Testimonials
At 13 years old, I went to Dr.Hagens for my yearly eye exam having no concerns or symptoms. Dr. Hagens discovered that I had a partially torn retina in my left eye, which if left undetected could lead to loss of vision. Dr.Hagens scheduled an appointment for me the very next day with the retina specialist in Calgary. Her prompt action meant me having surgery within a few weeks to correct the tear. I can’t thank Dr.Hagens and her kind staff enough for their help in getting this matter resolved so quickly. I have so much confidence in Dr.Hagens and her team that 10 years later, I still drive 3 hours to have my eye’s taken care of at her office!
Kristen Kulyk – Alix, AB
As Christmas was approaching, I had the misfortune of having a piece of moldy cattle feed pellet fly into my eye. I saw Dr. Hagens who immediately cautioned me on the potential of fungal infection, which apparently can be quite damaging to the eye. She put me on an antibiotic that has some protection against fungus, but wanted to have a specialist to provide an opinion. As fungal infections are very rare and the holiday season was upon us, several specialists declined to culture or consider antifungal treatment. After much persistence, Dr. Hagens was able to convince a corneal specialist that I indeed needed further investigation. It turned out that I did have a rare fungal growth on my cornea known as Aspergillus which required specialized medication. Although I was left with a permanent scar on my cornea, my vision has returned to 20/20 in that eye. I understand that most eyes that have this infection are lost completely or end up with severely reduced vision, so I am thankful for the perseverance of my eye doctor in making sure I was taken care of.
Dean Volk
I saw Dr. Hagens for a routine eye examination coincidentally 1 week following being treated by my family physician for a suspected bacterial infection. I mentioned the persistent irritation of my eye to Dr. Hagens who immediately diagnosed a viral ‘dendrite’ on my cornea. Viruses apparently need a different treatment than bacteria, so a new medication was prescribed, leading to complete recovery. I didn’t know that optometrists deal with eye health problems as well as glasses but I guess going to an eye doctor when you have an eye problem just makes sense!
Ivan Schlat
I have been very near sighted the vast majority of my life. In 2004, I enquired about refractive surgery options. Dr. Hagens did a thorough evaluation of my potential for surgery options and risks, and advised me that my corneas were too thin for LASIK, and my prescription was too high for PRK. However, recommended a procedure where artificial contact lenses are inserting directly into the eye rather than on the surface like traditional contact lenses (“ICLs”). I have since had this procedure done and am enjoying the freedom that I have gained without having to wear heavy, thick eyeglasses or bother with contact lens maintenance. I am thrilled to wear protective eyewear only now in the form of quality sunglasses!
Kari Fenrich
I was experiencing sudden flashes and floaters in my right eye first, then my left. I was considering waiting a few days to see if they would go away but when I called for advice, Dr. Hagens’ staff encouraged me to come in right away. Dr. Hagens recognized that the jelly from inside of my eyes had detached (which is apparently called a vitreal detachment and in itself is not serious), however in doing so had pulled hard enough to break some vessels and produce some small tears in my retina. She referred me immediately to a specialist who repaired the tears, preventing any visual loss at all.
Milton Symes
Having metal fragments inadvertently fly into my eyes seems to be a hazard of my job as a welder. Despite wearing safety glasses, an occasional misguided piece will enter my eye and embed on my cornea. Luckily, I have been able to enlist Dr. Hagens’ help, both at her clinic and even at her home, to remove these pieces before they rusted too much on my eye. This has allowed a quicker return of comfort for me, and less scarring of my eye!
Scott Matwie
I first noticed dizziness and blurring in my left eye in the summer of ’09. Thorough testing by Dr. Hagens revealed swelling of my optic nerve heads in my eyes (known as papilloedema), which apparently indicates an elevated pressure in my head. She set up the direction for testing, which luckily did not reveal any tumours but did show increased intracranial hypertension which required medications and lifestyle changes to control. My symptoms have significantly improved as has the swelling at the back of my eye.
Karen O’Connor
My mom has always made us have our eyes checked every year. A few years ago Dr. Hagens noticed my right eye was weakening. She put special drops in my eyes to allow them to “relax” and noticed that my right eye had to work much harder than my left, making my right eye to become “lazy”. She gave me eyeglasses and told me to patch my good eye for a short time every day. My vision quickly returned to normal and I now see perfect in both eyes again, but I still wear my glasses because my eyes feel so much better now that they both work together better.
Ethan Loran
"I woke up one morning with a very bloodshot eye. I made an appointment to see my eye doctor, Dr. Hagens. She took my blood pressure first thing and advised me to see my doctor immediately. My blood pressure was sky high. I saw my physician who told me I was near to having a stroke and prescribed blood pressure medication. I have been fine since. The optometrist can make a diagnosis about your health by checking your eyes. A visit to your optometrist should not be overlooked".
VernonJohnston
"I am a sales representative for the Panoramic 200 retinal scanning instrument that Dr. Hagens has recently incorporated into her practice. This technology puts Dr. Hagens' standard of eye care for her patients at the leading edge of optometry. After visiting her office I can see that this is what her patients have come to expect and appreciate. Dr. Hagens is truly committed to providing her patients with the highest level of technological excellence. I hope the people of Oyen and surrounding communities realize how lucky they are to have a practice like the Oyen Optometry Clinic in their own home town!"
Sarah Brodie-Brown
Account Manager
Optos Canada
"My son Walker was bathing one night when I heard a blood curdling scream. We suspected that he had just squirted liquid soap into his eye however the pain never ceased. I took him over to see Dr. Hagens at her home where she rinsed and medicated Walker's eye. It turned out that his entire cornea had a severe chemical burn which took several weeks to fully recover from. Having the Oyen Optometry Clinic nearby spared us many trips to the city and prevented long term vision loss for Walker."
Dawn Peers
"I had started noticing flashing lights and spots in my vision which weren't going away after a few days. I called Dr. Hagens on her emergency phone line who agreed to see me as soon as possible. She looked at my eye and suspected an early retinal detachment. She referred my to an ophthalmologist who agreed with the diagnosis and sent me to a surgeon in Calgary who repaired the detachment. (This all occurred while I was campaigning for our town's mayor-ship). All went well - my vision was saved and I was elected Mayor for Oyen!"
Wayne Wilson
"The vision in my one eye was deteriorating gradually over a few years however it hadn't given me any problems. In fact I didn't even notice the blurring until my other eye was covered during routine eye exams. Dr. Hagens advised me that I had a cataract which was going to start jeopardizing my Class 1 driver's license. I was a bit sceptical as I was only 47 years old but Dr. Hagens recommended I see a surgeon who agreed with the diagnosis and removed the cataract for me. I now see 20/20 with that eye and the surgery was much easier than I expected."
Daryl Peers
“One weekend, I noticed a shadow blocking the vision of one of my eyes. On Monday morning, I called the Oyen Optometry Clinic whose staff got me in to see Dr. Hagens right away. By using a new technology called an Optos Retinal Scanning laser, Dr. Hagens was able to detect (and show me) a large retinal detachment that required immediate repair. I was sent to Calgary and had surgery to repair my retina within 24 hours preventing serious and permanent vision loss.”
Gail Monagle
“A little over a year ago, I felt I was having problems with my relatively new eyeglasses. When I went to see Dr. Hagens about my concerns, one of the first questions she asked was whether I had any family history of diabetes (which in fact I did). Based on her findings, she advised me that I was likely to be diabetic as well and referred me to my family physician who confirmed her suspicion. I am now on medications to regulate my blood sugars and my vision has returned back to normal. I never realized an eye exam could uncover an undiagnosed health problem but now I know that it can!”
Kathy Miller
