To see or not to see...

That is the question

from JoeUser Forums
After wearing eyeglasses for 20+ years, I finally decided that I'd like to try contact lenses.

What prompted the change? This probably will sound odd to many, but I'm a bit OC when it comes to having clean glasses. I can't stand to have any fingerprints, scratches, or even DUST on my lenses. Drives me absolutely crazy. It even drives me crazy to look at hubby (who couldn't care less) and see HIS specs all nasty. "How can you possibly SEE through those?" I ask, which garners me a solid, "Huh?" in return. *shakes head laughing* Anyway, my constant cleaning is rough on glasses. My last pair kept popping a screw and I know it's because I'm so obssessive about cleanign them (at least in part).

And so I set off to purchase contacts. I was due for a new prescription anyway and figured now was as good a time as any. I went in to pick up the contacts and got a crash course in how to insert the lenses. Now I figured this would be a bit tricky. She'd told me to plan on a decent amount of time, so I did. What I didn't plan on was the level of frustration I would feel at my complete incompetence when it comes to inserting these little discs into my eyes. Dang!! It took an hour to get lenses in both eyes. I was tired, and my eyes were sore from the poking and prodding, but I felt victorious (who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?)

We left to grab a bite to eat and then went back to the office for them to show me how to REMOVE the contacts. Popped 'em right out -- no problem.

Then.

The problem came the next day when I tried once again to put them in. This time my level of frustration was even higher. I thought I'd be more calm in the comfort of my own home without eagle eyes watching every move I made. WRONG. It took 45 minutes and I was ready to fall apart before I finally got them in. Just when I'd be ready to give up -- *plop* -- in it would slide. Who knew this was so difficult? And why didn't you TELL me???????? ROFL

The next day it took a half hour, and then 20 minutes. I'm whittling it down, but geesh! I keep thinking there's got to be some trick to this... that I'm just doing it wrong or something... but I can't find it anywhere. I guess I'll just have to get used to it, and trust that the more familiar I become with the process, the easier it will be. I sure hope so.

I also got new glasses, but I don't care for them at all. They're smaller than what I'm used to and so they cut my line of vision in half. I'll adjust.

I'm still trying to get used to seeing myself in the mirror without glasses. At first it was really strange (and I wasn't crazy about the look of my face without my frames - how ironic is that?), but I like it more and more. It's been a long time since I went without specs (other than when taking pictures - vanity, vanity). But I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE not having to constantly remove them from my face and CLEAN them!!!

Do you wear contacts? In your eyes, what are the advantages and disadvantages to wearing them (pardon the pun)? And can you think of anything I can do that will make getting them in EASIER? LOL.

All in all, I'm pleased. I'll just have to keep plugging away, I guess. :)
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17,405 views 17 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
Have you considered the laser surgery. My husband and sister have both gotten it done and love the results. I only had to wear glasses/contacts a little while in college until I had my first baby. Pregnancy hormones fixed my nearsightedness!

I never enjoyed contacts. My eyes always felt dried out. Do you find touching your eyeball difficult? I never had any problem putting them in but I am not a person who is hesitant about touching their eyeball. I know a lot of people who have trouble with that though.

Best wishes!
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top

I did contacts at one time.  I was riding my bike to work.  That was a trip!  Really!

But they were never comfortable.  Always irratable.  So when they tore, I gave them up. 

Then 2 years ago, I did lasik!  I am a fighter and did!  But I will never regret it!

I am like your husband.  Hey!  I can see, I dont need to clean them!

Now?  I got reading glasses (due to age).  But no Glasses!

I can SEE!

Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
It will get better, I promise. I've been wearing contacts for close to 15 years, and it only takes me a few seconds for me to put them in (and I don't even need a mirror!). First you have to get over your aversion to touching your eyeball (assuming you have one...most people do). Making sure the contact is right side out before you put it in will also save time.

I got new glasses a couple of weeks ago, and I really like them. I've always hated glasses, but these are really cool, and I think they break up the plainness of my face. The only thing I hate is shaving my legs or putting on make up without my contacts. It makes it really difficult to see what I'm doing.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
I love my contacts. Right now, I don't think I will be considering laser surgery, mostly because you lose some gray scale vision, and as much as I will need to be looking at x-ray films and CT scans, I am not willing to sacrifice that gray scale vision.

