New contacts

[pegkerr]

Well, I wore them for half a day. I don't think I have the correct fit yet. I'm not confident I picked the right dealer. I have astigmatism in the right eye, and they tried no less than seven different lens in that eye, messing around for over an hour. Very discouraging. The one I left with seemed to be the best of all the ones I tried, but that's not saying much--they said it didn't quite match what they thought was my prescription (but what they thought was my prescription was totally blurry). I can't tell whether the problems I had today were simply because the eye was so tired and sore from my (rather clumsy) attempts at putting lens in and taking them out or because it really is an improper fit. I'm to call Wednesday and come back in; I suspect further tinkering is necessary. If they tinker too much I might say thanks but no thanks and try to find another dealer.

I have a headache now. The fact that I've been doing Quicken tonight doesn't help. I took them out about an hour ago and am resorting to glasses.

Comments

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

Ow! Poor girl. My astigmatism is so bad that I can't be corrected, alas.

Infinite sympathies, me dear.

[stinaleigh.livejournal.com]

I don't know where you are getting your contacts but I've had very good luck with Grand Spectacle on Grand Ave at Avon across from the Caribou and Italian Pie Shop. (big yellow house). The doc there is very nice and good. I've gotten several pairs of glasses and gas permeable contacts.

[callunav.livejournal.com]

You make me worry.

Long ago, when I first got glasses, there were only hard contact lenses, and I asked if I could get contacts and was told flatly "No." I have a vertical astigmatism. Normal people, it appears, have horizontal astigmatims. For this reason, it was impossible that contacts, even very expensive contacts, would be remotely viable - and even to attempt it would be very expensive. And uncomfortable.

So I didn't.

In recent years, I've thought that what with all the amazing advances in the technologies involved, SUREly my vertical astigmatism would pose no obstacle to my joining the contact-wearing hordes. And I rather like the way I look without my glasses. I'm not walk-into-walls blind without them, by any means, but I'm probably-shouldn't-drive and will-certainly-go-nuts-from-everything-being-so-blurry impaired, so I thought contacts would be nice. And viable. And maybe even affordable, someday.

I read you entry and fear that I have been vastly optimistic. Alas. Although, since I couldn't get them now anyhow, it's probably just as well for me to believe that they wouldn't have worked out. :)

[lostbutton.livejournal.com]

Whenever I get new contacts and my perscription has changed (with astigmatism as well!) I usually have to try a few different contacts in at least one eye before they hit on the one that works best with my astigmatism. (I too am pretty darn-blind-with-added-astigmatism).

My mom is one of the few I know who can't wear contacts... she has horrible astigmatism and is very very very near-sighted, but the main problem is that they can't find a way to correct for the prism problem she has in one of her eyes.

[nmalfoy.livejournal.com]

I wear astigmatism contacts in both eyes, but the right eye has much worse astigmatism than the other, so the contact is much thicker, and took about ten days to get used to. So if my eye is irritated, the contact bugs me and rotates around so that everything is blurry. Your eye was irritated and sore and just needs a rest.

Where are you getting your contacts from?

[wildflower150.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to say I also have astigmatism and did manage to find some contacts that fit okay. They have never been as good of a fit as my glasses since it is very hard for them to match but I got used to them. I found that if I put them on right away in the morning instead of partway through the day when I had been wearing my glasses in the morning it was better and I didn't notice the not quite as good fit.
I hope you find some that work for you - good luck! :)

[gamps-garret.livejournal.com]

Wait -- they tried seven different astigmatism-battling contacts in one eye all in the space of an hour? You *probably* don't have the best fit yet; once you put a lens in, they should make you sit in a bright room for fifteen minutes, allowing the eye to contract and relax and grow accustomed to the lens, then do a vision test on each eye. Every contact lens exam I've had in ten years has consisted of that testing. *crosses fingers for you*

FYI: no matter how good the lenses, your vision will not be as crisp with contacts as it is with your glasses. That didn't bother me when vanity was the only reason I wore them, but now that I have to be camera-ready all the time and *need* to wear them, I'm rather resentful.

Good luck!

[leiabelle.livejournal.com]

your vision will not be as crisp with contacts as it is with your glasses

Not always true -- my vision is definitely better with my contacts. I can only wear my glasses for about an hour before things start to be really out of focus, and I won't drive while wearing them unless it's absolutely necessary. I've mentioned it to the eye doctor, and basically that's as good as they'll ever be able to get my glasses, which is a scary thing to hear at 23. Thank God for contact lenses.

YMMV

[mayakda.livejournal.com]

My vision is actually excelent with RGP contacts, much better than with glasses. I know that it wasn't as crisp with soft contacts, but that was long ago that I tried those, so soft contacts may be better now.
One of the (many) reasons I've decided against lasik is that there's the possibility that post-lasik vision would not be as crisp as my vison with contacts is now.

[kristenj.livejournal.com]

I also have RGP contacts, and find that my vision is much sharper with them than with glasses. Plus, my vision is so bad (legally blind without correction) that when I wear glasses I really notice the sudden lack of peripheral vision!

Although, alas, I have been wearing contacts for over 20 years and my eyes are growing very tired of them, which means that soon I shall have to give in and wear glasses all of the time.

[leiabelle.livejournal.com]

Don't give up! I have terrible vision and astigmatism (my glasses are -8.25 in one eye and -8.75 in the other), and it took 6 months of trying to find the right prescription when I was in 7th grade, but contacts are the best thing I've ever done. They're totally worth the hassle. Good luck!

[mayakda.livejournal.com]

I don't have astigmatism but I am "rather nearsighted" (aka blind as a bat without naked eyes) and I've been wearing rigid gas permeable lenses for, I think, around 13 years.
The eye doctor (opthalmologist and eye surgeon) I go to is old and a bit old-fashioned -- he won't write a prescription. Instead he'll order and fit the lenses himself. Checkups and stuff take forever, but it's worth it.
Just to say, maybe you need a better lens-fitter. Since you have the dry duct issue, it might be worth it, imo, to see an eye dr with his own practice, rather than an optometrist in a chain.

[hotarunokokoro.livejournal.com]

i actally see better with my contacts, than with my glasses. and yes i have that same astigmasim in both eyes. hang in ther, i can wear mine for 14 hours without much trouble at all.

[mmmgood.livejournal.com]

Like all the rest, I wear contacts for advanced nearsightedness combined with increasingly bad astigmatism in both eyes. I've been slowly moving along the line of contacts (starting with gas perms) since I was 13 and first allowed to wear them by my ophthalmologist.

Someone said you needed to have the contacts on your eyes for a while before checking them while at the office, and that is true. Also, all of the doctors I've seen since I've been wearing the soft contacts that also correct for astigmatism have wanted me to try them on for a week and report back or sometimes even come in after that week is up, to check the fit.

If your provider isn't doing that -- especially given that you haven't been wearing contacts recently -- I'd suggest a new provider.

In addition, perhaps you should consider a visit to your optometrist/ophthalmologist for this service. I know it will take longer, but it probably will be worth it. I have the advantage of being required to visit my doc every year for retinal problems, so I've never bothered with a stand-alone optician shop for contact fittings. And your health insurance will surely pay for a yearly visit to the eye doctor so . . .