*Share details of your own experience - OSU Wexner Medical Center*
To: OSU Wexner Staff,
I came to OSU Wexner with two problems that controlled my life: large pterygium that made me avoid eye contact, and cataracts that were stealing my vision. I was terrified.
Before surgery, I couldn’t even read the road signs. I couldn’t read the license plate of the car driving right in front of us. The cars on the road were all cloudy. That’s how bad my cataracts were.
*Dr. Andrew Hendershot* took on my pterygium surgery first. It wasn’t simple — my pterygium were advanced. But Dr. Hendershot’s skill changed everything. The day my bandages came off, I looked in the mirror and could open my eyes wide for the first time in years. No more hiding. No more shame. I could finally look people in the face when I spoke to them. That confidence Dr. Hendershot gave me back is priceless.
Then came cataract surgery with
*Dr. Zachary Mikolaj* on both eyes. I was the nightmare patient — I asked a hundred questions because I was scared of going blind. I even told him to leave because I knew he was busy. But Dr. Mikolaj did the opposite: he pulled up a chair and sat down. He took the time to walk me through every lens option, explaining the pros and cons for _my_ life, not just textbook answers. We chose together. Because of his patience and expertise, my life changed.
After the first eye surgery, I came out of the operating room, my eye was closed with a little shield. Here’s the funny part: on the ride home, I made an effort to open the operated eye… and I swear I was shocked. I was seeing everything bright white. I could read the road signs clearly, even the license plates of the cars in front of us.
Before my second eye was operated, my two eyes saw differently. The operated eye saw everything white. The eye not operated yet had blurry vision and everything looked yellow. So each eye had its own color — one white, one yellow. White-yellow. Today, after both surgeries, both eyes are white. Both clear, white-white
That’s Dr. Mikolaj’s exploit.
The team made the exploits possible.
*Jose N., RN*, cared for me post-op like I was family — checking on me, explaining every step, making sure I had zero pain. From reception to PCAs to recovery, everyone at OSU treats you like a human, not a chart number. When you’re scared before surgery, those smiles are medicine.
OSU didn’t just fix my eyes.
Dr. Hendershot gave me back my confidence.
Dr. Mikolaj gave me back my sight — and my colors. Your team gave me back my life.
Thank you for letting me be your patient
With love and deepest gratitude.
Your patient Rachel Weick-Dido
P.S. you have my permission to share this note with your team
