Imagine going to the optometrist to check out your eyes, and getting something much more shocking in return. It happened to Winder resident John Gallamore, and he says his optometrist saved his life.
Winder optometrist Dr. Darrell Sorah and his longtime patient, Gallamore, have a spotty history.
"I probably saw him once every three or four years. He was not a big, 'I go to the doctor guy'," said Sorah.
"Being a guy, we don't go to the doctor immediately. You know, just give it a few minutes and everything will be all right. Give it a little time, you'll get well," said Gallamore.
Gallamore says he started to notice some peculiar symptoms, like double vision.
"It happened when I was driving. It would last two or three minutes and then go away," explained Gallamore.
Then a trip to the store produced another strange incident.
"My wife said something and I started to respond and I slurred my speech. I was slumped and that went away in about 30 seconds. I knew then that there was a serious problem but I didn't know what it was," said Gallamore.
With double vision and temporary blindness plaguing him, he finally visited Sorah for an eye exam.
"When we were at the machine and he was actually doing the exam, he said ‘Uh, oh, I see the problem,'" said Gallamore.
Sorah found a blocked blood vessel. He says plaque in eye vessels are just a symptom of a major blockage in the system, and a precursor to a major stroke.
He told Gallamore to get to an emergency room as quickly as possible.
"I said, ‘John, we're done. We're not going to go any further. I can call you an ambulance, if your wife's here we can get you to the hospital, but we're going to the hospital," said Sorah.
At the hospital, a cardiologist determined Gallamore had 100 percent blockage in his left carotid artery. Emergency surgery saved his life, and Gallamore credits his optometrist.
"I would either have had a major stroke and would have been immobile or I'd be dead. I am alive because of him," Gallamore said.
The Georgia Optometric Association recommends a yearly comprehensive eye exam. That's very different from a vision screening. It's much more thorough and can detect other medicals issues in the body. For more information vist the GOA website or Facebook page.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 10:37 AM EDT2013-05-22 14:37:15 GMT
You've seen us handing out Good Day Gas Money for weeks now, and Gurvir and Karen have met plenty of those lucky winners in person.
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Wednesday, May 22 2013 10:30 AM EDT2013-05-22 14:30:53 GMT
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Wednesday, May 22 2013 10:17 AM EDT2013-05-22 14:17:14 GMT
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Wednesday, May 22 2013 9:56 AM EDT2013-05-22 13:56:24 GMT
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Wednesday, May 22 2013 9:29 AM EDT2013-05-22 13:29:22 GMT
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Summer is almost here, and that means lots of people will be hitting the roads on vacation. But before you go, don't forget to give your car a little TLC to get it ready for the highway.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 8:51 AM EDT2013-05-22 12:51:47 GMT
Chances are your child or someone in your child's class has at least one food allergy.
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Wednesday, May 22 2013 6:20 PM EDT2013-05-22 22:20:11 GMT
Memorial Day weekend – the unofficial start of summer – is just days away. Thousands of Georgians are planning to fly somewhere, which is great, unless flying panics you.
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Wednesday, May 22 2013 8:51 AM EDT2013-05-22 12:51:47 GMT
Chances are your child or someone in your child's class has at least one food allergy.
Chances are your child or someone in your child's class has at least one food allergy. A study by the CDC released last week shows that one in every 20 kids is dealing with food allergies. It's a challenge, but doctors say it's important that kids get diagnosed and treated.
Tuesday, May 21 2013 10:17 AM EDT2013-05-21 14:17:24 GMT
When it comes to talking to doctors, a lot of us aren't exactly shooting straight. In fact, one survey found that almost 30 percent of patients admit to lying to their physician.
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Monday, May 20 2013 6:03 PM EDT2013-05-20 22:03:26 GMT
Sutton Burnett's blog began as a way to share her story with friends and family. It's grown into something much deeper.
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Friday, May 17 2013 6:28 PM EDT2013-05-17 22:28:40 GMT
Melanoma is considered the deadliest form of skin cancer. A veteran dermatologist says he used to see three to five melanomas a year. Now, he says, he sees that many in a week!
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Thursday, May 16 2013 11:00 PM EDT2013-05-17 03:00:47 GMT
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows millions of American kids suffer from mental health problems. Experts believe as many as 20 percent of American children are affected.
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Thursday, May 16 2013 12:02 AM EDT2013-05-16 04:02:20 GMT
Hundreds of American troops have lost a leg or arm in Afghanistan because of improvised explosive devices or homemade bombs.
Hundreds of American troops have lost a leg or arm in Afghanistan because of improvised explosive devices or homemade bombs. It was 29-year-old John Kremer's job to find those hidden bombs, and safely destroy them. That's what the Buford man was trying to do, when one of them exploded right under his feet.
Wednesday, May 15 2013 6:42 PM EDT2013-05-15 22:42:54 GMT
"You're fired!" Those are two words you never want to hear from anyone, especially your own doctor. But that can happen when patients and physicians don't see eye-to-eye.
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