It gets much easier to put them in the more you wear them. I love not having glasses on my head, but still being able to use them when I want. They don't fog up in the cold, I don't get sweat on them when I exercise and I am not afraid of breaking them wehen playing sports.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
i still can't fathom the idea of letting things sit in your eyes, and the whole poking and prodding thing. gives me the heeby-jeebies.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
poking at your eyeball gets easier with experience. Soon you will be an expert at putting those pesky contacts in and out. I have a really strong eye reflex. Problematic when getting treated for eyelid stuff as Dr.s have a hard time flipping the eyelid and I have a hard time not blinking them back. Contacts took forever, then I had to switch to soft (which required more poking about then simply pulling on the eyelid) but I was able to do it eventually. Still have the reflex though.

Good luck and keep on pokin'!
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
I used to be an Optometric technician and would be the one to give first time wearers the class to insert and remove contacts. Let me just tell you, we would schedule each class for an hour because that is how long it took almost everyone to get them in. You are not alone! It is tricky, and lots of people actually had to come back for a second or third class!

I have been wearing contacts for about 12 years now, and I dont have any problems with them. When they get dry, I just use rewetting drops. I had an opportunity to have the lasik surgery done for a great employee price, but I turned it down. I am not OK with signing off saying that nobody knows the long term side effects of this surgery yet. Plus, working in that office, I saw a lot of patients come back because of problems they had after the surgery. Don't get me wrong, most people love it and have no problems; it's just that the ones who do really stick in your memory and can make you reconsider.

Just keep allowing yourself extra time to practice in the mornings, and you'll get better and faster at it than you think. Good luck!
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
Plus, working in that office, I saw a lot of patients come back because of problems they had after the surgery. Don't get me wrong, most people love it and have no problems; it's just that the ones who do really stick in your memory and can make you reconsider.


Yup. That is my big holdout right now. My father-in-law loved it, had no problems, did great. My mother-in-law didn't have so much luck.

And considering my complete livelihood will rely on my eyes and hands (surgery), I am not willing to risk it when slipping a little piece of plastic in my eye results in flawless 20/10 vision.
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
Good for you on learning to master those contact lenses. I still wear glasses and haven't decided what I'm going to get at my next visit. My daughter has and she loves them. Me, I'ld be worse than you poking myself in the eye at each try,! I did consider the laser but have yet to do anything about that too. I'll see what happens on my next optician visit.
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top
Have you considered the laser surgery. My husband and sister have both gotten it done and love the results. I only had to wear glasses/contacts a little while in college until I had my first baby. Pregnancy hormones fixed my nearsightedness!

Ugh! Lucky you!!! Maybe I should think about........ NO! Absolutely not! ROFL. I am SO done having children I should give the lasik surgery thought, though.

Do you find touching your eyeball difficult? I never had any problem putting them in but I am not a person who is hesitant about touching their eyeball. I know a lot of people who have trouble with that though.

I can touch my eyeball ok (getting them out is no problem, and that actually requires more touching than getting them in, right? But I guess the problem is when I see my finger coming at my eye, for some reason I can't resist the urge to blink.
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
I am like your husband. Hey! I can see, I dont need to clean them!

I don't know how you do it... blech! But hey, at least you're in good company
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
It will get better, I promise. I've been wearing contacts for close to 15 years, and it only takes me a few seconds for me to put them in (and I don't even need a mirror!).

You can be my inspiration, Tex! It is getting easier. Today it took me about 15 minutes, so that's encouraging. I long for the day when it takes me only a few seconds and I don't need a mirror.
I got new glasses a couple of weeks ago, and I really like them. I've always hated glasses, but these are really cool, and I think they break up the plainness of my face.

I love your new glasses. They're the ones in that pic, right? Your icon?
Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
i still can't fathom the idea of letting things sit in your eyes, and the whole poking and prodding thing. gives me the heeby-jeebies.

Eh.... you'd probably be much better at it than I am, ya young thang!



Good luck and keep on pokin'!

... thanks, Momijiki! I have the soft lenses, and supposedly, they're the easiest to insert (some new brand). If these are easy, I'd hate to see the tough ones! .



I love my contacts. Right now, I don't think I will be considering laser surgery, mostly because you lose some gray scale vision, and as much as I will need to be looking at x-ray films and CT scans, I am not willing to sacrifice that gray scale vision.

Bluedev: sounds like a very wise decision. Are you a radiologist?






They don't fog up in the cold

This is one of the things I love about them!! VERY cool!



I used to be an Optometric technician and would be the one to give first time wearers the class to insert and remove contacts. Let me just tell you, we would schedule each class for an hour because that is how long it took almost everyone to get them in. You are not alone! It is tricky, and lots of people actually had to come back for a second or third class!

