After almost a decade practicing as an optometrist, and 4 years prior working as a casual optical dispenser, I developed strong views as to how I would like to serve others through eye care. My preference is to be involved from start to finish so that I can ensure what I'm prescribing is accurately reflected in the glasses or contact lenses that you are given. Follow up examinations are also important in order to monitor how my management plan is tracking, so that I can alter treatment if necessary.

The reason why I'm interested in Myopia Management stems from my own personal experience back in 2013, having almost lost my vision in one eye at the age of 24 while living and working in Dubbo (regional NSW, 5 hours west of Sydney). This really hammered the fact that being short-sighted was not simply a refractive error, or something that could be managed with glasses or contact lenses. It made me wake up to the fact that it is indeed a serious eye condition that can cause blindness in young people and is an under-recognised global epidemic. If you're interested in finding out more about how I practice myopia management and whether it's suitable for your child or yourself, click here.

Personally, I've been a contact lens wearer since I was a wee teenager 13 (year 8, I think it was) and admittedly, it made a massive difference to my self-esteem at that awkward age. Funnily enough, I first wanted glasses in Year 5 because my best friend had them so I thought they were cool, and I also realised that they helped me see the board better in class. I pretty much instantaneously became a full time contact lens wearer from age 13 until 19. Now, I'm an occasional wearer who absolutely loves the benefits of contact lens wear, the freedom from glasses, but also love having my specs too. Contact lens developments have been massive over the years, and every single year there is usually a new product that adds much value to the lives of my patients. You can learn more about contact lenses here.

This one's close to my heart because I've witnessed the implications of this condition so much in my everyday optometry work over the past decade. Thankfully, I've also been able to help patients manage the condition so that they are able to have improved comfort, clarity, and quality of life. Unfortunately, for most patients this is not a condition that has a quick fix. However, with better education and understanding, I work together with patients to find a solution that works for them. Special eyewear is available for those who experience severe symptoms or simply want a bit more protection, and Carina Eye Care is currently the only stockist of 7eye, Ziena, and Eyeeco moisture chamber eyewear west of Sydney CBD.

In between the COVID lockdowns in 2021, I had the incredible opportunity to work with Shaun Chang and the Eyes2Learn team in Newcastle who do great work with Children's Vision. Here, I witnessed and learnt ways to assess for and manage more subtle vision issues that can be overlooked in a regular eye exam. Vision is so important for learning as it is the main sense that is utilised at school. Many subtle visual issues can be overlooked, as your child may have "20/20" vision but be seriously straining their eyes and concentrating extremely hard to achieve that. You can find out more here.