1st few hours of wearing my new spectacles.

[BLACKVANDRIVER]

So after almost 43 year I had to finally break down and get glasses. Getting old aint for pansies!

 

They are progressive bifocals so basically trifocals with no line. 

 

Almost tripped off a curb several times. Made my self dizzy moving my head to the left or right too fast and was wondering why my windshield wipers were so bad even though they are brand new, oh just have to lift my head up a tiny bit and all clear again!

 

What comes next? Already hard of hearing and missing a few teeth!

[Guest Lowbuster]

I'm afraid to think of what could be next.

[Randall53]

I've been wearing them for years. You have to turn your head more since side vision ain't what it used to be. Steps, cubs are tough until you get used to them. Take it slow...you'll have less knots on your noggin. Oh, and USE THE HANDRAILS!!!!..LOL

[ncldwell]

Progressive lenses take a bit of getting used to.  If you have been using over the counter reading glasses even more so.  My advice is to stick with them for several weeks and you will love them.  After my first set of progressives I went back to the doctor and threw them on the counter and told him my old faithful reading glasses were better.  He convinced me to hang in and it was good advice.  My neck isn't so tense anymore from up and down over the top of reading glasses and i've developed muscle memory that makes the progressives completely natural.  Love them now.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I and wife have worn progressives for some years. Maybe they need to make conservative or libertarian glasses as well. :)

 

A couple of years ago wife got a new set of glasses and walked around cross-eyed walking into stuff for awhile, finally took em back to complain, and discovered that the opticians had swapped the left and right lenses! That solved the puzzle.

[xjsnake]

If I ever need glasses I'm getting laser surgery. Not sure I could adjust to glasses as I'm ridiculously stubborn

[dawgdoc]

If I ever need glasses I'm getting laser surgery. Not sure I could adjust to glasses as I'm ridiculously stubborn

I had LASIK about 15 years ago.  I'm back to wearing glasses again.  The glasses aren't nearly as strong as what I used to use.  The difference in my vision now with and without glasses is like comparing HD to standard television.

[Guest TresOsos]

Progressive lens...tried them and don't like them. They mess with your perpherial vision and I could not get use to having to turn my head as opposed to just glancing with simple eye movement. Just did not feel good when driving with them. I now use two pair of glasses, single vision for normal activity and dstance, reading for reading or computer work. Hope you have better luck with them then I did.

Edited April 9, 2014 by TresOsos

[wileecoyote]

Just got my first set of progressive lenses a week ago. Never used bifocals or readers before, only standard lenses. Was expecting it to be pretty tough but it was actually easy and quite pleasant to adjust to them. While I was waiting for the new lenses to be made I was fitted for Biofinity Multifocal contact lenses. They apparently feed two images to each eye simultaneously and your brain needs to learn to switch to the right images based on the distance you are looking at. Well those contacts are really awesome, no need for readers or glasses, and I can leave them in for up to a week at a time, throw them out after 30 days. I like them better than my new progressive lenses, but glad I have the lenses as a backup. Edited April 9, 2014 by wileecoyote

[Rowdy]

Just got my first set of progressive lenses a week ago. Never used bifocals or readers before, only standard lenses. Was expecting it to be pretty tough but it was actually easy and quite pleasant.

While I was waiting for the new lenses to be made I was fitted for Biofinity Multifocal contact lenses. They apparently feed two images to each eye simultaneously and your brain needs to learn to switch to the right images based on the distance you are looking at. Well those contacts are really awesome, no need for readers or glasses, and I can leave them in for up to a week at a time, throw them out after 30 days. I like them better than my new progressive lenses, but glad I have the lenses as a backup.

+1 I was prescribed glasses when I was nine and hated them. At 19 I started wearing contacts an loved them. I'm well into my 50s now and still wearing them with no need for glasses. Everyone should try them for at least 30 days.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Lasik is nowhere near 99.999% successful. Last I looked, several percent suffer worse vision, or chronic pain, or worse. Look it up. Vision seems too precious to roll that dice on, even if the odds are on one's side. I had a congenitically weak eye from birth that kept getting worse until the last 10 years were constant medical eyedrops for an eye gone finally blind, antibiotics and antiinflammatories just to keep cornea pain in check, finally a couple years ago relieved by removal of the eye. Shoulda done it sooner.

 

So anyway, some folks buy a ticket on that unpleasant long ride with lasik procedures gone bad.

 

Having only one good eye, dr always advised glasses rather than contacts to protect the one functional orb, which makes good sense. Some folks get on that bad cornea and dry eye merry go round from contacts as well. IMO it isn't worth the risk even though the risk is small, because the consequences are so severe for the unlucky.

 

I got accustomed to progressive lenses easy, but found especially with just one eye, there is a definite diff between lo- or mid- quality lenses fit not accurately enough in the frames, versus the best quality lenses mounted by an expert rather than a run of the mill practitioner "less skilled and careful". So if you get stuck with progressives which are like looking thru carnival glass, with a narrow clear focus spot only achievable holding yer head in a special odd position, then more money thrown at the issue (by a skilled practitioner) goes a long way toward solving the problems. Before I learned that, had to put up with some purt awful excuses for glasses.

Edited April 9, 2014 by Lester Weevils

[94user]

I too had to start wearing glasses after 50 years. Tried the traditional bifocal and didn't like them. I had trouble reading computer screens. The progressives do take some getting used to. Look down when descending a staircase or stepping off a curb. Like Randall said I have to turn my head because peripheral vision aint what it used to be. Be aware of that while you drive. 

[Spiffy]

When Dad got his the 1st time he looked like he was doing the goose step for a couple of days. Was seeing steps that weren't there.

[leroy]

Been wearin them myself since the early 40's... Ya just get used to em... Welcome to the "infirmed and geezer club"... It's like an older buddy of mine once said several years ago when i met him at a Hardies near his home... "...Come on over and meet my buddies at the Ben Gay Breakfast Club... If ya can't stand the smell of Ben Gay, ya cant stay with us..." he quipped... It turns out he wuz right...

 

Go forth bravely and do good... Bein a semi-geezer aint easy....

 

leroy geezer

[BLACKVANDRIVER]

Yep, learned really quick as I had to go to the finished basement today! There is a difference between glancing down and looking all the way down! Thank goodness for the handrail!

 

Work will be fun today as we have steps that I am usually with my arms full! 

 

Well, I guess if this is the worst of my week then I will be grateful!

[Smith]

Haha, welcome!

[Capbyrd]

I got glasses for the first time right before 5th grade.  And that was about a year late.  I never feel sorry for "old" people that have to get glasses.  I don't know what its like to actually be able to see.  


But I do know what its like to get a change of prescription and have that slightly off feeling.  That part sucks! 

[btq96r]

I had LASIK about 15 years ago.  I'm back to wearing glasses again.  The glasses aren't nearly as strong as what I used to use.  The difference in my vision now with and without glasses is like comparing HD to standard television.

 

I just recently got my first RX for glasses.  At first I thought it wasn't going to make much of a difference because it was a minor RX in the doctors words, but computer reading driving at night is like HD to SD as you mention.  I can only imagine how much worse it gets from here.

[NRA]

Took me a couple of weeks to get used to them.

[Shug]

Feel your pain brother