My eyes

[Akasa]

Today I saw the optometrist. I hadn't been in 5 years and I've caught myself squinting to see things so grabbed the glasses that I love and headed to get a new script.

1. I have astigmatism
2. I'm SEVERELY far sighted. Before they dilated my eyes I was measuring at .5. Those with 20/20 are at 0, near sighted is negative numbers, far sighted is in the positive numbers. After they dilated my eyes I measured at 1.5

Doc said I should probably get bifocals, though I can get by for a year or 2 with just a script to read with, but if I went 5 years like last time I'd be having lots of issues as my dilated eyes shows me what my vision would be like about 5 years from now. Most people need bifocals into their 40's-50's. I'm in my 30's.

I decided to go ahead and get bifocals and get used to them. The frames of the glasses I love look great on me and are hard to break.

I hope insurance covers scratch coating.

[sms001]

I'm on the fence about bifocals, but I think it's because my current pair is a little out-of-whack. I find myself tilting my head at odd angles to use different parts of the lens too often. Did you get the graduated ones? If so, lemme know how you like them; I've heard the full range of good to bad on them. And I hope our insurance covers scratch coating too - seems like it'd be in the insurer's best interest, and it really helps.

[Yfandes]

Are multifocal glasses an option? I love mine, and got used to them in a couple of hours.

[Brandy]

I got bifocals when I was 13, and got the no lines one. At this point my eyesight has changed enough that the script for bifocals is very weak. The no lines is great, much easier to use I think.

[wolfie]

And I hope our insurance covers scratch coating too - seems like it'd be in the insurer's best interest, and it really helps.

All the vision care plans I've seen cover a certain dollar amount (always less than the price of a GOOD pair of glasses) every 2 years. Scratch resistant coating wouldn't make a bit of difference to the insurer - you'd probably use up the allotment even without the coating, and if the glasses get scratched before the 2 years are up, you're the one who has to pay for a replacement pair.

[MoonCat]

I got bifocals when I was 13, and got the no lines one. At this point my eyesight has changed enough that the script for bifocals is very weak. The no lines is great, much easier to use I think.

God, yes. I thought I'd save money last time and get the ones with lines. Put on the new glasses for the first time and HOLY SH*T who smeared grease over my lenses?!?!

That's what it looked like to me from behind the lenses. Had to have them redone with the no-show.

[Akasa]

The ones without the lines aren't covered. Because I already had some frames I liked and was basically "Put the new lenses in these frames" they added scratch guard and UV protection and insurance will pay. I have 10 days till my new glasses come in. I'm hoping I don't trip too often and I don't have another fall that results in a broken arm while getting used to the glasses.

[PandaHat]

Take your time with stairs. If you just look down with your eyes it'll be through the wrong part of the lense. Point your nose where you want to look.

[sms001]

Thanks Akasa, you've prompted me to ring up the insurance folks on Monday. I'll be joining you in "Woot! Shiny New World" -ville shortly. And I think if mine covers it I'll give the progressives a try.

[ngc_7331]

I got my first pair of bifocals at 10 (my eyesight is terribad) and I had the lined type until last year. After awhile, you really stop noticing the line. I didn't realize that it had been there until the anti-glare started flaking off my progressives and I had to go back to wearing my old bifocals for a couple weeks. But you'll probably get used to them pretty quickly.

[mathnerd]

I tried the progressives. I simply couldn't get used to them. I was nauseated and extremely clumsy for two weeks. It took a couple days to get used to the regular bifocals, and fortunately didn't fall (though I had a few close calls, this was in the middle of a North Dakota winter.) You just have to be patient, be careful, and keep reminding yourself that it takes time to get used to those things.

Also, I was in my early 30's when I started wearing bifocals. My eye doctor at the time said she'd been seeing a lot more people in their late 20's and early 30's needing bifocals than she'd seen in the previous couple of decades. Why that is we can only guess, but it seems like 30 is becoming the new 40 when it comes to vision issues.

[raudf]

I think it's technology's fault, to be honest. Most of us sit at a computer/handle a smartphone and don't do as much focusing off in the distance to extreme close up, like we used to. I know it's getting harder for me to focus off in the distance nowadays. Not enough to trip the bifocal need yet, but...

I'm also very, very nearsighted. Or as my dad loved to say when I was younger, "You can only shove the book so far up your nose to read. Put your glasses on!" I've had them since I was four years old. Between the nearsighted and astigmatism, I was a mass of bruises growing up, since I hated wearing them. They weren't the fashion accessory they are now.

[Akasa]

I've needed glasses since 4th grade. In jr high I "lost" my glasses because they were the same ones I had in 4th grade and were WAY out of style. I was being made fun of because of them and my parents wouldn't take me to get new ones. Fast forward to when I'm working in a call center and working with computers at 12 hour stretches and I'm getting headaches. I go to get new glasses. Get told I basically need them only for reading and using the computer. These glasses flatter me. 6 years later I get a new prescription, then 7 years later I get this prescription.

[Headset Hellion]

This reminds me that I need to make an appointment to have my eyes checked!