The Joy of Contacts

Kitsune · 08-25-2005, 08:08 PM

So I switched from glasses to soft contacts because I couldn't take the annoyances, anymore. For fifteen years, I've delt with the smears, the fingerprints, the bent frames, the reflections, and all of the other joys that comes with glasses. This past week, I got a new set in and reached the boiling point when the anti-glare coating began to crack, the Flexon frames had a bend that wouldn't go away (I suppose that actually means Flexon really does work!) and the distorting/chromatic aberrations at the edges made driving difficult.

So, contacts. It took awhile for me to force foreign objects into my eyes. There is a reflex, ah...blinking, that tries to prevent it. You'd think the lab tech that was assisting me would understand this. "No, you're not suppose to close your eye!" Gee, thanks for telling me. An hour of tries later, I could see and they didn't feel all that bad. In fact, I could only barely tell that one lens was there because it is a toric. Contact lenses are really amazing.

Except that they fog up now and then. I'll blink and, magically, there is haze. Sometimes it is just a little fuzz around lights at night, sometimes it is a total, white fog that obscures vision. Blinking causes it to change and sometimes go away. It does not encompass my entire field of view -- it is a lot like getting a speck of dust in your eye. Rewetting drops will remedy it for a little while, but I find myself having to add them every ten minutes or so. Some days seem better than others, but it seems to mostly occur after five to nine hours or wear. Some evenings are miserable and, specifically, sitting in front of a computer monitor where one tends to stare is torture.

Does anyone have any experience with something similar? Will I have to change to a different type of contact lens or is this something most contact wearers live with?

I don't really want to switch back to glasses. With my ghastly -4.50/-4.25 corrections, popping the contacts out and putting frames back on my head after a solid day of distortion-free vision was hell! The "lens bend" from the glasses was so bad I nearly fell over while trying to walk! I don't want to have to re-program my brain to get used to that, again. My head hurts just thinking about it.

zippyt · 08-25-2005, 09:31 PM

I tryed contacts a few years ago but quickley changed back when one day while driveing our big truck ( 65k+ ) a gust of wind came in the window poping BOTH of the contacts out and i was basicaly blind at 65+ mph , plus i am used to the protection from flying stuff with glasses. I am considering Lasic though

wolf · 08-26-2005, 01:10 AM

I went to contacts a couple of years ago. It only took having my glasses busted and mangled by patients a couple of times before I got over my fear of sticking my fingers in my eyes.

I got over that surprisingly quickly. Lasik scares me too much to even consider it.

I now also have toric lenses, but I really miss my old ones, which were one month extended wear disposables. Put 'em in, take 'em out 30 days later. Wake up in the morning able to read the alarm clock and find things. I am anxiously awaiting the development of extended wear torics, which are now my only option because my astigmatism reached a level that it needs correction so I can do things like read and drive safely.

I don't have a real problem making the transition from contacts to glasses. I have a significantly stronger prescription than you do, though. I'm -6.5/-6.5

Check with your optometrist about the "fogging" thing ... might be protein buildup on the lenses, or even an allergic reaction rather than "fog". Could resolve with a change in brand of lenses or brand of rewetting solution.

I like the Allergan rewetting drops, and also have used Blink (doc was hot on it and gave me samples) and the ones that go with my saline, which is AMO Complete. I don't have a bottle of their drops right now to check the name. In the past I used Alcon products which are also pretty decent.

Which brand of torics do you have? I have Vertex's currently. My options are limited because of my prescription strength.

SteveDallas · 08-26-2005, 02:08 AM

I have rigid gas permeable lenses and they're great--been wearing them for almost 20 years. (I got my first set of hard lenses, pre-gas permeable days, when I turned 12.)

zippy, what kind of contacts did you have? In almost 25 years I haven't had a contact just fall out. (Gotten airborne debris attached, or blinked off center, sure, but never out completely.)

Kitsune · 08-26-2005, 08:11 AM

Which brand of torics do you have? I have Vertex's currently

Ah, I have no idea. I'm on the first week's trial, which was interrupted the very first day when I accidentally tore the right lens while trying to gently scrub it with my finger. I should have saved the foilpacks.

