Play the Game Old Jokes Logi Fives Patient: Doctor, doctor I just swallowed a sheep! Doctor: How do you feel? This is sudoku with a difference. Complete this grid, making sure that each row, column and shape contains the numbers 1 to 5. Patient: Very baaa-aaa-d. A penguin goes into a bar. “I’m looking for my 1 dad, have you seen him? ”Don’t know”, says 2 the bartender. “What does he look like?” 3 Eye Poppers 4 Here’s a triangle of 10 eyes. How can you make the triangle point downwards, by moving only three eyes? 5 10 Impossible Questions 1. If you try to fail, and suceed, what have you done? 2. What was the best thing before sliced bread 3. What if there were no rhetorical questions? 4. Would a fly without wings be called a walk? 5. What is the speed of dark? 6. If the police arrest a mime, do they say he has the right to remain silent? 7. Whose cruel idea was it to put an “s” in the word lisp? 8. Can vegetarians eat animal crackers? 9. Where do game rangers go to “get away from it all”? 10. Is there another word for synonym? Eye Poppers: Move eyeballs numbered 1, 7 and 10 as shown PAGE 2 4 1 3 2 5 5 4 1 3 2 2 3 4 5 1 3 5 2 1 4 1 2 5 4 3 PAGE 15 From the Founder Benefits of Transition Lenses Anyone who has just been prescribed eyeglasses for the first time will tell you the same thing: it’s an adjustment. First off, there’s the acknowledgment that your eyes aren’t what they used to be. Then there’s the challenge of finding a frame just right for your distinct features. And finally there’s the question of what kind of lenses you’ll need. All in all, it’s a series of choices that can be a bit overwhelming at first. Two words you’ll want to familiarize yourself with early on are Transition Lenses. These are photochromic lenses that darken when they’re exposed to ultraviolent light and return to a clear state when the UV light is removed. That means you won’t need to switch your prescription glasses for sunglasses as you move in and out of the sunlight. Transition lenses were first created in the 60s and were made of glass. Today they are predominantly plastic and are coated with photochromic dyes. The dyes cause the lenses to darken when they are exposed to UV rays but not to visible light. Reduce the amount of UV light and the lenses fade back to clear within a couple of minutes. Their most significant advantage is that they protect your eyes from UV rays. By reducing glare, these lenses diminish eye strain and fatigue and allow their users to distinguish contrast more easily. Transition lenses also eliminate the need and the cost associated with carrying two sets of eyeglasses – one for indoor and one for outdoor use. They can be made to fit virtually any eyeglass frames, and can be tinted brown or grey. So if you find yourself in the market for a new pair of glasses, ask a Vision Plus Optician about the benefits of Transition Lenses. They may save you time and money, protecting the integrity of your vision in the process. MAKE EVERY BLINK COUNT. I set my goals to create a new optometric company that was owned and operated by American doctors. These clinics would have the freedom to purchase frames from many different frame and lens companies, and be able to display a plethora of products. My vision was a clinic where doctors could set their own schedules and spend as much time as they needed with their patients, in order to provide the best professional advice. In 2003, Vision Plus was created, and eight years later we have overcome many challenges. Today we own and operate ten clinics throughout Washington state, and each year, we’re growing more. So sit back, relax and browse through Vision Plus Magazine. And don’t forget to enter our competition on page 7 for a free laser eye surgery! E Y E S Happy Reading D E S E R V E Try the only daily disposable contact lens that moisturizes with every blink—for comfort right up to the end of the day. Only DAILIES® AquaComfort Plus® contact lenses, with Triple Action Moisture, gradually release blink-activated moisturizing agents from inside the lens with each blink for refreshing all-day comfort. GET A FREE* TRIAL CERTIFICATE and find out more at DAILIES.com *Eye exam may be required. Professional fees may apply. At participating offices. DAILIES, AquaComfort Plus, CIBA VISION, the DAILIES logo and the CIBA VISION logo are trademarks of Novartis AG. PAGE 14 When I arrived in the United States ten years ago, I spent time working in corporate optometry in a clinic located next to a big box store. I realized then that patients were limited by frame choices because optical stores (like the one in which I worked) were owned by a frame company in Europe. I and other doctors in similar positions were pressurized to reduce our exam time with patients, and encouraged to operate in ways I did not feel were appropriate for a