Ins & Outs of Contact Lenses

gustavratzenhofer wrote:

I haven't read through this entire post, but the process of taking a contact lens out of the eye is quite simple, really.

You don't even have to touch the lens. Simply lift your upper lid with a finger from your right hand, and pull down the lower lid with a finger from your left hand. Then pull sideways and the lens will pop right out.

Easy as hell.

Thanks, Gustav.
I'm always glad to hear it when something is easy. But when you say pull sideways... do you mean pull the upper lid sideways? Like, pull it up then towards my ear? Or do you mean, pull the lower lid sideways, for example, towards the ear?

I have to ask though... I've never thought of you as a contacts-wearing kind of guy. Do you wear them all the time? Do you wear these saran-wrap contacts?

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I wear disposable lenses, the kind you're suppose to wear for a week and then toss, but I usually wear them for at least a month.

And you actually pull both lids, simultaneously, toward the ear. It's very simple once you get the hang of it. Takes about one second.

It will be a little more difficult if, say, you've fallen asleep with the lenses and and slept long enough for them to dry out a bit. Then, flood your eyes with a multi-purpose solution before extracting the lenses.

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And don't tell anyone about me making a serious effort to help someone.

It would soil my reputation.

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Piffka wrote:

Hi Beth, I remember your post. You pinched the white stuff, too? Horrible isn't it? How did you get to the emergency room? Was it in the middle of the night? What did the emergency opthamologist say?

Could you see well when they were in? That's the only reason I'd like to learn how to do this (though the thrill is nearly gone). I had some of my best vision with those suckers -- and they are suckers -- in. It was great.

You'd think somebody would make contact lenses that you could just leave in permanently and then they'd dissolve (or you could put in eyedrops to dissolve them). Why doesn't anybody invent the stuff *I* need??

Emergency ophamologist = the 24 hour eye clinic, not the emergency room
He laughed - as I thought I still had the contact in there - and gave me some nice cooling drops. Told me not to try that again, and that maybe I didn't really want to try contacts during allergy season.

I could see wonderfully with them in - and best of all (to me, at the time), I could wear all the funky, trendy sunglasses of the season

Given that I have problems with my eyes, due to allergies, about 4 - 6 months of the year, I decided that the ongoing cleaning of the buggers that still had to be done wasn't worth it.

I'm occasionally tempted to try some of the daily use ones again, but then I realize that I'm being silly. I'm a klutz, and contacts aren't designed for klutzes.

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gustavratzenhofer wrote:

I wear disposable lenses, the kind you're suppose to wear for a week and then toss, but I usually wear them for at least a month.

And you actually pull both lids, simultaneously, toward the ear. It's very simple once you get the hang of it. Takes about one second.

It will be a little more difficult if, say, you've fallen asleep with the lenses and and slept long enough for them to dry out a bit. Then, flood your eyes with a multi-purpose solution before extracting the lenses.

You are a prince among men, Gus, I've always thought so. I will not mention to anyone that you are giving me pointers.

I love the idea of it only taking one second to get the dratted things out.

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ehBeth wrote:

He laughed - as I thought I still had the contact in there - and gave me some nice cooling drops.

So... where did it go?

I read a horror story about a woman who tore hers into two pieces trying to get it out. Then she had to fish out two pieces of saran wrap stuck to her eyeball.

Quote:

I'm a klutz, and contacts aren't designed for klutzes.

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He told me that he thought I'd flushed it right out when I put the solution in, in preparation for removing the contact.

poke poke poke ... that feels like a contact ... poke poke poke ... it seems flat ... poke poke poke ... omigawd, I'm taking out my eyeball

The big lesson I learned was that the clinics are used to seeing people who need help getting contacts in and out - and it's better to go in sooner rather than later - they know we're idiots already.

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<snort> So true. And wouldn't it be nice if you could just get the durn things out on a regular basis by flushing in a bunch of solution? I think I could manage the getting 'em in, okay. But the prospect of another evening like last night... <shudder>.

I'm waiting 'til tomorrow when the clinic is open all day... assuming my eyes have quit hurting. I just can't bear to go through more torment. Oddly, "my" saint's name is Lucy... she's the one who poked out her eyes and offered them as a sacrifice. That's them on the tray. I chose her because her day is close to my birthday, little imagining that her triumph would be my panic attack.

http://www.trocadero.com/sindler/items/19869/catphoto.jpg

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Mmmmmm, I quit wearing contacts back in landarch school when I had no patience for them. That was just about the time the "new ones" had come in; for most of my contact wearing I'd used the little plastic lenses that were your pair until you foolishly lost them.

I have many piquant memories of lens catastrophes. For example, when Mike C. asked me out after Quant Analysis class and I was so amazed and thrilled that my lens went into the corner of my eye, that dagnabbitiest place to get it stuck in. Very funny in memory.

Lost a lens crossing Barrington Avenue...which was when I learned that asphalt isn't just pure black, but made up of various grey bits which perfectly hide a 3/8" plastic circle...

On getting them out, in my experience Gus is right, re the tug of both lids toward the ear, but I haven't tried any of the recent lenses.

I agree with ehBeth though that if you can wear lenses (a bit of a deal if you need bi or tri focals) they are wonderfully freeing for Sunglass buying...

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Need help with contacts
I have worn glasses since I was 17. I have a strong prescription in the left eye and a normal one in the right eye. Also can not see up close too well. Needless to say, I tried contacts for the 1st time. I went for a third fitting today. Can barely get it in eyes (left being worse)- although I'm making progress. With fingers opening upper/lower lids - it is hard to see what I'm doing.

Getting them out - even more of a problem. I have been reading all the ideas (thank you). Any help for me on this?????

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I think the hardest thing to learn is to use a light touch.