Does the solution that you put them in make a huge difference? Right now I'm using B&L "MoistureLoc" MultiPurpose coupled with Ben Stein endorsed Clear Eyes. "Wow."

The fog, I think, is associated with dryness. If I hold my eyes open and stare, I can see it gradually get worse until I blink. I'll talk to the doc about it during my follow-up.

I considered Lasik, but I'm put off by it knowing that any mistakes are something you have to live with forever. I was also discouraged when I found out that some people have to go in for repeat procedures if their vision changes -- sometimes as frequently as every five years. That can't be fun. If anyone is going to be cutting into my eye, it better be right the first time and it better only need to be done once!

Zippy, my father wears RGPs and he's had them pop out now and then with the wind, but it is almost always when they're really dry. He has no choice but to wear the rigids, but he's gotten used to them. Seeing him struggle, though, was what made me stay with glasses for some years. All it took was seeing him lose a contact for hours above his eye, essentially inside his head, creeped me out for a long time.

glatt · 08-26-2005, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitsune

Except that they fog up now and then. I'll blink and, magically, there is haze. Sometimes it is just a little fuzz around lights at night, sometimes it is a total, white fog that obscures vision. Blinking causes it to change and sometimes go away. It does not encompass my entire field of view -- it is a lot like getting a speck of dust in your eye. Rewetting drops will remedy it for a little while, but I find myself having to add them every ten minutes or so. Some days seem better than others, but it seems to mostly occur after five to nine hours or wear. Some evenings are miserable and, specifically, sitting in front of a computer monitor where one tends to stare is torture.

If rewetting drops are solving the problem, it sounds to me like your contacts are drying out. I agree that it's worth discussing this with your doctor. There are different "formulations" of contact lenses. Some contain more water than others. Depending on how dry your eyes are naturally, some may dry out more quickly in your eye than others. The contacts that have more water in them have more water to lose, and can really dry out if your eyes don't produce enough tears. But they are more comfortable. Contacts with less water in them will hold their shape more as they get dry, but they are a little less comfortable. A friend of mine has glass contact lenses (yes, they still make them) and her lenses never dry out. Personally, I can't imagine having hard glass touching my eye, but they work for her.

Another possibility is that you aren't cleaning them well enough when you take them out at night. Like Wolf said. Are you taking them out at night? What is your schedule?

Anyway, my point is that a good opthamologist or optometrist will really fit lenses to your eyes so that they are comfortable. If they aren't working for you, you should mention it.

Kitsune · 08-26-2005, 08:37 AM

Thanks for the suggestions, Glatt. The water content makes sense.

These are soft weeklies. I take them out before I go to bed, give them a scrub, let them soak overnight, then rinse them in the morning. I always thought there was more to it than that, but there isn't any special "wash" that goes with these.

melidasaur · 08-26-2005, 09:36 AM

I would love to get contacts, but I am a chronic eye rubber. It's a relaxation "tick" for me to just rub my eyes for minutes on end. I figured that might not be the best thing for contacts... Can you rub your eyes with them in? I mean, give them a good rubbin'?

I love my glasses though... they are really cute and have little diamonds on the frame. Plus, they look really good on me. I just would like the freedom to not wear them if I don't want to.

wolf · 08-26-2005, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitsune

Thanks for the suggestions, Glatt. The water content makes sense.

These are soft weeklies. I take them out before I go to bed, give them a scrub, let them soak overnight, then rinse them in the morning. I always thought there was more to it than that, but there isn't any special "wash" that goes with these.

That's all the care you need to give them ... and you don't necessarily need to rub them. Try one of the saline solutions marked "No Rub" and follow the directions.

Do not get the Bausch & Lomb stuff in the aerosol can. Awful.

I didn't know that the Ben Stein stuff came in a "for contacts" version. All artificial tears are not created equal when it comes to working with contacts. try one of the brands I mentioned above. The Allergan always seemed to be the most soothing, but the AMO Blink and Clean was acceptable.

