Looking for DES doc in VA. MD or D.C

[tiquetime]

I live in VA but will gladly drive if needed. I believe I may have MGD also.
Thanks,
Sherri

[mgshutterbug]

I'm looking too, Sherri, but I guess at the moment I'm more concerned with just finding a good corneal specialist. I had a pretty decent one at U of MD in Balto. But he moved to GBMC in Towson, MD, and I've been unable to get an appt with him. So let me know when you find a good doc, and I'll do the same for you. I live in MD, in Cockeysville.

[tiquetime]

I will keep you updated with anyone I come up with. I am in Northern Virginia and also looking at doctors to test me for Sjogrens. I have many of the symptoms.
Good Luck to you,
Sherri

[mgshutterbug]

Thanks for responding!

Hi,
I am still looking for a corneal specialist, went to the Wilmer Eye Institute at Hopkins in Baltimore, on Tuesday. The specialist I saw, Dr. Oliver Schein, was not someone I'd recommend. He was very dismissive of my DES, said my EBMD was 'mild'. He made no comment on anything until I asked, it was like pulling teeth. I told him I'd had erosions so severe that I had to be patched for 3 days. He made no comment. I told him one of the reasons I was seeing him was to ascertain whether any of my eye conditions were causing loss of focal center vision in my R eye, which is, or was, my "better" eye. He said he saw nothing at all wrong with my retina, and why did I think I might have macular degeneration as well? He was very sarcastic. I described my symptoms again. He blew me off. I'd been having them for more than a yr, and they've been getting worse. He said, "well, IF you do have those symptoms, if they continue, and they bother you, then yeah, sometime in the future you might see a retinal specialist. But it's nothing to worry about right now. Totally totally incompetent.

I'd told my other corneal specialist, at U of MD, whom I'd seen for a total of 9 mos, that I was losing central vision from the first time I saw him. He dismissed me, too, said it was EBMD, that's all. I didn't believe him, and nearly failed 2 eye tests I had recently, one for a new job, the other for my driving license. That brought me up short. I said, whoa, I better get something done right NOW. But I will need to look for a different corneal specialist at Wilmer. They have quite a few, so hopefully I'll find someone good.

Meanwhile, I'm planning to go to the Boston Foundation for Sight to be evaluated for sclerals for the DES. It won't help the macular degeneration, which the retinal specialist at Wilmer confirmed I have, but if it would decrease the excruciating dryness and eye pain, that would be huge. Even if it only helped some, it'd be huge.

So anyhow, please keep me in the loop for finding any good corneal specialist in the area. Meanwhile, I'm going to pursue going forward with a consult in Boston to see if I'm even a candidate for sclerals. That's it for now.
Maria

[MBC]

Dear Mgshutterbug,

I am about to contact John's Hopkins so thank you so much about your post regarding Dr. Schein. It would be a very long trip out there for me and I would have to leave my kids. I still might go see another doctor out there if I can find any info on exactly who to see. I totally understand that Rebecca wants only positive notes and while, we should trash any doctor out there simply because we did not like his or her personality I hope she realizes that we also need to see negative critiques of doctors as well because we are all traveling around the country looking for hope and help. We leave our families, spend our own hard earned money on things like airline tickets and hotels, just looking for help. If several people find a particular doctor a waste of time I think this is information we can find most useful. - just saying

[Cinque]

I live in London (yes UK) and travel to DC to see my amazing eye doctor. He is a very kind and gentle man and is the only eye doc I have ever found that I trust enough to let him do a glaucoma test - other eye docs can't get near me. He understands that I need to put in my own eye drops and doesn't throw a hissy fit like some others I have know and is prepared to let me take my time to 'think' myself into a state where he can touch my eyes. Samuel S. Stopak, M.D. 2440 M St NW Suite 516, Washington, DC 20037
(202) 659-0066