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Today I made the leap from simple, easy glasses to the annyoing world of contacts.
I've run up upon my first rocky spot, less than 2 hours after first inserting the little plastic bowls.
I can't see all that well. This might be due to the fact that the doctor gave me a set of lenses that weren't quite what I needed. Will this change? Will they get better? I want to see as well as I did with my glasses, not worse. Granted, my sight is better than with no correction - but my short range vision (e.g., computer screen) is only marginally better. The main improvement is in middle range vision, currently.
Perhaps I shouldn't go back to a doctor who gives me the wrong lenses knowingly? Or am I a bit too cynical, too early?
I have a followup appointment in a week. I don't know if I can go that long wearing these things. I have trouble reading, and since need the computer for work, I'm in a bit of a pickle. Must I wear them?
This was a Wal-Mart vision center, by the way. Heh, maybe that's the problem?
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With soft lenses, it took me several days to see corectly, with the toric lenses (for astigmatism) it was even longer. Now I've switched to gas-permeable, and I could see correctly instantly. I'll never go back.
Why on earth did the doctor give you the wrong lenses? Are you just trying them out to see if you can tolerate them? I don't get it.
Posts: 239 | Registered: May 2004
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I have the toric lenses. I'll give it a few days. I was told to wear them progressively longer each day (starting at 4 hours/day, ending at 8). Should I wear my glasses when they are out? They aren't quite the same, as I've become marginally more nearsighted since my last exam 7 years ago.
ctm, thanks for pointing out the oversight. They were out of the precise ones I needed, or perhaps they didn't stock them.
Maybe I'll look into ( ) the gas-permeable ones.
Posts: 1069 | Registered: Feb 2005
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My doctor had me try 3 different types before I found one I liked. It's hard to tell what will work for you and what won't. Each brand has a slightly different feel.
Also my dr. gives me a perscription for contacts without correcting my astigmatism. This is technically the wrong lens but since I'm not that bothered by it I don't want to pay extra.
You should give them a couple of days. Unless you're seeing very poorly. Also if it's humid where you are you might just try taking them out and washing them off and putting them in.
Posts: 872 | Registered: Mar 2002
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If you usually wear glasses constantly, you should wear your glasses when you don't have the contacts in. My eyesight is so bad that I can't get away with not wearing anything, but my contacts are a better prescription than my glasses. I generally can't notice the difference.
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
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The first time I tried contacts, I could see perfectly right away. That reminds me: I need to set up an eye appointment so I can get some new ones that I like. My last optometrist pushed me until I bought some that I wasn't happy with. Bad idea.
Posts: 9945 | Registered: Sep 2002
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I finally gave up on contact lenses and discovered the joys of glare-free glasses.
I have a pretty strong astigmatism, strong enough that my vision with contact lenses is never very good. It just wasn't worth the struggle.
But sometimes with follow up fittings, they can get it to work for you. Sometimes they have to adjust the angle slightly because it won't fit on your eye the way you'd expect with the weight.
But if you are like me and your astigmatism is strong, seeing less than optimal with contacts may be the sad reality.
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Thanks to all of you for the advice. I feel much better about these annoying little sight-bringers now.
Posts: 1069 | Registered: Feb 2005
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Give them time! I actually had the exact opposite problem just a couple of months ago - I've been wearing contacts for 10 years now, and haven't even had a backup pair of glasses for probably eight years. I finally got a pair of glasses (as well as a new contact prescription) and when I put the glasses on I had an awful time! They gave me a headache, and I felt like I'd had one too many drinks. My eyes were having a very hard time having the focus point be so much farther away (as in, not touching my eyes). I tried wearing the glasses for a little bit every day, before bed usually, and now their fine. I can switch between them much more easily.
Hopefully, the same will be true for you!
Posts: 3214 | Registered: Apr 2002
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I love my contacts , so give them a couple days and keep ramping up your time with them to see if they end up being a good fit for you. Also, not all contacts are the same. Nor are contact washing solutions.
I started with one of the easier washing solutions for long-term (1-year) contacts but my eyes became irritated. I've been using the Ciba vision many-component washing system since then (~10 years). Last year I tried 1-month contacts for half a year but couldn't stand them. They irritated my eyes after a couple weeks each month, and I had to switch back to my yearlies. I use soft.
If I wear glasses for several hours in the morning, it takes me about half an hour to adjust to seeing with contacts. The other way around, there's no adjustment period.
Posts: 1261 | Registered: Apr 2004
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It took me over three hours to learn to put in my contacts. (I had a really strong blink reflex. After wearing contacts for close to 15 years, it's a little less strong now. ) And at least a couple weeks to learn how to put them in in less than five minutes.