doctor. Our doctors and staff make us what we are today: a professional, courteous, service-oriented optometric group. We now boast seven doctors, 40 staff, practices amounting to 20,000 square feet, 20,000 frames, one-hour labs and we treat over 100,000 Washington state residents. We’re also proud of our affiliation with the Haggen Group, a company aligned with our quest to provide the best service possible. FOR REFRESHING COMFORT, © 2010 CIBA VISION Corporation, a Novartis AG company Thanks for taking the time to read the first issue of Vision Plus Magazine! We appreciate your support and constantly strive to go beyond the call of duty by treating you, our patients, with the respect and professional service you deserve. Dr. Mark Aginsky Save $100 on a year supply * after manuf. mail in rebate Dr. Mark Aginsky and Associates (360) 733-7393 2010-02-0188 PAGE 3 The Doctors made from those very eggs. After Dr. Brook Walker graduated as an OD from Pacific University College of Optometry in 2005, the Montana native found himself hooked on the northwest and determined to stay. “I was looking for a great opportunity to practice optometry in a group setting and I found it at Vision Plus,” says Dr. Walker, who lives in Ferndale and cares for patients at Ferndale’s Vision Plus. “The beautiful surroundings and friendly people were a major bonus!” Dr. Walker says his work as an optometrist gives him a chance to be of service to others. “I can think of nothing more satisfying then providing clear healthy vision to my patients,” he says. Hobbies: hiking, biking, running, camping, amusement parks, reading and playing board games with the family Family: Wife Penny and children Brayden, 10, Maggie, 9, Evan, 7, Kallie 4, and Garin, 2 Favorite Eateries: On Rice, Anthony’s Hearthfire Grill, Olive Garden, Applebees Sports: Golf, Basketball, Volleyball Weekend Away: Seattle, to catch a theatre production Dr. Mark Aginsky studied optometry in South Africa and England before moving to the US and receiving his OD from the Boston College of Optometry in 1999. With family in the Pacific Northwest, this lush corner of the world was an easy choice for a Cape Town native accustomed to living close to the mountains and ocean. Dr. Mark dreamed of creating his own network of eye care clinics owned and operated by doctors of optometry. Vision Plus represents the realization of that dream. “I love the challenges of my days at work,” he says. “Each patient is unique, and it’s a privilege to get to know them, identify their concerns and help them to resolve their problems.” Hobbies: skimming the ocean in a Hobie Mirage, traveling to warmer climates, music, movies and spending quality time with his family Family: Wife Lauren and children Jason, 10, Sarah, 7, Amy, 7 and Maya, 2 Favorite Eateries: La Fiamma, Coconut Kenny’s Sports: Golf, kayaking Weekend Away: Vancouver, BC. Dr Carl Ekman graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Philadelphia, but grew up on the Kitsap Peninsula in Bremerton, WA. After spending time on the East coast, he and his wife moved back to Washington State to raise their three children. Dr. Ekman heads up Vision Plus at Sunset Square, with weekends at Vision Plus on James. “I chose optometry because I love working with people in a medical facility,” he says. “Secretly, I also love helping patients pick out frames!” Hobbies: Playing with the children, reading, hiking, writing and serving at his Church. Family: Wife Courtney and children Nels, 3, Jens, 2 and Emelie, 6 months Favorite Eateries: CJ's in Birch Bay, Ivars, anywhere that sells good Thai food. Weekend Away: Woodinville to see the inlaws, Bremerton to see the parents. Other: Dr. Ekman is an Eagle Scout, who lived in Italy for 18 months and speaks Italian with a bad accent. PAGE 4 Over whole-wheat chocolate chip scones hot from the oven, Richard entertains his guests with anecdotes about his farm animals and their antics. The night before one sheep had become separated from the flock and was bleating in distress from its lonesome pasture. “The only way I could get it back to the flock was by enticing it with a bucket of molasses,” Richard says. “When I look into the eyes of an alpaca I can see intelligence. But when I stare into the eyes of my sheep, all I see is wool!” Finding multiple sources of income is a necessity on the island, so when their overnight guests have left, Richard and Angel don aprons and head back to the kitchen to clean up the remains of breakfast and start a batch of pasta and crackers. This, together with the lettuce, tomatoes and herbs they grow in their vegetable garden, gets sold to island restaurants. the world, under-promoted and overlooked because we don’t have sandy beaches,” he confides. “Essentially, we’re on an inland sea, protected from big storms but connected to the