Getting to know Dr. John Meyer

Dr. Meyer knew from a very young age that he wanted to be a doctor. Even though his father is an ophthalmologist, he did his own research before settling on the same specialty.

He decided that ophthalmology would give him the opportunity to operate under the microscope. “The detailed precision work in the OR is just fun,” he said. “I like the challenge of difficult cases and being able to give people improvement that they can notice daily.”

When he isn’t working to improve the vision of his patients, Dr. Meyer enjoys other challenges. He especially likes outdoor adventure such as hiking in the mountains and scuba diving. “I do not do well sitting still,” he said.

At home, he enjoys building things and taking them apart and modifying them to make them better, stronger or faster. Last month, Dr. Meyer renovated the hall bathroom of his home. He is also building a street rod automobile.

Ocular Melanoma And The Importance of Early Detection

Melanoma is not just a skin cancer; it can also develop in your eye. Ocular melanoma can occur in the front or the back part of the eye. There are rarely any symptoms of ocular melanomas and most are identified by routine dilated exams.

It is believed that skin and eye melanomas can start as a mole (nevus). If you have a mole or freckle in your eye, see your eye doctor regularly. He or she may take a photograph of the nevus to make sure it does not change over time. The exact cause of ocular melanoma isn’t known; however, it’s not typically inherited. People with blue eyes are somewhat more likely to develop ocular melanoma. Around 2,500 people are diagnosed every year in the United States.

Melanomas of the eye are rare; therefore, early detection and diagnosis is key for successful treatment of this disease.  An annual eye exam is vital in maintaining the overall health of your eyes. (references: www.mayoclinic.com and www.ocularmelanoma.org)

2008 Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses

Congratulations to the 2008 Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses, Kathryn Allen, Charis Botelho, Tale’a Drummer, Christin Herbst, December Parker and Carly Schneider On January the 8th, the Derby Festival Princesses visited our Story Avenue Optical Shop to choose sunglasses to wear during the official events of the Kentucky Derby Festival. They chose designer sunglasses from Marc Jacobs, Maui Jim & Ferragamo.

The Princesses must attend nearly every Derby Festival event with their last appearance being on May 1 for the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade. All of the princesses must be enrolled as full-time students at a college, university or accredited professional school. They must be at least 18 years of age and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0. For more information on the Derby events the Princesses will be attending as well as their Royal Responsibilities visit http://kdf.org/royal-court/.