The eyes have it. (part 2)

See part 1 here

My sister did me a huge favour in 1994 by getting married. I was 13 at the time and was still wearing fairly hideous glasses – they had by this point at least become a tortoiseshell brown colour however they were still big and round. So when #1 announced her engagement and asked #2 and I to be bridesmaids there was a serious discussion to be had about glasses. I’m not the only one in my family who is short-sighted we all are. #1 at this point already had contact lenses. I think #2’s eyesight was still good enough to get her through the day. I on the other hand was going to be stuck with the huge glasses. 

After some moaning and whining on my part I was taken to the opticians to get a trial pair of contact lenses. Owwwwwwww. At first it feels like you are sticking great big stones/twigs/100 eyelashes in your eyes. My advice to anyone who is thinking of getting contact lenses is to do it in winter and go outside a lot. The cold weather stimulates your tear ducts making the lenses a lot more comfortable. We persisted, my prescription was tweaked I guessed which was the darkest the red or the green (I hate this part of the eye examination - I don't know!) and eventually on #1’s big day I made it through without the glasses. I haven’t looked back since and have continued to wear contact lenses a lot.

I’ve had to move onto toric lenses which take into account the funny shape of my eye. I tend to wear my contacts while at work and then give my eyes a break at the weekend. I get monthly disposable lenses. Still I’m no expert, I went three or four days ignoring the fact that my right eye was giving me a lot of discomfort before finally popping into my optician on the off chance someone could have a look for me. The response – no wonder it hurts you’ve got a slit in the middle of the lens was not what I expected. The oh bugger don’t rip it fully, give it back I need to drive home was not the response they were expecting.

As I’ve been getting older (*sob*) I’ve noticed that my eyes are drying out and I can’t keep my lenses in for as long. The large chain optician’s solution was to change my contact lenses to the most expensive pair that they offered – this didn’t help. Then I overheard a colleague talking about a new optician she was trying out who had given her lenses that she could sleep in. I’ve no real requirement to sleep in my lenses (no longer being a party girl staying out until all hours of the morning at strange boys’ houses – yup your right I was never that party girl) but I figured if people can sleep in them then surely I can keep them in for longer than 8 hours.

After one failed attempt (bright red bloodshot rings on my eyes - attractive), we finally got the material and prescription of these new lenses correct. I also now take Omega oils to improve the comfort. I never sleep in the lenses but I don't immediately want to rip them from my eyes as soon as I get home.