ocean, which means we get to see seals, salmon, eagles and whales, sometimes daily. Every day on the water is different and unique. To me, this is paradise.” If You Go: • Getting There: Washington state ferries leave for Friday Harbor from Anacortes, Wa. and Sidney, BC several times a day in the summer months. (888) 808-7977; www.wsdot.wa.gov/FERRIES/. Kenmore Air operates 30-minute flights from Seattle to San Juan Island – www.kenmoreair.com • Rates at States Inn B&B range from $89 to $260 and include a hearty farm breakfast. www.statesinn.com; (866) 602-2737 • Pelindaba Lavender Farm is open daily 9:30am-5:30pm May through October. www.pelindabalavender; (866) 819 1911 • There are numerous whale watching and wildlife excursion outfitters on the island. To rent your own boat, or kayaks you can pedal with your feet, try Friday Harbor Marine (www.fridayharbormarine.com; (360) 378-6202) • For information on the San Juan Islands contact San Juan Island Tourism at www.visitsanjuans.com or call (888) 468-3701 Another island entrepreneur is Stephen Robins, owner of Pelindaba Lavender Farm a few miles down the road. Robins, a retired doctor, purchased 20 acres of land and moved to the island to retire, later opting to farm instead. He picked lavender because no-one else on San Juan Island was growing it, and because of its amazing variety of culinary and therapeutic properties. Today he has a line of over 200 products. The word Pelindaba is Zulu for “place of great gathering,” and at the farm’s visitors center there’s lots of interesting gathering points. You can sample lavender vanilla or chocolate ice cream, or sit down with your children to craft a lavender wand, a wreath or a lavender-stuffed teddy. The tasters are free, the products smell wonderful and outside the lavender fields are a tapestry of magnificent lilac. Later, we return to Friday Harbor to zoom around the island in a motorboat with Bish Wheeler, co-owner of the Friday Harbor Marine Center. A retired insurance salesman from the mainland, Wheeler lives on his boat and spends his free time careering around between the islands. “The San Juan islands are one of the best kept secrets in PAGE 13 Dr Amenda Chou grew up in Vancouver, Canada. She studied optometry at UC Berkeley, graduated in 2002 and joined the Vision Plus team in 2006. A year later she moved to the Snohomish-King County to head up the Mill Creek clinic. “Primary care optometry gives me a chance to interact with a wide range of people, which is something I love,” she says. “It’s great to be able to help solve patients’ concerns with their vision.” Hobbies: hiking in the Cascade mountains, baking cookies on rainy days. Family: Amenda’s immediate family members live in Taiwan. Favorite Eateries: Thai Bistro in Mill Creek; Sushi Ring in Silver Lake Sports: Running, swimming Weekend Away: Hiking in the mountains close to Seattle Dr. Daniel Best is a southern California native who arrived in the Pacific Northwest via Ohio, where he met and married his wife and started his family. Dr. Best lives in Bellingham and works primarily in the Mount Vernon and Oak Harbor clinics. "Optometry gives me a day-to-day ability to make the lives of others fuller and richer through their visual experience," he says. Hobbies: photography Family: wife Meg, son Matthew, 15, and 100-lb puppy Provence Favorite Eateries: On Rice, Busara, Trumpeter Public House, Zorba's Sports: Football, Hockey, Basketball, Golf Weekend Getaway: Portland Dr. Michael Saul was raised in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Pocatello, Idaho. He entered the navy after high school and in 1983 graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry. He opened a private practice in Idaho Falls and practiced there until 2001, when he moved to Monroe, Washington. Today Dr. Saul heads up the Snohomish Clinic. “I chose optometry because I wanted to help other individuals,” he says. Hobbies: hunting, fishing, skiing, hiking, biking Family: wife Michele, sons Zachary and Jerimiah Favorite Eateries: Sockeye Grill in Monroe Sports: baseball Weekend Getaway: Cascade Mountains Dr. Sam Hsu grew up in San Francisco and received his doctorate of optometry from Ohio State University in 2001. After graduating he moved to Washington State where he heads up Vision Plus in Redmond. “I love optometry and am especially interested in helping patients alleviate eye strain due to computer vision syndrome (CVS) and dry eyes,” he says. “As someone who suffers from dry eyes and astigmatism, I know how debilitating it can be, so I keep up-to-date on the latest medications.” Hobbies: Church, bowling, playing Kinect on Xbox360 Family: wife, Elaine, son, Ethan Favorite Eateries: Green Leaf, Portage Bay, Tropia Ristorante Italiano Sports: college and pro football, basketball, baseball Weekend Getaway: