I'll Never Look Like Dennis Taylor Again! (Contact Lenses in general)

Member Name: Smark1985

Product:	Contact Lenses in general
Date:	06/06/01 (345 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Convenient to use, they allow you much more freedom than glasses, I can see clearly!

Disadvantages: Some lenses take strenuous looking after, if not cared for properly diseases could spread.

Eyesight is a very strange thing. When I was an 8 year old who attended primary school, I had perfect eyesight. 11 years on, I have absolutely dreadful eyesight, and am wearing contact lenses. But my eyesight began to deteriorate when I was about 9.

When my eyes were fine, at the time when I didn't need glasses, I used to almost feel guilty that I didn't have glasses, and genuinely felt sorry for those that did. Now, I know this is stupid, as they do not make a difference as to whether you have a girlfriend, or whether you are popular etc. at least when you are of an adult age anyway. As a young kid, glasses are seen as a hindrance to how popular you will be with both sexes. So, as I didn't wear glasses, and was always popular, I tended to feel for those who did wear glasses, and were mocked for doing so. To be honest, and I really cannot explain why, I was strangely pleased when told that I had to wear glasses. This sounds very weird now, but back then, that was my honest reaction. I really did not have a problem with it at all.

So, upon choosing my glasses, I was quite excited, and looked forward to wearing them for the first time. All of this remained true whilst I was at home. I didn't have a problem with wearing glasses if I was in the safe proximity's of my home. But, as the first day of school wearing loomed, I began to get quite nervous at how my friends would react.

At this time, my eyesight was not that bad, and I only needed them for looking at the blackboard in school, or for watching television at home. I was fine outdoors, and never wore them outside. But still, I wore glasses. My fellow classmates had mixed reactions really. Some liked them, and actually thought that I looked good in them (well, that must have been a blatant lie as I was wearing a Dennis Taylor like pair!), but others laughed and mocked, which was what I knew was going to happen as I had seen them do it to other wearers in my class. Thi
s was when I realised that I really hated glasses, and wished I never hoped I would have them as I felt like I had tempted fate somewhat. That is probably not true, although I am a strong believer in tempting fate (this op will get a crown - there you go, it won't!), I was wearing glasses because I had been passed poor eyesight from my parents who both wear glasses. Funnily enough, I had been warned by a classmate whose name escapes me, that if I saw double then I would wear glasses, and she couldn't have been wrong as it had happened to her big sister apparently... so there you go, it was true. Slightly mocking her, I would deliberately (and rather foolishly) make myself see double just to taunt her and her tales. Why I ever doubted her I don't know, she was the brightest girl in our class, and was not known for spouting false facts. Whatever the reason, I was wearing glasses, and I had to live with it. (Phew, sorry, I didn't realise this paragraph was such a babble!).

In a matter of years, apparently due to playing the computer too much, my eyesight got worse and worse, I now needed to wear glasses all the time. If I had been wise, then I would have started to wear my glasses full time as I started secondary school, this was a foolproof plan as nobody would know me any different, so glasses would not affect my popularity in any way, it would just be a fact that Nick wore glasses. Nobody would question it, they would just think it to be normal, as if I had never not worn glasses.

But, I wasn't wise, and I didn't wear glasses full time. This was a huge mistake and led to many embarrassing situations. As we got split into ability groups for lessons, people who only really knew me outside at lunch and breaks, would be shocked and come out with the line "Oh Nick, I never knew you wore glasses!". This brought unwanted attention my way and made more of an issue of my glasses than I had hoped for.

Even though I
didn't wear glasses all the time, the fact that I needed to did not go away, which I optimistically thought it would for some unknown reason. So, outside, wherever I went, I could never see clearly, and this ruined a lot of my school life as I constantly seemed a bit strange by asking who was coming from the top of the field as I was going up, when it turned out that it was my best friend... making me seem quite odd. As I could never see properly, I unknowingly started to squinting to see better, which sparked off the crazy rumour that I was on drugs, due to my eyes being nearly closed as I squinted, a large circle of my year came to the conclusion that I was some form of drug. Looking back, all of this was completely unnecessary, but I was a coward really, and never had the courage to wear my glasses outdoors... even though virtually everyone knew I wore them anyway.

