any advice from contact wearers?

[Lindercles 0]

You want advice? Stop being a pussy and get the fucking contacts.

[waltappel 1]

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You want advice? Stop being a pussy and get the fucking contacts.

Ok, I got the eye exam and got fitted for contacts. I'll be picking them up in a couple of days.

The doctor was early fortyish, beautiful, and incredibly charming. Shit, she could have told me she wanted to stick a fork in my eyes and I would have been ok with it!

"Look straight ahead at me...."

I had no problem at all with that part of the exam, even when what she was doing was blocking most of the view, I was fixated on her dark brown hair with a few gray hairs scattered here and there. Damn do I like the way gray hair looks!

Oh yeah, contacts. I think Wednesday will be the big day to try 'em.

Tonight I'm headed to LensCrafters to get new lenses in my glasses.

Walt

[matthewcline 0]

Mmmmm, my wife works at a Lenscrafters as a dispensing optician with a lady doctor, where did this take place? (there both good looking, my wife is the one that is 5'9" and has a fast and accurate right hook, that seams to reach out 6')

Just as the Doc said wash your hands and change the contacts as per the script as a minimum.

I did contacts for a few months but liked the LASIK deal better, plus it was free so I said sure.

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[waltappel 1]

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Mmmmm, my wife works at a Lenscrafters as a dispensing optician with a lady doctor, where did this take place? (there both good looking, my wife is the one that is 5'9" and has a fast and accurate right hook, that seams to reach out 6')

Just as the Doc said wash your hands and change the contacts as per the script as a minimum.

I did contacts for a few months but liked the LASIK deal better, plus it was free so I said sure.

No worries--it was in Houston at Kelsey Seybold and I was a (I hate to use this word, but...) gentleman.

Thanks for the tips.

Walt

[dropoutdave 0]

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Oh yeah, contacts. I think Wednesday will be the big day to try 'em.

Good luck! You really won't need it though, trust me. You'll just be amazed at having 360 degree clear vison. I remember when I first tried mine in, I couldn't believe how much better it was than wearing glasses!

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May Contain Nut traces......

[skydiver1717 0]

Only order 6 mths., preferably less from the eye doctors office, get the written prescription and order the rest from 1800contacts.com (after the follow up Dr's exam for fit). Same lenses, much less $$$=More $$$ for jumping.

Most doctors offices will not let you order less than 6 mths. for profitability reasons. They are required by law to give you your prescription, so call them on it if they refuse and tell you that you are required to order all of your contacts from them. You will have to fax your Rx into the .coms and the prescription is only good for a year by law. So don't wait until just before it expires to order or they get antsy. I order a years worth initially to avoid hassles and that gives me extra sets for ones that tear, get smoked up etc. I have contacts that last a month and pay approx $60 for 6 months worth at 1-800contacts. They are reputable, been ordering this way for 10+ years without a problem.

The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn't it be? It is the same the angels breathe. — Mark Twain,

[GrumpySmurf 0]

Put the plug in the sink before taking them out.

The day you don't will be the day you watch it fall off your finger and right straight down the hole, then realize it was your last one and you forgot to order the next set

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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In terms of putting them in, if you have big hands, good luck. My Dad has been wearing contacts for 4 or 5 years now, and it's easy for him to put them in. BUT... in the beginning I felt so bad for him, watching him poke his big fingers at his eye. It WILL get easier though.

Wow, that's just like my dad! My brother got fed up with seeing our dad wearing these big, clunky bifocal glasses, so he got Dad an exam and trial set of bifocal contact lenses for a birthday present.

Poor Dad! He is not past it, and wears them just fine, but on that first day, he got so pissed off trying to get them in! And then later that day, he had not been able to detect that they had apparently come out during the day, and so when he tried to take them out, he rubbed his eyes all red trying to remove lenses that weren't there!

But now he wears them no problem, and they make it much better for flying (he flies). I also wear them, and they make lots of things easier because some things are a bitch to do with glasses, like kayaking, skydiving, disc golf, flying. Anything you need either good peripheral vision for, or that you can't allow glasses to get wet or knocked off at.

