Our Condolences To The Family Of Our Patient – Scott Nelson

Scott Nelson had been a trusting and loyal patient of  Visionary Eyecare in Pembroke Pines  for over 10 years.  Earlier this year he even recorded a public Video Testimonial for his Eye Doctor – Dr Dawn Bearden – which appeared on YouTube, our blog and our website.  Tragically, on Tuesday September 29th on the 10pm news,  Channel 7’s  reporter – Nicole Linsalata – reported that Scott and his wife (Julie) were found shot in their home in Pembroke Pines.  During the news report – they aired clips of Scott’s Video Testimonial for his Optometrist (Dr Bearden) that they found on YouTube.

According to the news report by Channel 7 – Scott’s 18yo son, Andrew, called police around 330am saying that someone had broken into their home and that his parents had been shot.  Scott and his wife were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital where he was listed in critical condition and his wife was listed in serious condition.

The news report stated that Scott fell in love and married his next door neighbor (Julie) on the 4th of July of this year.  Friends said that he was a wonderful friend and a happy newlywed.

Dr Bearden clearly remembers Scott to be a very sweet, caring and loyal man.  She was shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic news of her longtime patient.

Sadly, the Broward edition of the Miami Herald reported that Scott died from his injuries on Friday Oct 2nd.

This case is still under investigation and if you have ANY information – please call Broward Crime Stoppers (www.wsvn.com) 954-493-TIPS.

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Video: Martha Stewart Talks About Annual Eye Exam Importance

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Ask Dr Dawn Bearden… or any Eye Doctor or Staff member at Visionary Eyecare in Pembroke Pines or Sunrise….and they will always tell you that having an annual eye exam is very important.  But why?!?!???

Is it because your eyeglasses prescription changes every year and you need to get new glasses?!?!??!  Well, often the prescription can change from year to year BUT, there are MORE IMPORTANT reasons to have your eyes checked annually.

Martha Stewart recently interviewed Optometrist, Dr Rhonda Robinson, about annual eye examinations.  Dr. Robinson explained that the reasons to have an annual eye exam change as a person goes through each life stage.

Babies (6mo to 1 year old) need to have their eyes examined to screen for lazy eye, any visual system developmental problems and eye health issues like tumors inside of their eyes.

School age children need to have their eyes examined yearly for another important reason – for a child around 80% of learning is accomplished through vision.  Yearly exams can help determine if they are using their eyes together vs using one eye more than the other.

We are in a new age where the visual demands of children and teens are being stressed in completely different ways – iPods, cell phones, computers, Blackberries, MySpace & Facebook, texting….the list is endless.

Even SMALL changes in a prescription can make a  HUGE difference in visual comfort.

Adults need to have a yearly eye exam to ensure good eye and systemic health.  The majority of eye medical issues DO NOT cause any visual problems or blur…eye health issues like glaucoma, retinal holes and tears, tumors in and behind the eye etc  may be completely asymptomatic.  A comprehensive eye exam can also help detect systemic problems that you may be unaware of – like diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors and more…

Adults around 40 and over usually experience near vision blur called Presbyopia.  Now there are a multitude of options to help correct Presbyopia and give clear near vision while reading – reading glasses, multifocal/bifocal/progressive eye glasses, multifocal/bifocal contact lenses.

Its important for seniors to have yearly eye exams to help detect eye health changes associated with aging – such as cataracts, glaucoma and age related macular degeneration (ARMD / AMD).

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Bifocal and Multifocal Contact Lenses Available from Your Visionary Eyecare Eye Doctor in Pembroke Pines and Sunrise Locations!

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Many people over the age of 40 start to notice eye strain and/or blurry vision at near distances – especially for small print. This is called presbyopia.

People who are over 40 with presbyopia need to wear some type of vision correction to read comfortably for small print held at a reading distance. If you are over the age of 40 – you are probably wearing reading glasses, progressive glasses or bifocal glasses. If you don’t wear these corrections now – chances are that you will soon need this type of correction to help you read comfortably at near.