(I had tried the visine rewetting solution for contacts and it was horrible ... I'm a cheap bitch, but I threw out the $7 bottle of drops)

Clodfobble · 08-26-2005, 10:35 PM

I had LASIK surgery performed almost seven years ago. As Kitsune mentioned, your eyes most definitely can go bad again (technical term is "regressing,") and just this year I've had to get a pair of glasses for occasional distance reading--mostly anime subtitles.

The good news is that repeat surgeries, if you want them, are usually included in your original price. It's like a warranty.

BUT, you can't do too many repeat surgeries because there's only so much cornea they can take off. My prescription was -9.5/-9.75 (take THAT, wolf

) and I hit the minimum thickness (250 micrometers, if you care) with my first procedure. But even if I do have to go back to wearing contacts/glasses full-time someday, I'll never regret doing the LASIK surgery. The difference between my "regressed" eyesight and the legal-blindness I had before is still immense.

I will say this, though: you can smell the burning flesh while the laser's actually going. It's not for the squeamish.

Perry Winkle · 08-27-2005, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

I will say this, though: you can smell the burning flesh while the laser's actually going. It's not for the squeamish.

Do you think they'd let you put something like what morticians use under your nose? I think I'd probably freak out smelling myself burning.

Clodfobble · 08-27-2005, 12:38 PM

Probably. They'll even give you a mild sedative I think, but you have to be fully awake and in control of your faculties for the surgery to take place.

chronos · 08-28-2005, 01:52 AM

I had Lasik done almost 6 years ago. It was the best thing I ever did and I have never regretted it. As huge of a difference as there is between glasses and contacts, the differences between contacts and true vision is greater.

Even after 6 years it still gets me when I occasionally try to adjust my glasses and realize I don't wear them. Things such as swimming and being able to see or looking over to the alarm clock in the middle of the night are just amazing things.

The actual surgery is freaky. It certainly tests your will. There are no restraints or anything to keep you still. The doctor pries open your eyes and locks them open and then comes at you with a little razor device to open up the surface of your eye. Then you briefly go blind while your eye adapts. Then the laser starts up with the clicking noises and you can feel your eyeball changing shape and smell the burned flesh. It's nerveracking.

The next few weeks are tough as you have to be very careful to protect your eyes so that the incision heals properly. That and learning to "retrain" your barain to see the new way is difficult. A bunch of headaches and eye strains at first but after about 3 months they finally feel like your own eyes.

Even with all of that, I would recommend the procedure to anyone. It is just flat out amazing and the quality of life difference is awesome.

BigV · 08-28-2005, 03:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OriginalChronos

I had Lasik done ...

The actual surgery is freaky. It certainly tests your will. There are no restraints or anything to keep you still. The doctor pries open your eyes and locks them open and then comes at you with a little razor device to open up the surface of your eye. Then you briefly go blind while your eye adapts. Then the laser starts up with the clicking noises and you can feel your eyeball changing shape and smell the burned flesh. It's nerveracking.
...

Thank you, sir. You have created a lifelong glasses customer.

I no longer have even the slightest doubt. I now have one fewer things to worry about in my life. Permanently. :bows:

seakdivers · 08-29-2005, 04:35 PM

My brother in law is going to get the lasik done in a few days, and he's pretty nervous about it.
I would love to get it done myself, but like others, I can't help but notice that I only have *one* set of eyes - and from what I understand, you can't grow new eyeballs back.
Perhaps I will just get one eye done and if it gets screwed up I can just go around looking like a pirate.

