From wanting to become a surgeon to being a devoted optometrist

I got first acceptance and fell out on second acceptance. I was devastated because I had no plan B.

In July of my matric year, we visited Rand Afrikaans University’s to look at different study directions. One of them was optometry. My heart was not in the visit, as I saw it more as an opportunity to skip school for a day. The head of optometry heard my predicament and accepted me immediately.

I chose to stay in Optometry even after the University of Pretoria accepted me for medical studies. I never regret my choice and fully enjoy my profession.

I started my now 28-year-old practise in Hartbeespoort when I was only 24 years old. I always knew that I wanted to work for myself and was grateful when the Lord presented me with the opportunity in a unique way.

I started as a student working for Prof Jannie Ferreira. He fuelled my interest in paediatrics and binocular vision. Working with children with reading and learning problems is a great challenge and finding solutions is important for me. I did various courses in reading problems and dyslexia. I work in the behavioural optometry field.

Comfortable vision is just as important in todays near-point orientated society as good vision. The optimal functioning of the 2 eyes together is of utmost importance.

This is also true for all people doing computer work all day long-thus all younger and older people.

All aspects of vision and lenses-whether children or older people are important and interesting to solve.

I also do hard contact lens and specialised soft contact lens fittings.

My clinical strengths are thus solving problems related to all kinds of visual impairments. Reading and learning problems are the most common I believe in taking my time when testing and doing all tests necessarily to give optimal vision.

I also enjoyed working at the university and educating students in optometry. I worked at UJ as a demi for 10 years and was an external examiner for 4^th year optometry students at Bloemfontein optometry department for 6 years. I also did various talks for Carl Zeiss as further continuous education.

My most memorable patient was an elderly lady of 88 years who was brought in by her daughter. Her daughter said that I should speak loudly as the lady had a hearing problem. This I did in the consulting room, with her daughter waiting outside. The lady asked me why I was shouting?

I relayed what her daughter said upon which she casually replied that she only pretends not to hear- as her daughter was too annoying.

I never broke the old lady’s casual confession.

Optometry has a lot of business principals to be applied and knowledge of business is as important as knowing my profession. I enjoy the business side and like the fact that optometry has various aspects to be fulfilled. I enjoy challenges and believe to be positive and work towards solutions in life.

The fact that we also work with people full-time demands knowledge of people and a lot of patience. I love people and love working with them. If I did not, I think my life would have been very dull. I definitely need all my staff’s support to be successful and are very grateful that God has placed such wonderful people in my life.

I believe that all people are important and need to be treated with respect. And faith in Jesus Christ is the All-important aspect of my life. Fil 4:4

You can do anything through the power of Christ.