According to the optometrist, my eye sight has actually been getting better the past few years (it's not that bad to begin with; I can survive well enough without glasses). However, it is getting harder to read the small stuff. Small complaint, I know.
My eyesight improved throughout the late 30s, but when I was 42 I noticed I couldn't read the serial # off the back of my PC, and that's when it started...
I was a little bit older than that. Effing presbyopia.
I have worn glasses for as long as I remember. About 8 years ago I started to need bifocals. I just had an exam a week ago and my eyesight improved for the first time that I can recall. Since switching to bifocals, I have not been able to wear contacts as each version I tried was not doing it for me. I did pick up a new set of trial contacts yesterday and they are ok. I will wear them a few days and see if I can get used to them. I prefer contacts at work because my glasses get dirty in the kitchen, or fog up coming out of the coolers.
I avoided bifocals, and instead got a "work" pair that's calibrated for the distance to my PC monitors (and also for choir music). A little nuisance flipping between the two at times, but less so than stuff swimming into/out of focus depending on distance. Of course that wouldn't work in a kitchen environment.
Honestly, when I started wearing bifocals I was prepared to hate them. It actually took about 2 days to get used to them and I don't even notice the transition of the lens anymore. I think the brain does a pretty good job of adjusting. So far today with the trial contacts: they work great while driving, walking and just general moving about. They are not as good in my office right now. No issue reading computer screens, but a bit crappy when reading smaller print on paper. We will see how my eyes and brain adjust. Also, I did forget to put a pair of non-prescriptions sun glassed in my truck today. Driving straight into the sun without shades kind of sucks.
I actually remove my glasses when reading a book or my phone (I've had glasses since 3rd grade), but I suppose contacts would make that a bit difficult.
Yeah, I also remove my glasses when doom scrolling, or reading a book. With the contacts they typically play around with the prescription to give you passable near and far vision. They are pretty upfront that it will not be perfect.
I've had glasses since 2nd grade. Tried contacts for a few couple months but they were miserable for me. To the point where I actually gave up wearing them and, since my old glasses were lost, I ended up going almost all of 7th grade without being able to see because I had to wait until the insurance coverage renewed the next year. (I probably didn't actually have to wait, but I was aware enough as a kid of the limits of the insurance and that I'd spent "my" annual allotment on my contacts, so... I just pretended I was still wearing the contacts. I'm sure my folks would have gotten me new glasses but.. oldest and I felt guilty for trying contacts, etc.)(man, health care stuff is messed up if it causes a 7th grade kid to go blind from guilt...).
Anyway, I absolutely understand what you mean about the dirtiness, and I'm just in an office environment. I can't even imagine how tough that must be in the kitchen!
My last few eye exams the results have bounced around a little bit, but I've been warned that in the next few years the bifocals are almost certainly coming... my eyes are holding to all the typical patterns.
I would have hated wearing glasses in my kitchen days. I hope the new contacts are tolerable over a longer run.
I’ve been in work situations where contacts were frowned upon or outright prohibited because of the possibility of eye infection due to not being able to keep one’s hands sufficiently clean to handle them. I have a high preference for contacts, both because I can wear proper eye protection with them and I believe my vision is generally better with them. I did not enjoy those restrictions, and I have sun damage to my eyes from reflection off the sand to show for it.
My optometrist tells me I won’t be playing trombone for quite a while because my correction for myopia is strong enough that I’m unlikely to experience presbyopia as soon as others.
I've got my second ever eye exam coming up in a couple weeks. Diabetes is the only reason I'm getting it, even though everything looks crystal clear through them. I'm hoping it stays this way for a long time.
Thanks for the reminder that my new progressive lens glasses are in. Twice the price!
Actually, question re: obtaining glasses:
I've been using Warby Parker or Zenni to order my specs. They've been pretty good for the most part, but I've had one or two where quality wasn't ideal (specifically ones ordered to be quick, so... who knows?). Anyway, the question is whether they're good enough quality for ordering bifocals or progressive lenses? Or would I want to go somewhere in person when that time comes?
I have never used online ordering for my glasses or contacts. I see a local optometrist whenever my glasses get to the point I can't wear them anymore. I do like being able to try on a bunch of sample frames to find the right one. I am not much of a fashion guy (as some of you probably know), so I usually pick out some pretty basic (cheaper) frames. The other benefit is that when I accidentally bend the frames here and there, I can bring them in and get them straightened out and cleaned up at no cost. The good news about the last visit was the health of my eyes. I have been battling some high blood pressure issues and the optometrist said there was not evidence of it affecting my eyes (which it can often do).
I usually get one pair of fancier glasses, then one less fancy pair. I've been using WP the past few years for the less fancy ones and haven't had much of a problem. If you want to try out a few, they'll ship you out up to 5 pairs to try out, then you can pick the ones you like best. Haven't used them for specialty lenses though, so I can't speak to that.
My main pair right now is a WP, and I like them, but I feel like their styles are too limited in general.
I've weirdly found that WP is better for regular specs and Zenni is better for sun glasses.
I have relevant experience on this! After my old glasses (we're talking 5+ years old) fell off my face at a conference last fall, I went to WP since there's a location just across the street from my office. They did a great job with the lenses, and it was a surprisingly easy adjustment to wearing them. (Though I do often still prefer just to take off my glasses entirely for reading.) I did have a lot of issues getting a good fit with the frames and had to go back repeatedly for adjustments, so that was annoying but not at all related to the lenses.
I also have my first pair of progressive contact lenses (gas permeable because I'm old school) waiting for me to pick them up at my optometrist's office, so we'll see what that's like. My mom wears a distance contact in one eye and a near vision contact in the other eye, and while it works for her, I feel like I'd just end up with a tremendous headache.
My mom wears a distance contact in one eye and a near vision contact in the other eye, and while it works for her, I feel like I'd just end up with a tremendous headache.
I remembered yesterday, as I started breaking mine in, that this is how they set up my contacts. One for near and one for distance. On day two... no headache, but just maybe messing with my equilibrium a bit. Still, the only issue for me is reading small print on paper. All else seems fine. That being said, I cannot wait for my new glasses to arrive. I will probably order contact again after my I have played with the trials, but I can't imagine wearing them more than 5-6 days a month.
Moving from the Grateful part to the Dead part. 🥺
Wow
I could watch that on a loop.
Early morning flight to DC tomorrow.
Last time I was in there, I got sucked into watching the last ten innings of the 18-inning WS game in 2018 despite knowing I would be solo parenting and schlepping the then-eight-month-old Justice RBG and Honest Abe the following day around the museums abutting the Mall.
Something about heading to DC means I'm always going to be sleep deprived.
Got home just as the 6th inning was starting. That was one hell of a finish.
Two enormous bombs in the game, one for each team.
SloMo is a Warrior now? 😧😬😀