Tweet
I just finished my first trip to the University of Illinois at Chicago, Eye and Ear Infirmary on Friday. I left feeling very hopeful, and excited.
First Dr. Shorter came in and promptly popped in a PROSE lens. Everything was warped and moving around, and she said it was sliding around more than she would like, but would work for the test. Then she said to hang out until I couldn't stand it up to an hour. So we walked to Subway, ate, and came back. My eyeball felt 'chilled' (not the usual dry methol-effect feeling, but more like a cool wet washcloth), but otherwise very nice. It was VERY soothing - I had forgotten what it felt like to not have even minor burning. I thought I'd have to be putting in drops every few minutes because people have complained about it sticking to the lid, but it was slippery for the hour - even while out walking in the wind and 10 degree F weather. The PROSE lens made my eye look different - the pupil looked obviously swollen or magnified. My bad eye lower lid is slightly droopy, and the PROSE lens made it sag much more - so it looked a little like my eye was popping out. The PROSE lens is smooth (no ridges). The insurance price is $4500 for the fitting + 6 months worth of follow up appointments and refittings. The lens will be around $2000. She says to expect getting one lens a year, because you will always want a spare around, and while they can last 10 years for some people - yearly is more the average. There is a discount if the insurance doesn't pay.
Next I reminded her that her assistant said she might have cheaper choices available. She suggested I try the Jupiter and popped one in. Immediately I could tell a difference. It wasn't warped and sliding around like the PROSE. It felt more settled on my eye. Having the lens in was comfortable on my eye itself, But each time I blinked, there was a scratchy feeling at the far corner of my upper eyelid. Not painful, but like dragging your nail across the back of your hand. Something that ol' sensitive me would probably get annoyed with and irritated by. I left it for maybe 15 minutes, and it didn't get worse - but I think an hour of that may have driven me batty.
My understanding is that the jupiter is less customized to your eye. So you can get one much more quickly. She said it cost about $900 for the lens, and I forgot to ask about the fitting. All follow-up appointments cost more. It sort of had levels (like ridges sort of?) in it - I'm not sure what the philosophy was behind that, but she said there was one. It looked invisible on my eye. My bad eye lower lid is slightly droopy, and this didn't change with the Jupiter.
In the end I decided it was safer to go with the PROSE. I also felt like if I didn't like the PROSE, I could ask for another fitting - versus the Jupiter where I would have thought "hmmm, is it worth it to pay for another fitting appointment?"
Dr. S said I could change my mind and get a Jupiter if I didn't want to wait for the PROSE - and i just need to call.
She thinks that the insurance will likely cover it in my case, even though BCBS told Dr. G and another doctor in Minnesota that I contacted that they will only cover a lens for someone with glacoma surgery or something like that. Which was my impression also. No guarantees of course, and I have to agree to pay for the lens and get it before they can even file (which sucks - because realistically if they don't cover it and I had a choice, I'd give Jupiter a longer test run).
I watched the insertion and removal videos before going to the appointment and I was a little scared (ok, maybe terrified). But she popped it in and out so fast that I think I could get the hang of it eventually - and it actually felt GOOD going in (like a mini eyeball massage).
About the Ear & Eye Infirmary
This is not in 'scary downtown' Chicago, but it is in Chicago - a busy place. Traffic was bad, even at 10:30 in the morning (I can't imagine what it is like during rush hour!). The parking garage is attached to the building, so it's good if it's not full (which it was our first time by). It costs like $13 a day, but you can get a doctor to validate it and then it's like $7 instead. The Infirmary is a big, busy place, and my visit involved lots of waiting - like an hour and a half. If you are looking for plush with all the shiniest new technology, this is not it. The people seemed to be good at what they do, and efficient. All in all I enjoyed the experience.
First Dr. Shorter came in and promptly popped in a PROSE lens. Everything was warped and moving around, and she said it was sliding around more than she would like, but would work for the test. Then she said to hang out until I couldn't stand it up to an hour. So we walked to Subway, ate, and came back. My eyeball felt 'chilled' (not the usual dry methol-effect feeling, but more like a cool wet washcloth), but otherwise very nice. It was VERY soothing - I had forgotten what it felt like to not have even minor burning. I thought I'd have to be putting in drops every few minutes because people have complained about it sticking to the lid, but it was slippery for the hour - even while out walking in the wind and 10 degree F weather. The PROSE lens made my eye look different - the pupil looked obviously swollen or magnified. My bad eye lower lid is slightly droopy, and the PROSE lens made it sag much more - so it looked a little like my eye was popping out. The PROSE lens is smooth (no ridges). The insurance price is $4500 for the fitting + 6 months worth of follow up appointments and refittings. The lens will be around $2000. She says to expect getting one lens a year, because you will always want a spare around, and while they can last 10 years for some people - yearly is more the average. There is a discount if the insurance doesn't pay.
Next I reminded her that her assistant said she might have cheaper choices available. She suggested I try the Jupiter and popped one in. Immediately I could tell a difference. It wasn't warped and sliding around like the PROSE. It felt more settled on my eye. Having the lens in was comfortable on my eye itself, But each time I blinked, there was a scratchy feeling at the far corner of my upper eyelid. Not painful, but like dragging your nail across the back of your hand. Something that ol' sensitive me would probably get annoyed with and irritated by. I left it for maybe 15 minutes, and it didn't get worse - but I think an hour of that may have driven me batty.
My understanding is that the jupiter is less customized to your eye. So you can get one much more quickly. She said it cost about $900 for the lens, and I forgot to ask about the fitting. All follow-up appointments cost more. It sort of had levels (like ridges sort of?) in it - I'm not sure what the philosophy was behind that, but she said there was one. It looked invisible on my eye. My bad eye lower lid is slightly droopy, and this didn't change with the Jupiter.
In the end I decided it was safer to go with the PROSE. I also felt like if I didn't like the PROSE, I could ask for another fitting - versus the Jupiter where I would have thought "hmmm, is it worth it to pay for another fitting appointment?"
Dr. S said I could change my mind and get a Jupiter if I didn't want to wait for the PROSE - and i just need to call.
She thinks that the insurance will likely cover it in my case, even though BCBS told Dr. G and another doctor in Minnesota that I contacted that they will only cover a lens for someone with glacoma surgery or something like that. Which was my impression also. No guarantees of course, and I have to agree to pay for the lens and get it before they can even file (which sucks - because realistically if they don't cover it and I had a choice, I'd give Jupiter a longer test run).
I watched the insertion and removal videos before going to the appointment and I was a little scared (ok, maybe terrified). But she popped it in and out so fast that I think I could get the hang of it eventually - and it actually felt GOOD going in (like a mini eyeball massage).
About the Ear & Eye Infirmary
This is not in 'scary downtown' Chicago, but it is in Chicago - a busy place. Traffic was bad, even at 10:30 in the morning (I can't imagine what it is like during rush hour!). The parking garage is attached to the building, so it's good if it's not full (which it was our first time by). It costs like $13 a day, but you can get a doctor to validate it and then it's like $7 instead. The Infirmary is a big, busy place, and my visit involved lots of waiting - like an hour and a half. If you are looking for plush with all the shiniest new technology, this is not it. The people seemed to be good at what they do, and efficient. All in all I enjoyed the experience.