Not the eyes, it burns!

[FunkyDexter]

OK, so I finally let my vanity get the better of me and decided to get contact lenses. I spent 2 hours trying to put them in this morning before finally giving up. I tried again this afternoon and managed it after another hour of self inflicted torture. My eye's are currently blood red and there are tears streaming down my cheeks. Whose stupid, bloody idea were these things anyway.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I have a couple friends who let vanity get even more the better of them, as they had Lasik. They are both quite happy with the results. I'd be a bit nervous about that, if it were me.

[FunkyDexter]

Is Lasik the laser eye surgery? I did consider it myself but I'm really sqeamish about my eyes. It's taken me 15 years to try out contacts so it'll be a while before I can bring myself to try surgery. Mind you, it'd take me about another 15 years to save up the money to get zapped - a freind of my mother's had it done and it cost a small fortune.

Now if laser eye surgery meant I could have lasers for eyes I'd be there like a shot.

[dclamp]

My parents has lasik done. My mom freaked out. So they gave her another shot (im not sure what, it was like a calming thing) and she still freaked out and gave her another dose.

I think it is like 10,000 dollars per eye to get it done, and you are going to want to get both eyes done.

I am a bit weird about my eyes... i dont like the idea of a scalpel cutting a flap of my eye open... The only other part that scares me is stay still the whole time. If you move, then you could have permanent eye damage, and there goes your 20,000 dollars

[Shaggy Hiker]

The out-of-pocket cost for my friends was FAR lower than that, as neither could have afforded that much. Might be insurance, though.

[dclamp]

maybe it wasnt quite 10,000, probably half of that. Yeah, maybe it was 10,000 for both eyes, and 5,000 each...

That sounds right.

[mendhak]

OK, so I finally let my vanity get the better of me and decided to get contact lenses. I spent 2 hours trying to put them in this morning before finally giving up. I tried again this afternoon and managed it after another hour of self inflicted torture. My eye's are currently blood red and there are tears streaming down my cheeks. Whose stupid, bloody idea were these things anyway.

You're either

a) Blinking too soon
b) Blinking too fast
c) Blinking too often
d) Blinking

All you need to know is that the eye isn't as vulnerable as you think it is (although a rubber band snapped against it will show you otherwise; or a needle jab) and be ready to touch it once in a while. As long as your fingers are clean, touching your eyes won't do any harm.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Can you do one eye at a time? Maybe Funky D can have one eye corrected, so that if he doesn't like it he still has one left. Also, he can wear a contact in only one eye, so he will have one red eye, and one normal...sort of...eye.

[I_Love_My_Vans]

Have the eye of a camel fitted, they are superior to our eye...

[CyberSurfer]

When I got lenses I had a similar experience....give it a week or two, once you're used to it you'll be able to do it while dead drunk.

[Shaggy Hiker]

When I got lenses I had a similar experience....give it a week or two, once you're used to it you'll be able to do it while dead drunk.

Which is a good thing, because after a week or two of red, bleary, eyes, people will assume that you're constantly stoned.

[Arrow_Raider]

Why would you ever want to stop wearing your glasses. When someone wears glasses, it shows that they are more likely to be smarter than people without glasses. Why would you want to hide that?

[si_the_geek]

In addition to what mendhak said, try adding more fluid to the lens before you put it in - the more there is the easier it goes in (and it is more comfortable too).

When I first had lenses it took me a long time to put them in, but that dropped quite rapidly; I think it was about a week before I had it under 5 minutes, and not long after that it was under a minute.

[capsulecorpjx]

OK, so I finally let my vanity get the better of me and decided to get contact lenses. I spent 2 hours trying to put them in this morning before finally giving up. I tried again this afternoon and managed it after another hour of self inflicted torture. My eye's are currently blood red and there are tears streaming down my cheeks. Whose stupid, bloody idea were these things anyway.

Get soft, daily contact lenses, the ones you throw away after 8 to 10 hours.

Tilt your head up when you're putting it in. It helps if you wet your eyes with water or eye drops (liquid attracks liquid).

Also make sure your lens is not inside out. You can tell by looking at it on it's side when on your finger tip. The thing should be CONCAVE, like a perfect bowl. If it's not, then flip it.

Last thing, it's obvious, but wash your hands before doing this. Your might have red eyes cause of the debri from your hand got into your contacts.

[mendhak]

Currently takes me 10 to 15 seconds to put the lens on. Lens out, wash in liquid, do the 'fold test', pick up, and touch the eye, close eye for a few seconds.

I have one of the 3-month sets, so I don't throw them away at the end of the day but when it starts deteriorating. (You can tell)

[mendhak]

To test if the lens is inside out or not, you can do the fold test... while it's on your palm, fold it over, and if it goes back to being open, then it's the wrong side. If it stays at it is after you fold it over, that's right and should go over your eyes.

[I_Love_My_Vans]

You're all suckers, when I was younger I was prescribed glasses, I never wore then but my eyes got better

Just don't wear them...

[FunkyDexter]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I seem to have got the hang of it now. What I do is put it below my iris and then look down once it's in. That helps loads because the blink reaction only seems to cut in if I move my finger towards the pupil. Besides, the optician was very pretty.

be ready to touch it once in a while

That's what the optician said. I got a bit distracted at that point.

[mendhak]

Please add [Resolved] to the thread title if your problem has been solved. If any of the answers have been helpful, don't forget to rate them. Please ensure that you visit the optician more often for more consultation sessions before realizing that she, ironically, doesn't see you for who you are.

Get it? see. Ha.

[FunkyDexter]

If I go too often [B]Iris******* her thinking I'm strange. Where puns are concerned I am your lowly pupil


edit> Wierd if I enter "Irisk" with all but the k bolded it displays as above. I'm assuming that's the profanity filter but I can't imagine why. How am I supposed to make weak occular puns now? Never mind, I'll just have to come up with some cornea gags

[mendhak]

*******

There's no need to lash out like that, but I do aqueous humor would be helpful. Have you retina 'thank you' note yet?

[FunkyDexter]

The lens you will go to for pun are truly stunning. We should put a lid on this thread.

[kleinma]

just wait until you get the fun experience of one falling out then you try to put it back in when its getting dry and is dirty.. that is always loads of fun

[FunkyDexter]

You're either an American who understands sarcasm (not possible, surely) or a masochist. Fortunately my eyesight only a little weak so I'd just pocket it and wait until I got home.

[kleinma]

I am probably extremely sarcastic other than when I need to be professional or whatever.. my girlfriend hates that she has to pretty much take everything I say and consider it the opposite. The other thing is I tend to not say them in a sarcastic tone, further confusing her

[FunkyDexter]

Ah, the double whammy. A true connoisseur.