Mitch Cronin Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Having accepted the sad truth that my eyes are getting too stiff to adjust focus, I've been using a pair of reading glasses for a couple of years now... However, I recently was pursueded by an optometrist to go for progressive lenses... I took them back yesterday, because I'd found the top 3rd of the lens was making all things a little blurry, ... both near and far ... and the sides of the lenses were likewise usless to me. I'd opted for round lenses, in part because I was hoping the lens would surround my eyeballs enough to make wearing them almost invisible to me... That worked out ok, but there seems to be only the center of the lens that's any good for seeing normally, and the bottom center for seeing close. He told me that's normal and sent me on my way??? He says with a progressive lens, the grinding of the lens is such that there is still some "progression" on the top portion, so, since mine are round lenses, I see that. He claims normally that portion would be cut off and I'd see a frame there instead. I paid $580 bucks for this pair of glasses (vs $200 for the last pair), and I'm not sure I'm getting good advice? I use decent sunglasses that don't distort vision, because I was under the impression wearing glasses that do can hurt your eyes... If these were sunglasses I'd throw them out!.... Does anyone have any experience with these "progressive lenses" that can either confirm or prove false what he's told me? I got's me suspishuns.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manwest Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I am on my third pair of progressives. Mine are small clear square lenses with a small black metal frame on the top, the bottom and sides of the lens are clear. It does take a while to get use to the progressives, especailly when walking down stairs or down a hall. I think they are great and now find myself wearing them most of the time. There is no line showing or small blurred pieces for anyone to see, one would think your wearing regular glasses. I reccomend them, at least for me they are the way to go. If you look closely you will see some slight progression, but after a while you don't notice it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 MITCH... Don't know if this will help but it reads well.. http://www.velocitypress.com/pages/progresive.php Kip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newgirl Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Mith Hate to tell you the bad news but that pretty much sums up progressive lenses. It takes a bit of wearing before you get used to them. One thing I was told when I got my first pair is that you need to turn your head not your eyes for proper use. IE No more moving your eyes to the side to look at the pretty young things , you have to move your head in that direction! So wives can now tell when their husbands are gawking at the girls!! ha ha But seriously the corrections in the lenses are in the middle of the lens like an hourglass . Stare straight ahead and move your head in the direction you want to see, sideways or up and down. I am like you , I need them for reading . Night driving is clearer due to headlights etc but during the day I am more comfortable without them. Also when I work out in the garden etc , I don't bother wearing them. As Manwest said, you will need to put your chin on your chest when using stairs and escalators , they can be kind of tricky! I got my first pair after I ended up in the ditch (blizzard ) on the way to work at 0430 and found I couldn't read the CAA's card to phone them for a tow truck. Had to phone my husband at home and get him to call. Up to that time I had 2 pairs of reading glasses, one at work and one at home! Bad move. Good luck and welcome to the club! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W5 Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I think that it took about 6 months to get used to them, especially the sunglasses. Now I don't notice it anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted March 23, 2005 Author Share Posted March 23, 2005 Thanks folks... sorry to hear it's normal (was hoping for better), but I'll look forward to getting used to it... Glad to know the eye doc wasn't feeding me a line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsplat Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Not to muddy the water, but I tried progressives and could not adapt. I went with the top of the line Nikon lenses as I wanted as little distortion as possible. Big problems with dizziness, tried them for two weeks around the house, then tried the sim and absolutely could not keep them. It was a big cost item, so I tried to make it work, however after a number of adjustments didn't improve anything, after a month my eye doc recommended we not use them further. Apparently there is a segment of the population that does not adapt well to these. Several of my siblings had similar experiences. So, by all means give it a good try, because it may just take a while, but I would pay attention to trends. If it just isn't getting better, you might want to visit the eye specialist to discuss. In my opinion Vs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conehead Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Mitch; I've been wearing my first pair of "progressive" lens for about 3 weeks now, and I'm just getting used to them. It takes time. I'll come and see you in the barn tonight if you're in. (I also got sunglasses in the same prescription, and I love them!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted March 23, 2005 Author Share Posted March 23, 2005 Again... many thanks for the input... Yup, I'll be in tonight Conehead, see you there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sky High Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 I got a pair of progressives last year. I think I'm with vsplat. I just couldn't adapt to to them. The technique of moving your head to orient the particular portion of the lens to the situation seems to be a lot harder for me to learn that I thought. Guess we can't all get it right every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yul07 Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Mitch, I too have progressives, got them in RSW for some reason with the exchange I still saved a few hundred dollars. I am on my second pair, these are rimless and quite small, with snap on fitted sunglass lenses. I damaged my first pair, and in a pinch went for distance only till I could get down south. I really missed the progressives. The first time round it took a couple of weeks to get used to them. It took a day to re-adapt. One thing, from experience you have to get top of the line lenses, it does make a difference. My current pair are Esslor, I have had Nikon in the past. I think the Eslors are more durable. 5 months in and not a single scratch-knock wood. I would be leary of Hakem or Lenscrafters..unless they are very clear on what brand of lens they are putting into your glasses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 I thought I would throw this out there...Anyone thought about laser surgery ??? I have met quite a few who have had it done and love it. I am seriously considering it, even at this "old" age. I don't believe it is too costly to just see if you are a good candidate. I know it is not covered with Company insurance but if you have it done it would save all the trouble of eye glasses for most use. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsplat Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Hi Kip. I know a few folks who have had this done and they seem quite happy with it. A few BIG caveats. 1) Last I checked, it is still not permitted for anyone needing a Transport medical (pilots, ATC, etc). 