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You'll find that they come out much more easily after you've been wearing them for awhile, because they change their consistency after absorbing some of the secretions from your eyes. If you ever have a hard time trying to pull one off, dry your fingers by rubbing them against your clothes and you'll get better traction with the lens.

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Re: Need help with contacts

Sensible wrote:

I have worn glasses since I was 17. I have a strong prescription in the left eye and a normal one in the right eye. Also can not see up close too well. Needless to say, I tried contacts for the 1st time. I went for a third fitting today. Can barely get it in eyes (left being worse)- although I'm making progress. With fingers opening upper/lower lids - it is hard to see what I'm doing.

Getting them out - even more of a problem. I have been reading all the ideas (thank you). Any help for me on this?????

Hi Sensible, welcome to a2k. I have to tell you, since I found an old pair of prescription glasses I haven't been able to screw up my courage enough to put the contacts back in. The last time when I started scratching my sclera (I think that's what it is called) was just too horrible.

I am also a weenie. Embarrassed

Glasses are so much easier.

Glad that the suggestions are helping you. It seems so hard to get them in when you need glasses to see what you're doing. I assume you've got all the accoutrements... a magnifying lens, a magnifying mirror, good light, a cleared space on the table so when the contact inevitably falls, you'll have a spot for it to land?

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One more tiny tip I thought of -- cut the nails on your index fingers to the quick. (Until you get the hang of things anyway.) Having just a nice soft fingertip handling things is much better. With fingernails, there's an extra level of complexity, figuring out angles, etc.

If you found your glasses, no need for contacts, right? (I misplaced my glasses for a while yesterday, and stood there thinking how unfair it is that the activity you most need glasses for is finding glasses.) (Found 'em though, whew.)

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sozobe wrote:

One more tiny tip I thought of -- cut the nails on your index fingers to the quick. (Until you get the hang of things anyway.) Having just a nice soft fingertip handling things is much better. With fingernails, there's an extra level of complexity, figuring out angles, etc.

If you found your glasses, no need for contacts, right? (I misplaced my glasses for a while yesterday, and stood there thinking how unfair it is that the activity you most need glasses for is finding glasses.) (Found 'em though, whew.)

I'd sort of come to that realization, too. My nails aren't long but definitely extend past the skin of my finger. Usually I am reasonably adept with them, but poking my fingers (nails & all) into my eyes just seems unnatural. Very Happy

It was a choice and the nails won and the eyes have (had) it.

Sorry you lost your glasses. Isn't it the truth? Exactly when you need to be able to focus clearly to spot the darn things is when you don't have them to use. Mr.P thinks that a person could grow very wealthy if they'd invent an easy-to-use and not very expensive tracking system for things like glasses... keys... remotes. Argggh, the problems of modern life. Wink

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Has anyone in this thread considered Lasik?
I had it done more than 3 years ago, and my eyesight is still 20/20.

It was the best thing I ever did for myself!

I wore contacts during my teens and 20's, gave'em up for thick glasses in my 30's, had the procedure done when I was 43, and had 20/20 vision 24 hours later.

Reading over the messages brought back all kinds of memories of contact mishaps over the years. I can't imagine going through that again.

Well, just throwing it out there.....

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Hello Chai. I am far-sighted and not as likely a candidate, I've been told. I don't know if this is still true. And..... I also hesitate because my father-in-law became legally blind during early laser surgery (not the Lasik). It was some mistake on the part of the operator, but has made all of us in the family leery of any laser procedure.

I'm glad it worked for you though. 20/20 !!! Nice.

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Hi Piffka
Yes - I can well imagine your hesitancy.

Keep in mind though - the way it's being done now (and new developments all the time) is like comparing a scribe and papyrus to a palm pilot.

I believe they do far sight ed nes :wink: now.

I was amazed and got quite an education researching it.

That was the main thing - I researched for over a year, learning not only about the procedure itself, but the track record of the doctor performing it.

My eyes were really bad, and they were the only ones I had!

I chose a opthamologist who was tops in his field - whose success rate was remarkable, and would refine his work if needed at ANY point down the road in your life on the condition that you visited his office for an exam every year.
Well, yeah - gotta protect your peepers.

So, final word - If this sparks interest in anyone - DON'T just pick a name out of the phone book - DON"T even rely on what friends say, unless they have specific examples "Oh, I hear he's good", "why" "um, I don't know, I just heard". Rolling Eyes

Do you own footwork, and don't go on the cheap.

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Good advice, Chai Tea. There's a jeweler in town who has a saying on his wall that would apply...

"The remorse of poor quality remains
long after the sweet taste of savings is gone."

Oh. That isn't quite right.... anyway.... you get what you pay for.

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re: Contacts
Thanks again for the tip on cutting the nails - etc. I am still trying the contacts - although I'm beginning to think glasses are much easier. I have a friend who told me there is a device to put contacts in your eyes, but when I asked at the Dr. Office - told NO. Also, I do a lot of computer work, and even with having contacts (distance for 1 eye, close for the other)- I think I still may need reading glasses, so not sure if it is worth it. But after having to pay for fittings - I need to try and try. I am just tired of the magnification of my lens on my left eye (which probably seems worse to me).

Now I have lost my prescription sunglasses (sorry bad week). Have been looking all over for those; think they may have fallen out of purse if it turned over. Needless to say they are expensive to remake - and if I am able to get contacts then I don't need them, so I can't decide on what to do yet.

As far as Laser Surgery, I can help as my husband recently had LASIK. He had 1 eye done because the cornea got scratched during procedure. This eye took about 2 weeks to heal. Then he had the other one done without a problem. He could not see far. I was tested at this facility and told I could be a candidate for CK (which would not have the side effects and healing time). (Debbie)

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Ins & Outs of Contact Lenses

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