Tips:
- Always keep a bottle of Renu Rewetting drops in your pocket, especially when you're new to lenses. Your eyes will dry out and the drops make it much more comfortable.
- I use Accuvue II, but I can't compare them to other brands because they're all I've used, pretty much. But I have no problem with them. $15 per box, each box has 3 pairs.
- Do NOT sleep with them in your eyes. Try to never even NAP with them -- for some reason, they get really sticky if you fall asleep. If you do, make sure to use drops before you try to remove them, or it'll feel like you're tearing the cornea off your eye!
- Practice determining which side is the outside and which is the inside. It's not hard. If the lense is inside-out, the profile will be like a bowl with a flared lip. If right-side-out, the profile will be like a hemisphere. Inside-out lenses will irritate your eyelid.
- When you take a lense out of the case to insert, fish it out with a single finger. Place it onto your palm. Run some cleaning solution over it and let that run off your hand into the sink -- this will remove any lint fibers that can be on the lense, and yes, you will feel those so get rid of them. Then, get the lense right-side-out on your palm, and sweep your middle finger toward it, with the finger on its side, "palm" side of the finger facing the side of the lense. As you touch the lense, kinda roll your finger "palm" up, and the lense should adhere as your finger tries to pass under it. Now the lense should be on your finger tip.

Use your ring finger, or the other hand, to pull your lower eyelid down, and stare at your eye in the mirror. Bring your lense straight onto your eye, and DO put a slight bit of pressure onto the pupil. It will not hurt, but you will be making sure that the lense makes a suction onto the cornea. Slowly release the eyelid, and slowly blink to smooth out any air bubbles that may be under the lense.

Good luck. For those of us unlucky enough to still have perfect vision (mine went at about age 26 or so), contact lenses are a decent solution.

When skydiving:

- keep a bottle of drops in your jumpsuit pocket for use in the plane
- always make sure to tighten your goggles just before door opens -- tight is GOOD
- if your goggles fog up near jump altitude, pull them away from your eyes and let the steam out, but close your eyes when you do so, to keep them moist
- don't be afraid to wear your goggles on taxi and/or takeoff (if they leave the door open) or at the lower altitudes of the climb before they shut the door, because the airflow will dry your eyes

-

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[popsjumper 2]

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...want to try contacts. They scare me bad. I just don't like the idea of poking myself in the eye.

Thanks, Walt. I can totally relate.

These replies have just about given me the balls to get over the same hump. Now I'm working on getting over a similar hump for Lasik or the like. But it's hard....I have no eye "balls".

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[waltappel 1]

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...want to try contacts. They scare me bad. I just don't like the idea of poking myself in the eye.

Thanks, Walt. I can totally relate.

These replies have just about given me the balls to get over the same hump. Now I'm working on getting over a similar hump for Lasik or the like. But it's hard....I have no eye "balls".

There really have been a bunch of outstanding responses. Thanks everyone!!!

I have heard a bunch of people say GREAT things about Lasik. I don't know if I'm a candidate for it, but if I am, I'd have no problem with it.

Walt

[Nightingale 0]

Many doctors will match the 1-800-CONTACTS price. I told my doc I was going to order from there, and she actually beat their price by five bucks.

[moodyskydiver 0]

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just don't ever sleep with em in, wake up, try and find one of em that you thought fell out, and later find it in your eye

Eww! I've sooo done that and it sucks! Even better, try tearing one and being unable to get the small sliver of torn contact out of your eye for 3 days. Blech!

So be VERY gentle when putting contacts in and taking them out.

"...just an earthbound misfit, I."

[waltappel 1]

Ok, I got my contacts today. After about 8 or 10 tries I got them in.

Took forever to get them out and now I can't get them back in.

Wah!!!

Walt

[Vallerina 2]

One day, you'll get to the point where you don't even need a mirror to put them in!

There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning

[grue 1]

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One day, you'll get to the point where you don't even need a mirror to put them in!

That took me forever, and I still prefer to use a mirror because I've got small eyes

The 30-day continuous wear lenses are a godsend, just to let you guys all know

I take out my contacts on the 2nd to last day of a given month, then put in a fresh pair on the first of the month. GLORIOUS.

I think I'm gonna get intralasik for my 25th birthday, though. I hate not being able to wear sunglasses instead of goggles when I jump. I'm kinda tempted to try it on a day when I was gonna chuck a pair of contacts anyway, since my prescription is weak enough so I can still land safely without 'em if it doesn't work

cavete terrae.

