Glasses or Contacts

[tex13579]

For those that need them, which do you prefer?

[Safety Steve]

For those that need them, which do you prefer?

Contacts for me.



Be Safe.

[Switchback]

I used to wear disposable contacts most of the time. Lenses were something like $1/pair, so I always had spares around (in my ruck, my glove box, etc.). So, tossing a lens was not an issue if I had any problems with them, got a little pepper in my eyes, etc. Also, I did not have any issues with them fogging up (like my glasses), when going into people's homes to do searches in winter time.

I eventually sprung for surgery and it was the best money I ever spent!

[tex13579]

Surgery has always been on my mind, but I'm terrified to do it lol. The thought of having someone fiddling with my eye is no bueno.

I never thought of the disposable contacts. I was thinking that contacts wouldn't be a good choice cause they would make getting hit with pepper spray worse.

But I also never thought of glasses fogging up. I could see that turning bad in short order... hmmm. Pros and cons and cons and pros.

[Switchback]

Disposable contacts were great! They always feel good (unlike the long-term ones over time), they are more hygienic, and you can just toss them if there are any problems.

I had PRK, as my corneas were too thin for lasic. Them fiddling with my eyes were the least of my concerns... the sh1t hurt like hell for about 3-4 days. LOL I've been 20/17 for almost 4 years now, though.

[retdetsgt]

I had the RK in the late 80's, prior to lazik and had no trouble at all. No pain, nothing. My wife had the same doctor do hers in mid 90's and had the same result.

To be honest, it lasted about 15 years for me. One problem was that I was in my mid 40's when I had it and needing reading glasses is often a developmental milestone around that time. The distance vision started going after about 15 years and now I need glasses again both for reading and distance, but the distance problem is nothing like it was. I could drive a car fairly safely w/o my glasses if necessary, I just have trouble seeing the names on the small street signs. I can read the bigger ones. My wife, however who is 60 still has good distance vision, but she needs reading glasses now.

I suspect getting it done younger, it will last longer. I've talked to a lot of people who have gotten both types of surgery and yet to find anyone who says they wished they hadn't.

[greg72982]

Definitely contacts.

I want the surgery but it seems much too high maintenance for a month or two after from what I've researched...

[Switchback]

Yeah, I had to do eye drops for about 3 months. Not a big deal... and I was in Afghanistan 2 weeks after my surgery!

Not a biggie!

[retdetsgt]

The only effect I had was that I was more sensitive to bright sunlight for the next year or so. I had to wear good sunglasses when I was in it. For a very short time, there was a halo effect around lights, but that was short lived. I never had to do drops or anything.

[Switchback]

The only effect I had was that I was more sensitive to bright sunlight for the next year or so. I had to wear good sunglasses when I was in it. For a very short time, there was a halo effect around lights, but that was short lived. I never had to do drops or anything.

I don't know what the difference between RK & PRK is, but there seems to be a lot of differences in our recovery. I know my PRK used the same laser as the Lasic, just no cutting of a flap. They laser-etched the outside of the cornea. The cool thing about the more recent PRKs is that they do not "average" your cornea thickness. Rather, they measure as they go along, so they make a more precise adjustment, yielding better results.

Now, when I had mine done, the explained that, since you are etching the outside of the lense, it is "slightly less comfortable" than getting Lasic (which I understand to be pretty painless). I guess my doctor and I have different opinions of what "discomfort" means. They gave me vicoden for 3 days and it did not help. I was so sensitive to light that I felt like a Gremlin from that 80s flick! By the 4th day, I was more "normal" and sunglasses did the job for the trip to the doc.

Light was not an issue after that. I did have slight halos at first. You have to remember that I had sores on the outside of my eyes, for all practical purposes. The halos went away as it healed. Within 3 months or so, I had no noticeable visual side-effects. I would wake up with dry eyes once in a while, but that was all gone by 6 months.

[clark7]

Surgery with no regrets.... 2nd after that would be contacts.

I had the PRK as well, pain for me was similar to gritty contacts. I would, of course, do the surgery again, 20/15 for a few years now (that's up from 20/400.)

[Legoate]

I wear contacts at work, glasses when I'm off. I'd like surgery eventually, but I'm afraid of being the 1% that has problems.

[greg72982]

Yeah, I had to do eye drops for about 3 months. Not a big deal... and I was in Afghanistan 2 weeks after my surgery!

Not a biggie!

I have such strange sleeping patterns between both jobs and court I'm just not sure I could do it unless there are no specific timetables...

[tex13579]

Now, when I had mine done, the explained that, since you are etching the outside of the lense, it is "slightly less comfortable" than getting Lasic (which I understand to be pretty painless). I guess my doctor and I have different opinions of what "discomfort" means.

Yeah no kidding... I think doctors have a jacked up definition of discomfort. When I had my tonsils taken out a couple years ago my doctor assured me it would be like a "very sore throat"

Ha. More like I got raped in the mouth by a sword monster.

[retdetsgt]

I don't know what the difference between RK & PRK is, but there seems to be a lot of differences in our recovery. I know my PRK used the same laser as the Lasic, just no cutting of a flap.

The RK used a knife, not a laser.... Scary, huh? But even with that, it was a no big deal thing. He use preset scalpels to make cuts in the eye and I came out with 20/15 vision. I had mine done early on and the surgery was done in a hospital. When my wife had hers done a few years later, the same doctor was doing it in his office. There was zero pain, etc.