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Original poster

contact lenses?

16 replies

chloeb2002 · 14/07/2004 19:54

Any contact lense wearers out there? Im going for an eye test and a trial day on friday and have no idea what to expect? My only image is the Mr Bean sketch where he can see nothing... walks into everything.....in pain.... i dont do pain!

OP posts:
lydialemon · 14/07/2004 20:04

Oh god, can I remember back that far....er, the optician will insert them for you, and show you all the cleaning stuff etc, and then they let you loose upon the world for an hour or so. Its very weird, I was walking around Croydon, with my eyes watering feeling VERY naked with no glasses, but it was wonderful. Well, I'm still wearing them 10 years later!

No pain with these lenses, which are soft, but I tried hard lenses when I was 16 and they hurt - I tried and tried but couldn't get the hang of them at all.

Good luck, and it's great ,honestly!

Furball · 14/07/2004 20:32

Don't worry, it's basically as lydialemon put it. My advice is - if you can afford it, get either daily or monthly disposables. Alot less hassle in the cleaning/caring for them department.

tabitha · 14/07/2004 20:34

I've had contact lenses for about 8 years now. The two things I remember about my trial day are:

  1. Realising you actually have to 'put' them in your eyes yourself. Don't know how I thought they got there but was mildly shocked to find I had to put them there myself - stupid or what!
  2. How awful I looked when I could see myself properly. Before getting contacts I had struggled along with less than perfect vision and had obviously been seeing a more flattering, slightly blurry vision of myself. I went out and spent a fortune on make up that day, I can tell you. I wear soft lenses and although they are fine most of the time, they do still hurt sometimes, ususally when I put them in the wrong way round. I still find them a nusiance and wish I could afford laser surgery, although I know there are problems with this too.
Original poster
chloeb2002 · 14/07/2004 21:02

Feeling less worried now. Not completely blind yet... i have a stigmatism that has got worse since wearing glasses. Mostly to drive and see the board at uni but as student nurse im aware that i cnat read patients names on there head boards from the desk...reading monitors from the bed end.... worried that as i dont tend to wear my specs all day ( they annoy me!) i may make a big oopppsss!!!!!! kind of important in my future profession

OP posts:
madgirl · 15/07/2004 11:21

i've worn lenses for 15 years now, currently wear daily disposables for £25 a month from specsavers. i prefer them as you don't have to clean them or look after them which was getting a chore for me. i do wear my glasses 1-2 days a week to give my eyes a rest but can't imagine life without lenses. the best bit is wearing regular sunglasses!! they are so modern and advanced these days i am sure that you will get used to them very quickly. good luck!!

sweetkitty · 15/07/2004 11:29

I was 15 when I got my first pair and it was amazing I could see I had stumbled around half blind up until then. Worn them for 12 years no problems agree with others that daily disposables much easier than messing around with the cleaning solutions.

Had laser eye surgery last year and it's one of the best things I have ever done

bundle · 15/07/2004 11:30

i've worn lenses - hard, and now gas permeable - since I was 18. couldn't live without them. i find the solution which you don't have to scrub them - just fizzes in the container - the best

spacemonkey · 15/07/2004 11:38

I wear monthly disposables that you keep in 24/7 - they're really good, and because you only change them once a month you don't have to faff about with solutions every night. I tried a few different kinds before I found the ones that really suited me.

Pagan · 15/07/2004 12:47

I wore gas permeable for years without too much hassle but switched to soft ones (lasted 30 days) to 'give my eyes a rest' but didn't like them at all. I too had astigmatism and the soft lense just wasn't powerful enough to compensate. also because I'd been used to manhandling the gp ones so kept ripping the soft ones.

Best thing I've ever ever ever done was to get laser surgery. Went to Optimax and got the PRK treatment. Never felt a thing, just a tad uncomfortable for a couple of days. I can honestly say I wish I'd done it years ago. When I think of all that footery hassle of getting lenses in and out in awkward places, airports, camping, parties etc I wish I'd done it years ago. My DH and SIL have also had it done and have similar feelings. Yes it is expensive but weigh that up against the amount you pay for lenses and the back up spex you always have to have.

nutcracker · 15/07/2004 12:57

Hi Chloe, i had a contact lense trial about 2 yrs ago. I found them very easy to put in and take out , but i found my eyes got really dry. Didn't know at the time that i was pregnant with Ds and optician said that could of had something to do with it.

I am going to try them again soon, and hopefully they will be o.k this time.

nutcracker · 15/07/2004 13:00

Tabitha - Snap, i too found it very hard to like how i looked in contacts as i too had been viewing myself in a slight blur for years and didn't think i loooked too bad, but when i had the contacts in i looked awful.

I may try to get my hair done too, in a style that i couldn't wear with glasses, that may convince me.

I hope

suedonim · 15/07/2004 16:27

Dd got contacts last year when she was 15. It took her a while to get used to putting them in but it's second nature to her now. She uses monthly ones.

Original poster
chloeb2002 · 15/07/2004 21:37

Well tommorow is the big dat and slightly less worried.... the Mr bean image is fading! still slightly worried. 24/7 sounds good to me! cant be doing with messing about. Working part time in a pu at the moment and im not sure if the smoke may make my eyes too dry? i was hoping they may offer a bit more protection? I think the opticion was talking about monthlys? beyond that all i know is that i have two appointments tommorow one for a sight test and a fitting and the second for a review. I then have to go back all going well for a lesson on cleaning and fiting etc when my order will be in. Not sure what i need to have other than be blind to have them over glasses?
hey ho fingers crossed ( for all those poor patients if not for me!) i dread to think what i look like in the mirror? may be ill get a shock and look like...... ummmmm claudia Schifer?

OP posts:
fisil · 15/07/2004 21:47

Good luck.

Be prepared to:

a) constantly jab at the bridge of your nose - you have no idea how often you push your glasses up until you first wear lenses

b) have people say "oh you look different, have you had your hair done?" or other daft things!

Slinky · 15/07/2004 21:49

I've been wearing contact lenses for the last 16 years - I use "monthly disposables". Easy to clean/care - I use a "no fuss" all-in-1 solution - I take my lenses out every night, leaving them overnight in the solution.

Couldn't go back to glasses now - and not tempted by the laser surgery either.

Just reading your comment about eyes drying out -you can get lenses that have a high water content (mine do) so maybe worth mentioning that to the optician.

Original poster
chloeb2002 · 16/07/2004 19:41

After all that stress didnt get to try any contacts today, because he said i needed torics lenses and these have to be quite specific.... to do with rugby balls? curves? vertical axis? can you tell i dont want to specialize in opthalmics? like water and ducks back? anyway they will ring when they are in. Trying monthly soft lenses? thought about gas permeable but thing they may hurt and they are very expensive! knowing me i would break one . so still not much wiser but will be soon hopefully!

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