Vancouver, to eat great Chinese food and stroll around Stanley Park PAGE 12 PAGE 5 San Juan Island: A Whale Freeway By Lauren Kramer There’s a mystique about islands that never quite disappears. Perhaps it’s the fact that getting to and from them requires a purposeful separation of ourselves from life on the mainland. With that journey over glistening water comes relief from the pressures of home and a sense that on an island we can find more meaning and discover what truly matters. I can’t help but get excited every time I anticipate an island trip, and my visit to San Juan island in Washington State was no exception. Of the 172 isles that constitute the San Juan archipelago, 152 are entirely unpopulated. Kayak to their shores and all you’ll find around you is raptors, beavers and a few deer who proved their strength by swimming through the currents to get there. If you’re lucky, you’ll see whales, for the San Juan archipelago is the playground of orca whales between May and October. These are the months when sea life is most abundant and migrating salmon, the whales’ favorite meal, pass through. San Juan Island is nicknamed the “Whale Freeway,” and on a good day, from its shores you might see whales feeding, breaching, spyhopping and lobtailing. For those who suffer from seasickness but want to sight these gentle giants of the ocean from the comfort of dry land, San Juan Island is the answer. Lime Kiln State Park is a prime whale watching site, and information boards overlooking the water illustrate the differences between minke whale, harbor porpoise, orca whale and Dall’s porpoise. The view is bewitchingly beautiful. Jagged black rocks streaked with high tide markings meet the swirling water and giant purple starfish peek out from between the crevices. The scenery stuns visitors into awed silence, a venerable appreciation of the exquisite PAGE 6 beauty of this archipelago. As they do on land, Canada and the US almost rub shoulders in the islands. From San Juan Island, the most populated of all the San Juans with a community of 7,700, Vancouver Island is six miles away and Pender Island is round the corner. The lines dividing the two countries seem so arbitrary from this vantage point. Friday Harbor, where the ferry docks, is the only spot on the island where you might encounter traffic. The village contains a cluster of restaurants, gift shops and galleries, but once you leave it behind you, the crowds dwindle. Keep driving and you find yourself on roads that wind gently around the island, delivering stunning views at every turn. One bend in the road takes you through pastures, meadows and farmland, while the next offers glimpses of the Pacific peeking through the evergreens. The folks who choose to live in this secluded corner of Washington state are special people indeed, many of whom eke out a living from things about which they are passionate. Richard Foote and Angel Michaels are two of them. The owners of States Inn Bed & Breakfast greet us in the parlor of their home, a converted schoolhouse filled with history, charm and character. “I’m about to feed the pigs,” Richard announces. “Care to join me?” Richard is a gentle soul who takes pleasure in his 63-acre farm and tending its alpacas, sheep, hens and pigs. We rise before breakfast to collect eggs from Angel’s brood of hens, watching in admiration as she lovingly caresses their soft feathers. A few minutes later we’re seated with other guests in the dining room, eating cheddar mushroom soufflés You’ve heard the word cataracts, and you know it has something to do with vision. But you never had time to figure out exactly what they are or what they do. Here’s a quick primer on cataracts to bring you up to speed: PREVENTION: • Wear sunglasses that filter both ultraviolet A and B rays. Ask your eye doctor which sunglasses will do this, because those that filter only UVB rays can increase your risk of cataracts. WHAT: The word cataract means waterfall, and refers to a clouding that develops in the lens of the eye, obstructing the movement of light into the eye. Typically both eyes are affected – one usually before the other. • If you smoke, quit. WHO: Cataracts are usually related to aging and are very common in individuals age 60 and older. But other types of cataract do exist, including • Secondary: cataracts forming after surgery for other eye diseases, such as glaucoma, or in individuals who have diabetes • Traumatic: cataracts developing after an eye injury – even years later. • Congenital: infants born with cataracts, or children who develop them, often in both eyes • Radiation: cataracts that develop after exposure to some types of radiation • Increase your antioxidant content by eating citrus fruits and leafy green vegetables Quick Stats on Cataracts: • Age related cataracts cause 48% of world