Tribute to Norma Keizer

Today, I would like to take some time to pay tribute to a lady who has made a difference in the lives of many. I am sure there will be countless tributes from persons who knew her better than I did. Suffice it to say that no one has crossed energies with Norma Keizer and not come out the better for it.{{more}}

I only knew her as my patient, but her reputation and accolades always loomed large in front of me. Sometimes, it’s so hard to believe that this lady has produced more distinguished personalities than most leaders and educators. In my eyes, she was way ahead of most of the stars and political leaders that we glorify. She has left a legacy and that legacy is in the hands of her children and students: all accomplished and well respected citizens.

May your soul rest in peace Norma Keizer and may so many more like you come out of hiding to make a difference.

On another note, apparently my last article generated a lot of conversation and like I said, there are many cases in St Vincent where patients wait too long before they follow up on their eye condition, simply because the doctor they know, like and trust is not there.

I have seen too many people go blind just because of this. To add to what I wrote last time, there are also persons who go to the United States once a year. Most of them opt to do their medical examinations and their eye tests when they get there. This is okay if the patient is not suffering from a chronic disease. In the case of chronic diseases, any doctor can tell you that it may be too late.

Glaucoma, which should be monitored every four (4) months, could easily get worse even if there are no tell-tale symptoms. Diabetic eye disease and hypertension are also examples where waiting could even be a death sentence. A good bit of advice to those who have doctors whom they insist on seeing is to make sure that the communication between their doctor and the local doctor is excellent. The way we communicate today should make this possible. Email, text, social media, Skype, etc have made communication and the transfer of documents and images much easier.

So, think about this the next time you decide to wait for your yearly mandatory visit. “Maybe it’s time to get to know, like and trust your local doctor”.

Remember the quote: “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”.

Dr Kenneth Onu is a resident Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Beachmont Eye Institute/Eyes R Us Send questions to: Beachmont@gmail.com
Tel: 784 456-1210