But did you know that if you don’t want to depend on reading glasses or bifocal glasses – there IS another option available for you?? You could wear multifocal or bifocal contacts that would allow you to see far away and close up at the same time.

Each Eye Doctor at Visionary Eyecare (in  Pembroke Pines and Sunrise) is highly skilled at fitting bifocal and multifocal contact lenses for you. There are many different brands of bifocal contact lenses so the doctor will customize your contact lens fitting with the precise bifocal or multifocal contact lens for you during your contact lens eye exam. Not everyone is a candidate to wear bifocal contact lenses so, the Optometrist will tell you if you are able to wear bifocal contact lenses and which lens would be the best fit for you.

If you are not a candidate for multifocal or bifocal contact lenes – there may be other options available to allow you to see distance and near at the same time. The doctor may be able to fit you with “monovision” contacts. “Monovision” is usually fit for people who have too much astigmatistm and are unable to wear the bifocal contact lenses. Monovision is when the doctor fits your dominant eye with a contact lens to see distance and your other eye with a contact lens that allows you to see near. Your brain usually adapts to this over time and you are able to see far away and close up without the use of glasses.

Every Visionary Eyecare Optometrist is skilled at fitting all of the above contact lenses but, not every eye doctor is comfortable fitting bifocal, multifocal or monovision contact lenses. So, if you are thinking of getting these types of contacts – check to see if your eye doctor is comfortable performing these types of custom contact lens fittings and evaluations.

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Video – 2008 Eye Q Survey Shows That Most Americans Are Unaware That An Eye Exam Can Detect Signs Of Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, MS, Brain Tumors and More…

The above video is a report of the Annual AOA (American Optometric Association) American Eye Q  Survey for 2008.

It states that 81% of Americans wear contact lenses, eyeglasses or both.

Unfortunatley 26% of them have not visited their Optometrist or other eye doctor in 2 or more years.

Many eye care professionals – including each Eye Doctor at Visionary Eyecare in Pembroke Pines, Davie and Sunrise –  strongly recommend that you have a yearly eye exam because most eye and vision problems cause NO obvious signs or symptoms.  Often there can be a serious eye health problem such as a retinal hole, retinal tear, glaucoma, eye cancer, tumors in or behind the eyes  and many more that often Do NOT cause any noticeable vision blur, headaches, eye pain, eye pressure etc. Frequently these conditions easily go by unnoticed and you are unaware that there is any problem or issue without having a comprehensive eye exam done by your eye doctor.

Unfortunately, most Americans are unaware that eye examinations can detect more than just vision and eye health problems.  Through comprehensive eye exams and optometrist can detect signs of diabetes, high blood pressure, brain tumors, cancer, heart and cardiovascular problems, high cholesterol, Mutliple Sclerosis (MS) and more…

For more information – visit www.AOA.org

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Congratulations To Dr Emily McCulloh on Her Marriage to Mr Brady Hollingsworth

Congrats and much love to our wonderful Eye Doctor … Emily McCulloh … who was recently married to Brady Hollingsworth on September 27th!

Dr Tenn (our other awesome Optometrist) and Ralph Justiz (our Optometric Technician from the Visionary Eyecare office in Pembroke Pines) traveled to Oklahoma to share this special day with Dr Emily McCulloh.  Dr Anna-Kay Tenn served as a beautiful bridesmaid in the wedding.   Both – Dr Emily McCulloh and Dr Anna-Kay Tenn work at our Pembroke Pines, as well as, our Sunrise (inside Sawgrass Mills Mall) eye clinic locations located next to Lenscrafters.

Here are some pictures from the special day…

Dr Anna-Kay Tenn and Dr Emily McCulloh

Ralph Justiz and Dr McCulloh

First Dance of Dr Emily McCulloh and Brady Hollingsworth

Dr Emily McCulloh - the Beautiful Bride on Her Special Day

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