blindness, affecting 18 million people, according to the World Health Organization • 1 in 49 people in America is affected by cataracts • 400,000 new cases of cataracts occur each year in the US. That’s 1,095 per day, and 45 with each passing hour. EFFECTS: Progress of cataracts is slow but steady, resulting in loss of vision. Contours, shadows and color vision become less vivid and glare sensitivity is increased. The good news is that the gradual loss of vision is painless. The bad news is that if untreated, cataracts can cause blindness. RISK FACTORS: As you age you become increasingly at risk of developing cataracts. Diseases such as diabetes, and personal behavior like smoking and alcohol consumption, can increase your likelihood to develop cataracts. Other factors include exposure to sunlight, particularly ultraviolet B rays, a deficit of some vitamins and antioxidants and taking certain medications. TREATMENT: Cataracts can be quickly and easily removed with an hour-long surgery (one hour per eye) under local anesthetic. In the course of the surgery, your doctor will replace your old, blurry lens in your eye with a new, clear, plastic lens. This process dramatically improves vision in over 90% of people. PAGE 11 (cont’d from page 7) Vision Plus. The results of that exam could have far reaching effects on your child’s behavior, grades and overall happiness, if your child is determined to be nearsighted or farsighted. Squinting Eyes: Squinting can temporarily improve vision because it’s like peeking through a small opening. Squinting reduces the size of the blurred image on the back of your retina. If your child is squinting, s/he could be trying to compensate for poor vision. Head Tilting: For children who have double-vision, tilting the head may help minimize the problem. Head tilting can be a sign of an imbalance in eye muscles or a squint. Close-Up Views: If you see your kid sitting too close to the tv or lowering their head considerably whilst reading, you could be witnessing signs of nearsightedness. Those who are nearsighted tend to see better at close range. By moving closer to their focal point, a child can make the image they are looking at larger. Reading Issues: Reading is one of the great joys of life, but can quickly become an exercise in frustration if your child keeps skipping lines or losing their place on the page. Sometimes astigmatism or eye muscle problems like strabismus are the cause. Does your child use finger-pointing to keep track of where they are? While this is part of learning to read independently, in some cases it can be a sign of uncorrected vision problems like amblyopia or lazy eye. One sign of amblyopic eyes is the phenomenon of crowding. Letters or words appear very close to each other, making them difficult to recognize. Correcting this and other reading issues associated with poor vision can make a lifelong difference when it comes to the written word. Covered Eye: Have you noticed your child covers an eye to read? When one eye is delivering poor vision, covering or shutting it prevents it from interfering in adept vision. But leave that problem uncorrected and you run the risk of your child developing amblyopia or lazy eye. Eye covering can also be a sign of double vision caused by a squint or a more serious problem like a cataract. Sensitivity to Light: If bright sunlight causes your child to close one eye, it could be a sign of exotropia, a type of squint. Be careful of attributing that eye closing purely to sensitivity to light. Horrible Headaches: Frontal headaches or aching brows are one of the signs that children have uncorrected farsightedness. The headaches are a consequence of the extra effort they must exert to clear blurry vision. According to the American Optometric Association, children’s eyes should be examined when they are six months old, three years old and five years old. After that, they should be checked every other year while the child is in school. Don’t rely solely on the vision screening your child receives at school, as a screening checks only the sharpness of vision – not close up skills needed for reading, like tracking, focusing and binocular vision. These will be covered in a professional eye exam at Vision Plus. If you’re concerned about your child’s vision and it’s been a few years since their last full eye exam, speak to one of our doctors today. Early detection of a child’s vision problems can make all the difference in enabling them to reach their full learning potential. PAGE 10 Clear-Eyed Kids By Dr. Mark Aginsky Does your child need vision correction? Here’s how you can tell could persist unknown for years. With so many other things going on in the life of a family, sometimes the annual eye exam is forgotten. Moreover, with no benchmark for comparison of what good vision should look