I got new contacts today!
#18496 - 08/25/03 10:35 AM
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BL
Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 3522
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After a year of wearing glasses, I decided to dump them and try contacts. I got them this morning. I am so excited to be able to see and not have glasses on! I may not feel this way tonight when I get ready to go to bed and I can't get them out of my eyes! I was just kidding the technician who was teaching me to insert and remove them. I told her I needed the video "Contact Lens for Dummies" and lo and behold, she handed me a videotape and said, "WE have that!" Ha! (It's for us old folks.) I really want this to work out.
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I wear contact lenses too! Have done since i was 14(30 now!)i recently changed the type i wear from hard lenses to soft,and had to learn how to put in and remove all over again,as it was a different technique! So i totally know where you are coming from! It makes such a difference having the option to wear your glasses or your lenses! i do get odd looks when i'm out with other people,and they hear me say "i really need to take my eyes out!"
Good luck!!
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Morven 
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Well I happen to be an optician. I'm the girl who helps you pick out your glasses, makes all the measurements, orders frames for the office and of course teaches you about contacts! What kind did you get? If you need any help let me know!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Oh, cool! I wish I had you here to help me. I think they are called CooperFlex. They are the mono vision ones. I got them in and out easily in the office but after wearing them 6 hours, I panicked when I tried dragging them down and I couldn't get them out. I had put a little of the drops in my eyes, but I guess I needed to wait a few minutes before I tried getting them out. My eyes felt really dry, and they felt like they were glued to my eyeballs!
My vision up close was great today, but it was blurry in the distance with the contacts on. By the end of the 6 hour-period, I felt a little nauseous and had a headache. Is that normal? Will it just take a while for my brain to adjust to the distance? My eyes feel a little sore now. Is that normal?
I have been wearing progressive lens glasses for the past year, but hated wearing them and I didn't like the way I couldn't see well with them when backing up the car or merging into traffic. I tried contact lens last year (before the glasses) and I know I didn't give it enough time. I gave up before the end of the first week! I am determined to be successful at it this time!
Don't laugh, but I was having a hard time telling if the contact was in the right way or inside out. (How are you supposed to know this, especially when you can't see up close?) I panicked again today when I took one out and it folded up like a taco. Now I'm not going to know if it's in right tomorrow or not. Why can't they make one that looks different on each side so that you can tell which way or which. Any tips you could give me would be greatly appreciated. I am going to feel like a big DUMMY if I can't do this. My teenage sons keep telling me, "Mom, surely you can do this! Our friends were doing this in 6th grade!" (Now that makes me feel better! Ha!)
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Here is your answer BL. I worked for eye doctors for 9 years and I too taught people how to put contact lenses in. I haven't worked in Eyecare for two and half years and therefore not familiar with cooperflex.
Monovision is harder to get use to than single vision contact lenses and you doctor may have to make adjustments with your lenses.
My suggestion is use your eye drops more frequetly tomorrow and once you begin to feel headaches - take to contacts out. You have to remember your eyes are not use to having an object stuck to it and that is why you are given a wearing schedule. That can contribute to your sore eyes ans also your distance vision is blurry and that can make your eyes hurt.
Usually the red flags are very red eyes and eye pain. If you have any doubts about your eyes hurting - call your doctor's office.
Just some tips I gave my patients were: never sleep in your contact lenses, never swim in them, do not take showers with them (you thougt your contacts were glued to your eyeballs - much worse after a shower) and always take the R lens out first and always put the R lens in first.
Words of encouragement are don't give up too soon and you will be much happier with mono vision than those progressive lenses!
Good Luck!!! I'm sure Michelle will have more things to say.
Are my contact lenses inside out?
Answer 1:
It is often difficult to determine if a disposable lens is inside out if the patient can't see the markings on the lens or can't judge the edge profile. Here is another way to tell if the lens is correct. Place the lens in your palm.
Aim a steady stream of solution on the lens. If the lens folds on itself, then the lens orientation is correct to go on the eye. If the lens does not fold on itself it is inside out.
Answer 2:
Holding the lens on the tip of one finger, look at the profile of the lens. If the edges of the lens try to curl back on themselves then the lens is inside out.
Answer 3:
If the lens feels uncomfortable on the eye and will not settle. It may pay to try it around the other way. Often it settles immediately. You can eventually develop a feel for what is right or wrong when the lens is in your eye.
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M first week with contacts, I kept pushing on my face to see things real far way like I did with glasses. Obviously doesn't work but looks real silly! 
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for the tips, especially the ones about determining which side is which. Do you mean if the contact folds up like a taco in your hand, then that's the correct way for it to go in your eye? I hate it when it folds up. That's when I panic!!!
I am meeting with my Tuesday morning "brunch" group of ladies today. It will be interesting to see if anyone notices that I am not wearing my glasses.
I'm glad you mentioned that about the shower, because I had not thought of that. I guess the steam "glues" it to your eye.
By the way, I hope you get some answers soon about your son. I know you are worried about him (what mom doesn't worry about their kids?), but especially with school starting. Third grade is a hard age. Hopefully, you will know something soon and it won't be anything serious. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
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That's so great about your contacts, BL! I would love to get contacts (I have glasses). But I can't even get close to my eyes without me blinking uncontrollably about 500 times in a row!!
I can't even put in eye drops without freaking out, so it's glasses for this cat...
Good luck and don't feel bad, I would be no better! LOL 
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Lana_Marie
Proud Mommy to Bentley Taylor
Born May 12, 2004 9lbs, 3oz
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Everything your saying, I've heard a million times before! It will take longer to get used to the mono vision, at least a good solid week or so. What we do is give you a trial pair to wear a week and have you come back in and recheck your vision to make any adjusments in the rx before we order your actual contacts. It's not always 100% clear both far and close all the time, it is sometimes a bit of a trade off in monovision. We don't use much of the cooper vision lenses, no particular reason, I don't know of anything wrong with that brand. We prefer the Ciba Newvus and Vistakons Accuvue 2 lenses. The Accuvue 2 lenses have a higher water content and work better for poeple who tend to have dryer eyes. Women over 40 are more prone to dry eyes, also hormones like birth control pills and other medications make eyes dryer. As your doctor for some samples of drops to help with the dryness. When your lens folds over put it in the palm of your hand and soak it with solution, then gently use one finger to "roll" it apart, NEVER try to peel it apart, it will rip every time! If its being stubborn, put it in the case and let it soak for a minute in the solution. Did your doctor give you a wearing schedule? It's best to wear the lenses a few hours the first day and increase your time everyday(just like we build up our tolerance to fiber supplements!) The soreness should stop in a few days. At first you should carry your case and solution with you in case you have an emergency! And yes the lens should fold over like a taco if its the correct way, you will probably know right away if you get it in your eye inside out! Your doing just fine, give it a little time. If the headache and nausea are not better in one week you need to talk to your doctor about the prescription. Let me know if you have any more questions! Feel free to email me also! michelebrake@sbcglobal.net
Good luck!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Michele
#18615 - 08/26/03 11:41 AM
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BL
Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 3522
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I am wearing the contacts and can't even feel them which is great! Again this morning, my big problem was trying to figure out which way was which. When I picked up one lens, it flopped around and then I had no idea which way it was to go in!!!! I inserted it and it felt uncomfortable so I took it out and tried it the other way. Hopefully, soon I will get the hang of this.
Earlier this morning I felt nauseous (almost like car-sick), but this has gotten better as the day went on.
I was told to wear them 6 hours the first day, 8 the second day, 10 the next, and so on.
Am I supposed to be putting drops in my eyes throughout the day?
Thanks for your help! This is cool! My own optician online.
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