I just got back from the eye doctor

[KitchenWitch]

I DO need bifocals. I am getting progressives. I just have to find a provider that is covered by our eye care plan.

[Tektonik]

1. If you can get LASIK, it's really worth it

I'm spoiled, and I may not need glasses for another 20 or 30 years (everyone else in my family has eye problems though).

[KitchenWitch]

2. Nobody, and I mean nobody is coming near my eyes with a laser

One of my friends had Lasik and they screwed up, so they had to do it again. He is now blind in one eye and has to wear glasses to see out of the other.

[Shine]

5. That's too bad. Yes, there are definitely horror stories out there

but I did tons of research and decided the benefits outweighed the risks. I was very fortunate.

Plus, you'll love this: the night before the surgery I pulled an Angel Card, asking for guidance and support and the card I picked (out of 70-something cards, mind you!) was:

CLARITY.

Isn't that amazing?? I knew, right there and then, that the whole thing was blessed and I'd be OK. :D

[KitchenWitch]

12. I totally get that!

I love that you pulled the Clarity card.

:hi:

[barb162]

21. Ohmygod.

I had people telling me for years I should have lasik and I feel the same way you do. If there is one slip-up, you can be blinded and I don't feel it is worth the chance.

[Shine]

4. I had LASIK almost 8 yrs ago and I agree, it's fantastic, BUT......

it does not deal with presbyopia...which is the natural aging of the retina...which usually means some sort of bifocal action will probably be needed down the road.

I wore glasses and contacts for 30 yrs before the surgery and LASIK has made a huge difference for me, but I'm at peace with someday having to wear bifocals.

No biggie. :hi:

[pitohui]

7. why would you need bifocals?

my LASIK about a decade ago cured the problem with distance vision, these days i need reading glasses because, as you say, age-related far-sightedness is a progressive condition that can't be treated with LASIK

however the near-sightedness/astigmatism is completely gone

seems you would only need "bi" focals if you had both conditions...

[Shine]

3. I'm probably right behind ya...

I've gotta get in for a check up, too.

:hi:

[ashling]

6. I have had bifocals for about 10 or 12 years.

The first onse I got were the lined, but they have gotten better with the progressives since then. I have had progressives most of that time, but sometimes feel that I want a clearly dilineated change sometimes.

Now I have double vision and cataracts. I am going to have surgery in March on the right eye.

[AlCzervik]

8. i just got my first pair of them about a week and half ago, i love them. I don't have

to ask my daughter to read the fine print for me anymore, btw she's 13 and she also has progressive lenses.

[michaz]

9. Got my progressives about 4 days ago and I still can't get used to them!

They don't work real well for using my computer but they seem to work well for distance.

[AlCzervik]

10. you will, it took me a full week and every now and then i forget that downstairs is for reading.

whoops, grab that hand railing.

[michaz]

11. LOL! I sure hope so.

At the price of them I sure need to have them work. It is pretty nasty when you forget to look through the right section going up and down stairs. One could easily be using their health insurance if they made a mistake!

[FloridaJudy]

13. Give it time.

It took me about two weeks: now I love them. Going downstairs is still problematical, though

I still remember how cars bent as they came toward me during those few weeks, so maybe put off driving for a bit.

[radfringe]

14. tri-focals here

and need an exam, most likely new glasses too as it's been over 5 years since last exam

eye plan through work doesn't cover tri-focals, barely covers glasses at all, and the health insurance plan doesn't cover it all

so I'm S.O.L. until I can come up with the money.. I also have a heavy duty prescription so the lenses aren't cheap, cost me close to $400 for the pair I'm wearing now and that's with the least expensive frames that I could find

tax refund is already earmarked for brakes on my car, and I need tires too. the bush-rebate scam money is going towards bills or cordwood for next winter's heating needs

plus my partner still can't find a job, so any extra pennies go into household needs...

[KitchenWitch]

15. I hear you loud and clear - even with the eye plan, I just spent $225 on the glasses.

I also have a heavy duty prescription that pretty much requires the premium progressives rather than the plain progressives.

[radfringe]

16. I didn't bother picking up the eye plan at work

why pay for something I can't use?

it will cover the eye exam, but the yearly premium is more than the cost of the exam

last year one of the stems on my glasses broke, I went to 3 different places to see if they could replace the stem...

no luck, they don't have replacement stems to fit my frames

so I went to Walmart, found a $5 pair of sunglasses, stems were the size I needed, would fit my frames - bought the sunglasses and swapped out the stems

luckily in the meantime, I had a very old pair of glasses as a back up, things were a bit blurry until I fixed my regular glasses

[FloridaJudy]

17. Been there, done that

Switching out the stems with cheap drugstore glasses. Unfortunately, when you break the bridge you're stuck with the Harry Potter look.

[ThomCat]

18. I just found out this last week that I already need reading glasses.

Bi-focals don't work so well when using a computer because you're not looking down to read. So now I'll have to carry two pairs of glasses around with me. Oh well. It's just one more thing to deal with.

I hope you find a place covered by your insurance. You look really good with glasses. :)

[Haole Girl]

19. They are *not* called bi-focal lenses!

They are "multi purpose lenses"! That is my story and I am sticking to it! ;-) :hi:

[KitchenWitch]

20. I love it.

:rofl:

[yellowdogintexas]

22. progressives are nice. I found however that for computer work I was

continually angling my head in strange positions to see the screen through the best focal point. Solution: Pair of cheap single vision lenses just for the computer.

Now I have contacts...monovision style. Toric for astigmatism and distance in the "bad" eye and slight near correction in the strong eye and I can read, drive, watch TV, work on computer and so forth