Now I can put them in a matter of seconds. Not that I do so often -- I wear the 30 day ones, and love them. It did take a couple months to adjust, though.
I love being able to see just before I fall asleep, and also when I wake up. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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"Contact lenses, what a miserable idea. Sure, we'll just put the glass in your eye! It won't hurt. Eye doctor sold me on these, of course. He wears glasses, that pr***." --Jeremy Hotz
I used to have contacts. Now I don't. I had someone shoot lasers into my eyes instead. I'm still waiting for the lasers to come out!
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I do, but mine are meant to be worn for 30 days continuously.
However, before I had these I had 2-week disposables that were supposed to come out every night . . . and didn't. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I take naps with mine in all the time. I try to not go to bed for the night with my contacts in, since mine aren't the 30-day ones, but sometimes my evening naps will run a little long.
For the people with the two week or month disposables: do you actually throw yours away exactly when you're suppose to?
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Wow, my contacts always end up so weird feeling when I fall asleep with them on. Mine are odd though, they're ten month and one of them is special for astigmatism.
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
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I am considering the longer wear kind, but I have to make sure I like the idea of little plastic discs in my eyes, first.
Something that comes out every so often to be cleaned and disposed of would rock. This daily "insert, oops drop, wash, insert, oops folded.." might get old. Then again... what are the cost differences?
I'm tempted to do Lasik, but I just don't know if I can part with the money. Plus I'm terrified of failure, since without my eyes I can't write buggy code! Posts: 1069 | Registered: Feb 2005
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I don't currently have contacts becuase of money issues, but when I did, I had the extended disposables. The ones you're supposed to take out every night and change every 2 weeks or wear round-the-clock and toss weekly. But I could - and usually did - wear them round the clock and toss them every 2-3 weeks. When they'd start feeling dry was when I'd toss them out. And the eye doctor knew about it, examined me a couple times and told me I wasn't doing any damage. He didn't like it, but as long as I wasn't hurting myself by doing so, he was willing to let me continue.
I was one of the fortunate ones that could go full day with no problems from the very beginning. My dad and I both got our first sets of lenses on the same day. He took almost 3 weeks of slow ramping up just to get through his work day and even now, his first move when he gets home is to take out the lenses and get them soaking.
I want to go back to contacts when my finances get better My guy likes me with glasses, though, so maybe I'll stay. I don't know for sure yet.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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For anyone considering it: LASIK is wonderful, once it's over. Occassionally somebody will mention something about the inconvenience of putting in contacts, forgetting glasses somewhere, or not being able to see when they first wake up, and I'll be like "Oh yeaaaaah. I remember that!"
However, while LASIK is not the scariest thing that's ever happened to me, it is the scariest thing that I have ever voluntarily done with premeditation and planning. With the possible exception of standup comedy. The procedure itself is a terrifying experience, but I do not regret it for a moment.
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You know, I've never found a brand of contacts that I can read comfortably in. And it sucks. The last time I went in to get new glasses I didn't even buy contacts because it seemed like a waste. It seemed silly to take them out every time I wanted to read for more than 15 minutes. Like beverly, I have the dreaded astigmatism, so my choice of contacts is kind of limited. If anyone knows of any good brands though, I'd like to know. I've tried Toric, and ....can't remember what else!
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Baush&Lomb Soflens Toric66. Have you tried that brand yet?
That's what I've worn since 1998 (I started wearing contacts in 1991...I was 11).
I have fussy eyes, meaning they need oxygen or they get mean. Before 98, I'd sleep in my contacts at times. It finally caught up with me in the form of 1) an corneal ulcer that you could see with your bare eye, the eye doc was surprised that I could see out of it 2)allergic conjunctivitis in both eyes. Then in late 98, it got me again with some random infection that had white blood cells crowded into my eye, so I couldn't wear contacts until they'd wandered their way back out. Six months later, I was back in contacts and rarely even take a nap in them.
Because my eyes are so picky, I can't get the 30 day wear all the time ones.
Granted, when you have toric lenses, your vision IS a bit less sharp (not a huge difference at all, though) because of the nature of the lenses, they don't stay totally put, they will rotate a bit during the day, then rotate back. Glasses don't rotate, they have that centered vision thing. However, contacts give you peripheral vision and glasses take that away. You also don't have the problem of fogging and glasses getting knocked or smashed into your face (I broke two pairs of glasses in two months when I was 11, hence the forced change to contacts).