08-25-2005, 08:08 PM	#1
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	The Joy of Contacts So I switched from glasses to soft contacts because I couldn't take the annoyances, anymore. For fifteen years, I've delt with the smears, the fingerprints, the bent frames, the reflections, and all of the other joys that comes with glasses. This past week, I got a new set in and reached the boiling point when the anti-glare coating began to crack, the Flexon frames had a bend that wouldn't go away (I suppose that actually means Flexon really does work!) and the distorting/chromatic aberrations at the edges made driving difficult. So, contacts. It took awhile for me to force foreign objects into my eyes. There is a reflex, ah...blinking, that tries to prevent it. You'd think the lab tech that was assisting me would understand this. "No, you're not suppose to close your eye!" Gee, thanks for telling me. An hour of tries later, I could see and they didn't feel all that bad. In fact, I could only barely tell that one lens was there because it is a toric. Contact lenses are really amazing. Except that they fog up now and then. I'll blink and, magically, there is haze. Sometimes it is just a little fuzz around lights at night, sometimes it is a total, white fog that obscures vision. Blinking causes it to change and sometimes go away. It does not encompass my entire field of view -- it is a lot like getting a speck of dust in your eye. Rewetting drops will remedy it for a little while, but I find myself having to add them every ten minutes or so. Some days seem better than others, but it seems to mostly occur after five to nine hours or wear. Some evenings are miserable and, specifically, sitting in front of a computer monitor where one tends to stare is torture. Does anyone have any experience with something similar? Will I have to change to a different type of contact lens or is this something most contact wearers live with? I don't really want to switch back to glasses. With my ghastly -4.50/-4.25 corrections, popping the contacts out and putting frames back on my head after a solid day of distortion-free vision was hell! The "lens bend" from the glasses was so bad I nearly fell over while trying to walk! I don't want to have to re-program my brain to get used to that, again. My head hurts just thinking about it.

08-25-2005, 09:31 PM	#2
zippyt LONG LIVE KING ZIPPY! per Feetz Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Arkansas Posts: 7,661	I tryed contacts a few years ago but quickley changed back when one day while driveing our big truck ( 65k+ ) a gust of wind came in the window poping BOTH of the contacts out and i was basicaly blind at 65+ mph , plus i am used to the protection from flying stuff with glasses. I am considering Lasic though __________________ "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. " Brother Dave Gardner

08-26-2005, 01:10 AM	#3
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	I went to contacts a couple of years ago. It only took having my glasses busted and mangled by patients a couple of times before I got over my fear of sticking my fingers in my eyes. I got over that surprisingly quickly. Lasik scares me too much to even consider it. I now also have toric lenses, but I really miss my old ones, which were one month extended wear disposables. Put 'em in, take 'em out 30 days later. Wake up in the morning able to read the alarm clock and find things. I am anxiously awaiting the development of extended wear torics, which are now my only option because my astigmatism reached a level that it needs correction so I can do things like read and drive safely. I don't have a real problem making the transition from contacts to glasses. I have a significantly stronger prescription than you do, though. I'm -6.5/-6.5 Check with your optometrist about the "fogging" thing ... might be protein buildup on the lenses, or even an allergic reaction rather than "fog". Could resolve with a change in brand of lenses or brand of rewetting solution. I like the Allergan rewetting drops, and also have used Blink (doc was hot on it and gave me samples) and the ones that go with my saline, which is AMO Complete. I don't have a bottle of their drops right now to check the name. In the past I used Alcon products which are also pretty decent. Which brand of torics do you have? I have Vertex's currently. My options are limited because of my prescription strength. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

08-26-2005, 09:36 AM	#8
melidasaur Traded your soul for pogs. Join Date: May 2004 Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 646	I would love to get contacts, but I am a chronic eye rubber. It's a relaxation "tick" for me to just rub my eyes for minutes on end. I figured that might not be the best thing for contacts... Can you rub your eyes with them in? I mean, give them a good rubbin'? I love my glasses though... they are really cute and have little diamonds on the frame. Plus, they look really good on me. I just would like the freedom to not wear them if I don't want to. __________________ I love England, what can I say?

08-26-2005, 02:08 AM	#4
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	I have rigid gas permeable lenses and they're great--been wearing them for almost 20 years. (I got my first set of hard lenses, pre-gas permeable days, when I turned 12.) zippy, what kind of contacts did you have? In almost 25 years I haven't had a contact just fall out. (Gotten airborne debris attached, or blinked off center, sure, but never out completely.)