[grue 1]

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- Do NOT sleep with them in your eyes. Try to never even NAP with them -- for some reason, they get really sticky if you fall asleep. If you do, make sure to use drops before you try to remove them, or it'll feel like you're tearing the cornea off your eye!
-

A hint from your neighbourhood grue:

If you get one of those emergency eye-washer bottles, you can fill it with contact solution and fill the cup-thing for your eye, and just hold your eye in there for 5-6 seconds, then your contact will come out very easily.

cavete terrae.

[Daizey 0]

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Do NOT sleep with them in your eyes. Try to never even NAP with them -- for some reason, they get really sticky if you fall asleep. If you do, make sure to use drops before you try to remove them, or it'll feel like you're tearing the cornea off your eye!

I probably shouldn't say this cause they tell you not to do it, but I sleep with my contacts in all the time and have no issues. My eyes arent dry when I wake up, in fact, sometimes i forget I even have bad vision lol. I have 2 week acuvue II lenses....so i used to take them out about oh...every 2 weeks haha.

I've been better about it and only leave them in for a a few days at the most at a time now. I've considered getting the extended wear lenses, but theyre also expensive! Whats funny is both of my brothers have contacts too. One is just like me and the other one cant even nap with them in. I guess it all depends on you eyes. Same goes with the need for rewetting drops. I rarely ever need them, but my brother needs them all the time.


I do agree with everyone who said to make sure you wash your hands at first. I learned the hard way. But not just foods, I've gotten stuff like hairspray and all on my fingers and Omg that hurts! Also toothpaste after brushing my teeth then putting the lenses in. Ouch!

Also, if you get tired, don't rub your eyes. This'll cause the lense to fall out or worse, get suck soemwhere in your eyes so you have to work to get it out (under the eyelid is always a favorite hiding spot for mine)

One nifty thing about at least acuvue II's. When first learnign if they are inside out or not, hold it up to the light. Acuvues have the #'s 123 on them and when holding it the correct way, the numbers will be right site up
Good luck with them!!

*daizey*

[Daizey 0]

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I think I'm gonna get intralasik for my 25th birthday, though. I hate not being able to wear sunglasses instead of goggles when I jump. I'm kinda tempted to try it on a day when I was gonna chuck a pair of contacts anyway, since my prescription is weak enough so I can still land safely without 'em if it doesn't work

Bad bad BAD idea lol. I jumped in my bofriends sunglasses once on a high pull. I figured, oh big deal its only a 3 second delay it won't do anything. BAD idea. Luckily the one that fell out was on the inside of the sunglasses and I was able to put it back in, but it was so dried out it hurt for the first few minutes. I spent most of the time flying around with one eye closed. It sucked

*daizey*

[grue 1]

Well, like I said, my vision is actually decent. There've been plenty of times where I've thrown away a pair of contacts after taking 'em without checking to see if I have a new pair. No problems going a few days without 'em until I have time to go to the store and get new ones. I figure if I'm gonna try it, I'll wait until I'm about to take out and dispose of a pair anyway, toward the end of the month. Then if they come out in freefall, well, no big deal.

cavete terrae.

[Daizey 0]

I wish I was that way. I didn't put mine in this morning and was walking to class. i took my glasses off cause it was raining and put them in my pocket. then a friend of mine called me and it took me a few seconds to even realize who she was-from 5 feet away!!

I love my contacts, but I would love to get lasik at some point in the near future as well

*daizey*

[windcatcher 0]

I still sleep in my contacts occasionally.
Anyone else admit to that?

Mother to the cutest little thing in the world...

[Broke 0]

That's nothing after like 6- 10 inches my sight is a lost cause. I need to get my eyeballs lasered.

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[Daizey 0]

same here, i cant even read without my glasses on

*daizey*

[Broke 0]

We were drilling today having a competition of which team could get their bunker gear the fastest. I think my lack of vision slowed me down. I had to stop and look at my gloves so I was sure that they were going on the correct hands.

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[bob.dino 1]

Mine were -5.25 and -5.75, with a touch of astigmatism. Lasik rocks.