My experiment with my contact lenses....

**pip** · 06-30-2005, 08:05 PM

I wear soft contacts and don't usually have problems with them. My eyes are changing (I'm in my 40's now,

) and now I have trouble reading when my contacts are in. Yesterday, my one contact must have irritated my eye and so today, I just left that one out and put the other one in my other eye. It's a little funky, but I can see long distance with the "contact" eye, and can read with other. It's kind of strange driving, but nice to be able to see distance AND read. Anybody else ever do this?

**SewCrafty** · 06-30-2005, 08:16 PM

Sandy, they have contacts now that do the same thing. They are called "mono vision" and I just got them. I'm not wild about them, guess I'm too used to my glasses now. Besides they don' t correct my reading vision enough (mines bad) so I still have to wear reading glasses too. Kind of defeats the purpose in my opinion.

**pip** · 06-30-2005, 08:22 PM

Yeah, it's kind of frustrating to correct your vision twice at the same time! I don't know if I'll keep doing it this way, but it's great to be able to read again. My hubby had the lasic procedure but I'm kind of a baby about my eyes... not sure if I'd have the courage to do that. At any rate, he has to wear his reading glasses whenever he reads now. Nothing is perfect, that's for sure!

**SewCrafty** · 06-30-2005, 08:31 PM

I chickened out on Lasik too, saw the film and cancelled all my other appointments. Sorry not going to take a knife to my eyes!

**kaykwilts** · 07-01-2005, 07:17 AM

I am thining about going the mono vision route. I haven't worn contacts in years because I can't read or doing sewing with them in. I have to use reading classes. I only use glasses when I drive.

**daddys3chicks** · 07-01-2005, 09:22 AM

I have monovision lenses and now that I am used to them I love them! It really takes a while of constant wearing them to get your brain trained to use one eye for one thing and one for the other. Vision is not as clear at dusk, so I don't drive at night with them in. I have a friend who has done the same thing as you with one lens for distance and none for close up. Her eye doctor put her on that regimen. She wear two when she is driving long distances.

I would LOVE to have Lasik surgery. I can't imagine what it would be like to wake up and actually be able to read to clock without picking it up!

**pip** · 07-01-2005, 05:12 PM

I tried wearing one contact again today, and it does seem to tire my eyes out. I ended up putting the other one in, and it was a relief. Dang it anyway, this getting old stuff!!!

**bamamomto4** · 07-01-2005, 08:14 PM

I've worn only one contact one time and thats because one came out while I was at the bank. I had to drive home which was weird,but I could still see,just had to blink a lot lol

Does anyone else's dry out? Seems since summer got here and I walk outside its like instant dryness. I prefer wearing contacts to glasses but somedays I have to wear glasses to give my eyes a rest. And that new renu moisture solution...burns my eyes.
I like the reg renu or opti free...

**daddys3chicks** · 07-01-2005, 08:25 PM

Originally posted by bamamomto4
I've worn only one contact one time and thats because one came out while I was at the bank. I had to drive home which was weird,but I could still see,just had to blink a lot lol

Does anyone else's dry out? Seems since summer got here and I walk outside its like instant dryness. I prefer wearing contacts to glasses but somedays I have to wear glasses to give my eyes a rest. And that new renu moisture solution...burns my eyes.
I like the reg renu or opti free...

Mine dry out a lot. I use Refresh drops and it helps, and another kind that is Blink and Clean. I seem to build up a lot of deposits on my contacts and when there is pollen it is worse! I have 24 hour lenses, and I need to start sleeping in them because they are really great, but I hate the dry eye thing!

**bamamomto4** · 07-01-2005, 08:38 PM

I use the rewetting drops and that blink and clean but mine are still dry a lot. Makes my eyes feel tired all the time.
I wear mine for about 2 weeks.I try to stretch it as long as I can and sometimes can wear them 3 weeks but my Dr said no longer than that. If I sleep in mine they like stick to my eye and I have to literally pull them off OUCH!!! It leaves a red ring on my eye for several hours...looks awful lol

**bamamomto4** · 07-01-2005, 08:42 PM

Forgot to ask you Cheryl...What kind do you wear? I dont think my DR gave me the option of the 24 hour kind..??? I wear the Acuvue Toric.

**pita1213** · 07-03-2005, 10:36 AM

tammy, make sure you rewet your contact and eye really well before trying to pull it off if it is stuck to your eye. you could damage your cornea.

if your eyes are constantly drying out, it's a sign you need to give them a break from the contacts for a bit or your eye just doesn't produce enough tears to keep them lubricated. there are a lot of different rewetting drops on the market, so if one burns, try another. ask your eye doc if he has samples you can try instead of having to buy a whole bottle. i used to use the opti free rewetting drops and really liked those, but had to change the cleaning solution because that was irritating my eyes and ended up using renu for that. i haven't worn contacts in a few years though because taking them in and out to teach people how to put them in and take them out and clean them, started to irritate my eyes and made wearing them uncomfortable.

**daddys3chicks** · 07-03-2005, 12:28 PM

Originally posted by bamamomto4
Forgot to ask you Cheryl...What kind do you wear? I dont think my DR gave me the option of the 24 hour kind..??? I wear the Acuvue Toric.

I wear the Ciba Vision Night & Day lenses. They are actually made out of teflon not regular plastic. It is supposed to be easier on the eyes and stay wetter longer. I had the old kind of extended wear lenses and they would almost fold up in my eye when I woke up - they were so dry. I don't have that problem with these.

**Telephus44** · 07-03-2005, 09:49 PM

I used to have really dry eyes when I wore contacts. in addition to the Ciba ones, I also had eye plugs put in - there are small tear ducts in the bottom of your eye where the tears drain out - I have unusually large ones. It took all of 5 seconds in the doctor's office (he put them in with what seemed like a pair of tweezers - didn't hurt at all) and my eyes got about a zillion times better.

I also had the Lasik surgery - it was awesome! My vision came out 20/20, but over the last two years it has slowly gotten worse. I'm thinking of going in to the doctor for glasses just for driving (I've having issues with distance). And my plugs have fallen out (I have a TERRIBLE habit of rubbing my eyes) I'd like to get some more put in.

**Missy** · 07-04-2005, 01:35 AM

I need to get in for a exam, thanks for this thread, i now have a few things to talk to my eye doctor about (being armed with some questions is a help) I am such a weenie about going into the doc that i get nervous and flustered and tend to "go with it" when the perscription is "good enough" or at least better than it was. Even if it isn't great or is still blurry. I am going to make sure that -armed with some of the topics in this thread- that this appointment goes better than all my previous.