08-26-2005, 08:11 AM	#5
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	Which brand of torics do you have? I have Vertex's currently Ah, I have no idea. I'm on the first week's trial, which was interrupted the very first day when I accidentally tore the right lens while trying to gently scrub it with my finger. I should have saved the foilpacks. Does the solution that you put them in make a huge difference? Right now I'm using B&L "MoistureLoc" MultiPurpose coupled with Ben Stein endorsed Clear Eyes. "Wow." The fog, I think, is associated with dryness. If I hold my eyes open and stare, I can see it gradually get worse until I blink. I'll talk to the doc about it during my follow-up. I considered Lasik, but I'm put off by it knowing that any mistakes are something you have to live with forever. I was also discouraged when I found out that some people have to go in for repeat procedures if their vision changes -- sometimes as frequently as every five years. That can't be fun. If anyone is going to be cutting into my eye, it better be right the first time and it better only need to be done once! Zippy, my father wears RGPs and he's had them pop out now and then with the wind, but it is almost always when they're really dry. He has no choice but to wear the rigids, but he's gotten used to them. Seeing him struggle, though, was what made me stay with glasses for some years. All it took was seeing him lose a contact for hours above his eye, essentially inside his head, creeped me out for a long time.

08-26-2005, 08:37 AM	#7
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	Thanks for the suggestions, Glatt. The water content makes sense. These are soft weeklies. I take them out before I go to bed, give them a scrub, let them soak overnight, then rinse them in the morning. I always thought there was more to it than that, but there isn't any special "wash" that goes with these.

08-26-2005, 10:35 PM	#10
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	I had LASIK surgery performed almost seven years ago. As Kitsune mentioned, your eyes most definitely can go bad again (technical term is "regressing,") and just this year I've had to get a pair of glasses for occasional distance reading--mostly anime subtitles. The good news is that repeat surgeries, if you want them, are usually included in your original price. It's like a warranty. BUT, you can't do too many repeat surgeries because there's only so much cornea they can take off. My prescription was -9.5/-9.75 (take THAT, wolf ) and I hit the minimum thickness (250 micrometers, if you care) with my first procedure. But even if I do have to go back to wearing contacts/glasses full-time someday, I'll never regret doing the LASIK surgery. The difference between my "regressed" eyesight and the legal-blindness I had before is still immense. I will say this, though: you can smell the burning flesh while the laser's actually going. It's not for the squeamish.

08-27-2005, 12:38 PM	#12
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	Probably. They'll even give you a mild sedative I think, but you have to be fully awake and in control of your faculties for the surgery to take place.

08-28-2005, 01:52 AM	#13
chronos Dry Nurse Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 23	I had Lasik done almost 6 years ago. It was the best thing I ever did and I have never regretted it. As huge of a difference as there is between glasses and contacts, the differences between contacts and true vision is greater. Even after 6 years it still gets me when I occasionally try to adjust my glasses and realize I don't wear them. Things such as swimming and being able to see or looking over to the alarm clock in the middle of the night are just amazing things. The actual surgery is freaky. It certainly tests your will. There are no restraints or anything to keep you still. The doctor pries open your eyes and locks them open and then comes at you with a little razor device to open up the surface of your eye. Then you briefly go blind while your eye adapts. Then the laser starts up with the clicking noises and you can feel your eyeball changing shape and smell the burned flesh. It's nerveracking. The next few weeks are tough as you have to be very careful to protect your eyes so that the incision heals properly. That and learning to "retrain" your barain to see the new way is difficult. A bunch of headaches and eye strains at first but after about 3 months they finally feel like your own eyes. Even with all of that, I would recommend the procedure to anyone. It is just flat out amazing and the quality of life difference is awesome.

08-29-2005, 04:35 PM	#15
seakdivers Icy Queen Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Southeast Alaska Posts: 700	My brother in law is going to get the lasik done in a few days, and he's pretty nervous about it. I would love to get it done myself, but like others, I can't help but notice that I only have one set of eyes - and from what I understand, you can't grow new eyeballs back. Perhaps I will just get one eye done and if it gets screwed up I can just go around looking like a pirate.

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