Thanks for the encouragement, Jenny! The girl who went through it with me said the same thing. It helps me to not be so hard on myself. I thought I was going to have to go back for another lesson, but I think I'll be ok now. Nice to know I'm not the only one who struggles with it, though.



Just keep allowing yourself extra time to practice in the mornings, and you'll get better and faster at it than you think. Good luck!

Again... thank you. *smiles*





And considering my complete livelihood will rely on my eyes and hands (surgery)

Aaaaaaaaah. There's the answer



I did consider the laser but have yet to do anything about that too. I'll see what happens on my next optician visit.

Surgery is something I think about, but I'm not sold on it yet. I'm a 'fraidy cat....



Today was the first day I worked with the lenses in. I had a difficult time when working at my computer. I have to look from paper (with small font writing) to the screen, and back and forth. What I found was that when I would go from one to the other, it took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust and my vision to clear. Is this normal? Is it just a matter of getting used to the lenses, or should I have them check the prescription again? Can you wear contacts and use magnifying reading glasses? That would be a bummer though, because without glasses (or lenses) I can read perfectly. Whatever it takes, though. I'm hoping it's just a matter of getting used to the new lenses.
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
BD~~I don't think I will be considering laser surgery, mostly because you lose some gray scale vision,~~

Didn't know that.I learn something new everyday...

HC~~In your eyes, what are the advantages and disadvantages to wearing them (pardon the pun)? And can you think of anything I can do that will make getting them in EASIER? LOL.~~

Judging from how it's been getting just a bit harder to read small font, I know I will be needing to schedule an appt. with an eye doctor soon. Right now, I'd say I'm going to stick with the eyeglasses, but who knows.

btw, I had a student show up in my class wearing his contacts for the first time...he was so proud to be wearing them, although he admitted they felt funny.
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top
I wore contacts for a while a couple of years ago. It took me a week or so to get used to putting them in, much like you I would get frustrated and want to give up, and then it would just slide on in.

I quit wearing them. They became a pain in the ass....they'd tear as I was cleaning them (I couldn't use the 'rub free' cleaning solution, it stung my eyes horribly and the doc said I was probably allergic to it), they'd fog up on me all the time, I forgot I was wearing them once and rubbed my eyes and got scared because I lot a contact at the very back of my eye and had to have help getting it out....yeah, they were too much trouble. Plus, I'm paranoid about the skin around my eyes. I have enough wrinkles as it is without pulling at the skin every day trying to get contacts in and out.

So, I went back to glasses. I like them; I think that I look better with them than without them (like Tex I think they break up my plain mug). I like that I can get different shaped frames and they can make me look totally different.

So, it's glasses for me from now on. I don't want to get the lasix surgery either; I'm happy with the way things are.
Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top
btw, I had a student show up in my class wearing his contacts for the first time...he was so proud to be wearing them, although he admitted they felt funny.

They did at first. I'm getting used to them. I can only wear them for so many hours though, and then I know it's time to take them out. Funny.


I forgot I was wearing them once and rubbed my eyes and got scared because I lot a contact at the very back of my eye and had to have help getting it out

I think that would freak me out! *note to self* Do not -- ever -- under any circumstances rub eyes with contacts in!


much like you I would get frustrated and want to give up, and then it would just slide on in.

That's exactly what happens!! I get just to the point of saying, "screw this" and poof -- on they go. I wonder why that is?


So, I went back to glasses. I like them; I think that I look better with them than without them (like Tex I think they break up my plain mug). I like that I can get different shaped frames and they can make me look totally different.

I can't decide if I like my face better with or without the frames. I think I like both (or maybe I don't like either... ). I'm not crazy about my new frames though. Ah well. Pearle Vision... wonder if they have the same policy as lenscrafters. Maybe I can take them back.

The decision to do either frames or lenses is such a personal one. For me, it was more about practicality than anything else. I like not having to clean my glasses every couple of hours. If I weren't so OC maybe I'd prefer the glasses... idk.


I'm happy with the way things are.

And that's what it's all about...
Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top
I can identify with your frustration at learning to use contact lenses. It now takes me about a minute (or less) one go for each eye to get them in, but its taken practice. Just keep at it, it's like any new skill, takes practice. I love not wearing glasses! Cn play sports, wear ordinary sunglasses etc, it's great. Make sure the lens is not inside out, hold it on the tip of your forefinger and it helps to look at the other yes in the mirror just before you touch the lens to your eye, stops you blinking.
Cheers