like, a child with poor vision may not have the skills to articulate their inability to see, or may be too embarrassed or shy to mention it. If you have school-age children, chances are you’ve seen a report card with grades that could use some improvement. Most of us parents have been there, delivering a speech to our children about how they need to focus more in class and spend more time on homework. But what if laziness is not the culprit? In some cases, the finger of frustration can be pointed squarely at a child’s undetected vision problems. After all, who can focus clearly on any work if they can’t see what’s going on? Unless you’re aware of the signs that your child’s vision is failing, problems So how do you know if your child’s eyes are a concern? There are a few tell-tale signs to beware of. If any look familiar, you need to schedule an appointment for a full eye exam at (cont’d on page 10) “LIKE” Vision Plus How to enter: 1. Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/visionpluswa or 2. Fill out an entry form at any Vision Plus location WIN a FREE Lasik Surgery worth over $2,495 A random facebook friend will be chosen on September 30th 2011 www.RestoreVisionCenters.com PAGE 7 If your eyes have been feeling dry lately, you’re not alone. Some four million Americans experience the phenomenon of dry eyes. Dry eyes have everything to do with tears, but nothing to do with crying. Tears consist of water, oils, mucus, antibodies and proteins. Together, this mixture provides moisture, lubrication and resistance to infection. Special glands around the eye secrete tears. When there’s an imbalance in this system, the result is often dry eyes. The symptoms of dry eyes can vary from person to person, but frequently include sensitivity to light, itchiness, redness, pain, blurry vision and the discomfort of a gritty sensation in the eye, or the feeling of having sand or a foreign body inside your eye. Aging and dry eyes are certainly related, with the majority of those suffering PAGE 8 from dry eyes being over 60 years of age. But sometimes your environment can be the culprit. Do you work in a space where there’s a lot of dry air from air conditioning or heating? Perhaps your dry eyes are a side effect of medication you’re taking, like antihistamines, antidepressants or birth control pills. The onset of menopause can cause dry eyes, as can diseases that specifically affect your eyes’ ability to make tears – such as Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and collagen vascular disease. There’s good news and bad news for dry eye sufferers. While no cure exists, there are numerous treatment options. • Perhaps the most oft-used remedy is artificial tear drops and ointments, available over the counter at pharmacies. There are a variety of options in this category, and finding the one that works for you is a matter of trial and error. For those with chronic dry eye, it’s crucial to use those drops even when your eyes are feeling fine. Thicker ointments can help those whose eyes dry out during the night, while they are sleeping. • Punctal occlusion refers to temporary plugging of the tear drain. There are two types of plugs: temporary and permanent, and they function by holding tears around the eyes. Before you can get permanent plugs, your eye doctor will likely insert temporary plugs that dissolve after a few days. The temporary plugs are inserted into the tear drain of the lower eyelid, and help determine if permanent plugs will provide an adequate supply of tears. Assuming this is an appropriate option, permanent plugging of the tear drains can be done, using silicone plugs. While they are removable, these plugs rarely come out on their own. In ideal situations, they improve comfort and reduce the need for artificial tears. • Restasis received approval in 2002 and is the only prescription eye drop for treating chronic dry eyes. With continued use, this drug helps your eyes increase their own tear production. There are other medications that might help, too, including topical steroids. the eye. This is an outpatient procedure in which patients are given a local anesthetic. There are no limitations in activity in the aftermath of this surgery. It’s best to speak with a Vision Plus eye doctor about the option best suited to your particular dry eye condition. Our optometrists can conduct several tests to determine the severity of your dry eyes, and make suggestions accordingly. With patience and perseverance, you can find a remedy to reduce the discomfort associated with this condition. So rest assured, there’s no reason to cry over dry eyes. FDA • In the most severe cases, surgery can be done to close the ducts that drain tears into the nose, thereby allowing more tears to remain around PAGE 9
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