I deeply regret not wearing them now, and it haunts me as to how much I missed out on. I was a part of the school Football and Tennis teams, and can't help but wonder how much better I had could've been if I had been able to see properly.

As I started Year 10, I was told by my optician that I would now have the option that I could wear contact lenses as my eyes had been deemed to have stopped growing. At first, I was lukewarm to the idea, and didn't like the idea of putting a piece of glass into my eye. Now, obviously, this is absolutely ludicrous, as lenses are very soft. almost like jelly. But I didn't know this at the time, and had been told by a trusted relative that they were horrible things, and I would be mad to even consider the idea. So, I didn't. I kept struggling along with my normal - very poor eyes whenever I was outside.

That was until I had finally had enough last year. I had left school, and was in college. After 5 years of not being able to see outside, I finally had enough, and just did not see the point of struggling anymore. I fina
lly plucked up the courage to have contact lenses.

Money was not an issue, and they turned out a lot cheaper than I thought they would have. It was just deciding which lenses to have. Would I opt for the slightly more expensive 1-day lenses, or would I go for the cheaper, easier to apply, 2-weekly lenses. Upon advice from my optician, I opted for the 2-weekly lenses, perhaps just to start me off. These were hell.

Admittedly, it may have been done to my poor handling of them, but it was due to these lenses that I caught a nasty eye infection. With the 2-weeklies, known as "Acuvue 2", each night I had to take them out and place them into containers with special solution in them, they were to be left overnight, ready for me to wear the next morning. But, I got slack, and started to wear them whilst sleeping. Big mistake. I don't exactly know why you shouldn't wear these lenses overnight, but that is just the way it is. There are other lenses available that allow you to keep them in for 2 straight weeks without taking them out once, this made me think that they couldn't be that much different, so I didn't see the harm in wearing them in bed. Within weeks of doing so, my eyes caught an infection which meant I had to stop wearing lenses altogether. I was back to square one, wearing glasses again. Right up until February of this year.

A year older, a year wiser. I decided to once again start wearing contact lenses, this time lenses that I could throw away at the end of each day, and put new ones in each morning. Four months on, I have had no problems with these lenses, and they are much more convenient in all circumstances.

"1.Day Acuvue: Johnson & Johnson". They really are saviours. They are available to buy in a box of 30, which will last you 15 days. There is no lotion to apply to minuscule containers, just contact lenses already in solution, ready to take out and wear, and to be thrown away at the
end of the day. Pure convenience.

If bought from an opticians, then you will be given a booklet telling you how to put them in, and how to take them out. Generally, according to my wonderful optician, you should allow a month, possibly more, before you become efficient at the process. Thankfully, I have had no problems with them whatsoever, and can put them in easily. Just in case any of you are having difficulty with yours, here are a few tips for putting lenses in, and taking them out.

* Obviously, make sure that your hands are clean, otherwise you could pass dirt into your eye, possibly causing an infection.

* When putting them in, look up at the ceiling and close the your other eye. Look at a point in the ceiling and don't take your eye off it. With your free hand, use your fingers to pull your top eyelid up, using your fourth finger on the hand that the lens should be on, to pull your bottom eyelid down. Making sure that the lens is securely on top of your middle finger, gently stick your middle finger up, blocking the point that you are looking at. Then, slowly lower your finger with the lens on, and place into your eye. You should feel it in, but to make sure that it will not fall out, look up and then look down, fitting the lens over your eyeball.

* Taking them out is a very easy task. Repeat what you do for putting them in, looking up at a particular point on the ceiling. Make sure that you have your eyes pulled open as described in the previous tip. Rub your index finger and thumb together, and slowly lower them down and gently make a pinching motion, life your fingers up, and the lens should hopefully be on it, for you to then throw it straight into the bin.

...well, it works for me anyway!

I hope this has been of some help to you. This isn't the easiest subject to write about!

Thanks,
Smark.

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