Because I play so many sports, contacts are hugely more practical. But if I want to pass for intelligent, I'll wear my glasses. Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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I see 20/20 with my contacts...and I can't even see the big E without them.
I don't even have an updated glasses prescription anymore. After more than a decade of contacts, glasses bug me (when I turn my head my vision seems to swim when I wear glasses).
On thing about leaving them in at night. Most eye doctors recommend you always take your contacts out at night (even if you have extended wear contracts. It lets your eyes breath better. If you are new to contacts you should really plan on taking them out every night.
I do sleep in my contacts every once and a while, but I don't make a habit of it because I don't like how my eyes feel when I wake up after sleeping in contacts.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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LASIK was the scariest thing I had ever experienced in my life until my allergy test. I do not regret it for one one-millionth of an instant, but it was awful.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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I had it a long, long time ago and it was very expensive. $1500 per eye. It's way less than that now. It was not a horror story, as far as I am concerned. it was a miracle. I did not have a single complication, it did not hurt at all, and I had better than 20/20 vision almost immediately. I would recommend it to anyone.
The reason it was scary is because you're laying on your back in a dark room with huge equipment with flashing lights looming over you, and people standing around, and they are about to shoot lasers into your eyes. I felt like I was in a bad remake of Frankenstein's Monster, and they were about to start experimenting on me. And that was after the valium. During the process it didn't hurt at all, about 20 minute afterwards my eyes felt like they were burning, like when you rub your eyes after cutting hot peppers but not quite so bad. We went home (Krabby Patty and I had it done at the same time, she went first 'cause I'm a big chicken) and took a nap, and when I woke up there was no pain and I could see.
Enigmatic had it a little worse, I believe, as far as pain afterwards. His and mine both turned out wonderfully, Krabby Patty ended up still needing to wear glasses most of the time but with a vaast improvement in her vision.
It's been about five years now. I still see better than 20/20, and I can barely remember what it was like to futz with glasses and contacts, and I wore them for 20 years before the surgery.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Eljay, that's really an encouragement. Thank you. Considering that I was thinking LASIK was around twice as much (3k per eye), that doesn't sound too bad.
The horror stories that apparently not everyone has heard deal with people being blinded or ending up with horrible vision afterwards.
I've gotten hot pepper oil in my eyes before... eek.
Posts: 1069 | Registered: Feb 2005
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I'm worried that if I get lasik surgery, I'll end up with eyesight that still needs glasses, or perfect eyesight that gets worse later and still needs glasses.
My eyesight's so bad I can't read without corrective lenses anymore. I can see one word in focus, and the rest are in double vision. Tough way to read.
Posts: 1261 | Registered: Apr 2004
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There is no doubt that I will need reading glasses later. That happens to everyone. But that wil probably happen when I'm around 40. In the meantime, I get 15 years with no glasses at all. More than worth it, as far as I'm concerned, since if I had't done it at 40 I would have needed bifocals anyway.
Krabby Patty needed glasses afterwards because she was already wearing bifocals beforehand, and the surgery can't fix both. If you're thinking about doing it, I would do it as young as possible so you get as many glasses-free years out of it as possible.
It doesn't work for everyone. . . but a good surgeon should tell you if you're a good canidate or not. dkw wasn't, she was at high risk for having flashers and halos afterwards, so she opted not to do it.
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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There are a few other reasons my experience with LASIK seemed subjectively worse than ElJay's. Before getting into that though, I'll reiterate: It's wonderful to not need glasses anymore, if I had to do it over, I would. The nasty bits:
1) Don't think of an elephant. You have to keep your eyes focused straight on a little dot. The importance of this is stressed very much, enough to make me nervous about it... and when I'm nervous my eyes shift around. So the doctor tells me to "look more straight" and I realize I'm messing up my role in this and I get more nervous, etc.
2) The whole laying on your back, dark room, shadowy figures, strange lights and equipment in the periphery of vision situation (as ElJay descriped) triggers phobias I've had for many, many years. Think Fire in the Sky and let's just say that I don't like being awake for medical procedures performed in shadowy rooms.
3) I think too much about what's going on. Detailed knowledge of the procedure is not the kind of thing I can put out of my head while it's going on. I'm like this at the dentist, too.
Again, however: If you can do it, do it. It seems like a small thing to get rid of your glasses or contacts, but the actual freedom of it is so very nice.
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) the gas-permeable ones.
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, so give them a couple days and keep ramping up your time with them to see if they end up being a good fit for you. Also, not all contacts are the same. Nor are contact washing solutions.![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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