Happy Birthday… And Why You’re Never Too Old Recently I have found myself thinking a lot about birthdays. This is probably because my birthday calendar (a legacy from my Dutch years and a truly vital piece of organisational equipment) is jam packed full of names of friends and family at this time of year. I have also been spending hours (well, almost) browsing around card shops looking for that perfect humorous/elegant/nostalgic/loving message to send to my nearest and dearest. In…
Laser Eye Surgery News
Binning The Alice Band Of Glasses
Binning The Alice Band Of Glasses Returning to the scenario of sitting next to someone famous in the waiting room of the London Vision Clinic…. Should one put down one’s reading matter and offer to make them a cup of tea? Or would that appear too ingratiating for comfort? I would have to contend that, in this situation, there can be no fixed agenda… it all depends on… well every thing from pre-op nerves to general feelings of sociability or…
From Emu Creek To Harley Street
From Emu Creek To Harley Street Although during her career, Dani had acquired a wide range of nursing qualifications and experiences, she had never worked with eyes before so, in April 2007, when she accepted the position at the London Vision Clinic, she found herself on another fascinating learning curve. Recently promoted to “Senior Nurse”, Dani ‘s responsibilities include helping explain to patients pre and post-operative procedures. She and the other nurses are on hand to help calm nerves…
Meeting Senior Nurse Dani
Meeting Senior Nurse Dani Nursing has to be one of the most varied careers in existence: where and how nurses choose to practice their skills is only limited by their imagination. A shining example of this is the London Vision Clinic´s senior nurse, Dani Barrett. Her professional qualifications have taken her from the tiny Australian outback village of Emu Creek to London’s Harley Street via a journey that would even make ER scriptwriters question the story line as being too…
If Life Gives You Lemons…
If Life Gives You Lemons… Ever since he was a little boy Paul Ryb has been the sort of person for whom the phrase: “If life gives you lemons you make lemonade”, does not go far enough. Despite, summing up the message of making the most of a bad situation, Paul’s personality urges a deeper and more analytical approach to the lemonade mix; leading to research – for example – not only into lemonade recipes, but also the history of…
Blind In Business
Blind In Business Unfortunately it is not only those poor people in Nepal and other Third World countries whose eye sight problems cannot yet be solved. Despite amazing medical advances, there are still many people in our midst who would cheerfully hand over their life savings or travel to the ends of the earth to undergo any pioneering form of treatment in order to prevent their blindness. They would opt for any sight enhancing surgery, choose lenses or glasses (however…
Meeting Paul
Meeting Paul Paul Ryb walked purposefully across the reception area of the RBS London head office towards me. As I watched him approach, navigating the hectic lobby and pre lunchtime queues of people forming either side of the high speed revolving doors, I thought: ‘This can’t be him’. “I know; I am not what you expected. Everyone is surprised when they meet me for the first time”. As he shakes my hand his attitude is warm and friendly, immediately dispelling…
Media Friendly Dr. Dan … Wicked!
Dr Dan is, what we call in the business, “Media Friendly”. In other words, he is a great communicator – one who can spontaneously deliver his message in exactly the right tone whether his audience comprises top ophthalmic surgeons at a world congress or avant-garde music lovers tuning in to BBC Radio6 ……
Battle Of The Professors
Battle Of The Professors The journalist inside me is always thinking in terms of news stories, interesting angles and headlines. Almost all situations and events can be written up in a newsworthy way and even highly specialised topics – like those covered in the ESCRS in Barcelona –can be reported in a manner that should enjoy a wider appeal. Looking back on the congress I find myself wondering what would be its lasting memory for all the participants. What would…
Squinting Super-Models And Other Diner Table Chat
Squinting Super-Models And Other Diner Table Chat I can share with you that as well as the menu (which was somewhat unusual), holidays, and Alena and Ana Rita’s bag snatching adventure – there were a couple of sight related topics which I found fascinating at the London Vision Clinic team dinner. One took us back to the first primitive attempts at cataract surgery. It turned out that nurse Kim’s grand-mother had performed her own version of a cure on those…
