corporation.
She was shocked when she suddenly lost the sight in her eye, but that occurrence almost certainly saved her life. A specialist in Philadelphia found a tumor and used extended and painful radiation treatments to remove it, although the eye was lost permanently.
Legg returns to the specialist every four months to undergo tests with the understanding and acceptance that the cancer could return. She did graduate with her class last spring and has settled in at URS.
She and her family members had been through this kind of ordeal before: Legg's older brother was 18 when he was diagnosed with leukemia. He has been in remission for five years and Legg knew she could get through it too.
"I was in a state of mind knowing I could die at 22," she said. "I didn't want to take my life for granted. I was an emotional player on the court, and I had to learn a bit of calming down, that it could be worse. God had a reason for this, and I don't know if I have to understand or explain it."
Legg attended a Pacers' game Wednesday night. There's a Meredith Legg award now for courage in the face of adversity. She was the first recipient. And there she was in the stands, trying to send out mental messages to her friends on the court just one more time, but knowing she has to let that part of her life go.
She loved the Pacers, loved basketball and wanted to play forever, perhaps even professionally somewhere. She has found a new way to keep up with her sport, however, coaching a group of 9- to 12-year-old girls at Mead Hall. Now Legg realizes that God gave her those skills, that gift to share with others.
"They bring me absolute joy," she said. "They want to tell me about their whole lives. At this age, they have to learn basketball the right way, and I've always said, 'You can't pick it up and run with it.' I love it, and knowing I can make a difference really helps. We're doing really great."
Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.
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