2) Long term studies are still building, so at least in Ontario, it is still 'investigational'. Much better than the old radial cuts, but still we don't yet fully know if it is stable for life. 3) Like any procedure, there is still a risk of failure or serious side effect. I believe some recipients have reported night vision issues, although this seems to be related to a specific phase of development of the procedure. 4) You get what you pay for. Some places charge a fortune and are clearly gouging, others are too cheap to be true. Why??? My thoughts, for what they are worth. Cheers -Vs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Laser surgery is definitely a no-no for anyone who requires a TC medical. Last I heard, there were no plans to review that restriction. My wife has been considering having it done, so we've done a bit of research into it. There's some excellent information on this web site All About Vision We know a few people who've had laser surgery, and they're all very satisfied. We also know an optometrist who does pre and post exams for the TLC laser centre in Waterloo. He does not charge his regular patients for the pre-exams, but there is a $75 charge if you're not a patient in his office. If the pre-exam indicates that you are a suitable candidate, he will refer you to TLC for further screening. If you are successful and choose to have the surgery, the optometrist also performs some post-op exams for TLC. He's paid by TLC for that service and for a successful referral. He states that they (TLC) have an excellent track record and are highly respected among optometrists. One thing to consider when having the surgery is that there's a wide range of prices. One of the reasons for the price fluctuation is the frequency with which the clinic replaces the microkeratome blades. These blades are extremely expensive, and the most reputable clinics replace them far more frequently than their cheaper competitors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cargo Agent Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Laser surgery is definitely a no-no for anyone who requires a TC medical. Last I heard, there were no plans to review that restriction. My wife has been considering having it done, so we've done a bit of research into it. There's some excellent information on this web site All About Vision We know a few people who've had laser surgery, and they're all very satisfied. We also know an optometrist who does pre and post exams for the TLC laser centre in Waterloo. He does not charge his regular patients for the pre-exams, but there is a $75 charge if you're not a patient in his office. If the pre-exam indicates that you are a suitable candidate, he will refer you to TLC for further screening. If you are successful and choose to have the surgery, the optometrist also performs some post-op exams for TLC. He's paid by TLC for that service and for a successful referral. He states that they (TLC) have an excellent track record and are highly respected among optometrists. One thing to consider when having the surgery is that there's a wide range of prices. One of the reasons for the price fluctuation is the frequency with which the clinic replaces the microkeratome blades. These blades are extremely expensive, and the most reputable clinics replace them far more frequently than their cheaper competitors. Thanks for that link J.O. I'm at that point where it looks like progressive lenses are needed as well. I have been thinking about laser surgery as an alternative. My brother-in-law had it performed 3 years ago, and he is very happy with the results. Cheers CA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccairspace Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Laser surgery is definitely a no-no for anyone who requires a TC medical. Last I heard, there were no plans to review that restriction. No it's not, J.O. I know lots of commercial and ATPL pilots who have had laser surgery to their eyes and fly. It's still not accepted in the military, but civilian pilots may have it done. The procedure that I don't think is aceptable is the differential correction, where one eye is made to see "far" and the other is made to see "near". Don't hold me to that though. ccairspace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 I stand corrected! Obviously my information was out of date. Still, TC approaches laser surgery with a fair amount of caution. The information on what must be done to pass a medical following eye surgery can be found here: TC Medical Standards - Refractive Eye Surgery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 It's still not accepted in the military, but civilian pilots may have it done. Actually it is permitted in the Military if you have had it done prior to enrolling, even if you opt to take pilot training. It, however, is not permitted if you are presently serving in the CF as a pilot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccairspace Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 ...TC approaches laser surgery with a fair amount of caution. It strikes me that TC Aviation Medicine approaches EVERYTHING with a fair amount of caution. But that said, it probably should. cc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Hey you broke my string! P.S. I agree they should use caution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccairspace Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Actually it is permitted in the Military if you have had it done prior to enrolling, even if you opt to take pilot training. Didn't know that Kip. Thanks. cc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsplat Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 A few cautionary notes here: 1) The TC website (follow J.O's link) states the military doesn't support the procedure, but of course the military their own rules... 2) The list of invalidating criteria suggests to me that you could enter the procedure with eyeglasses and a valid medical, but exit with neither. You're also grounded for quite a while awaiting results. I've long wished I could dispense with the hardware - maybe I'm too cautious, but maybe that's a good trait in a pilot.... Cheers Vs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newgirl Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Laser surgery Two friends -one age 47 , one age 49. 47 year old - it took her 6 months before she could see properly after the operation. Now she wears glasses only to read. Before she couldn't find her glasses on the bed side table in the morning! Her daughter age 21 had the same surgery for the same problem but does not need glasses at all. 49 year old - she is still having problems after 3 years. She would not have had the surgery if she knew it would end up this way. I believe she has had a second operation to try to correct her problem. Those with astigmatism and those of us who are in our late forties seem to have a less successful vision restoration. I have decided to stay with my progressives after hearing the stories of unsuccesful eye ops at least for the time being. The success of laser surgery seems to work well for only certain types of eye problems. Check it out thoroughly before you decide to go ahead with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo32a Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 One thing to consider when having the surgery is that there's a wide range of prices. One of the reasons for the price fluctuation is the frequency with which the clinic replaces the microkeratome blades. These blades are extremely expensive, and the most reputable clinics replace them far more frequently than their cheaper competitors. Also be sure you are all talking about the same thing. Laser surgery is all done with a laser, there is no "cutting of the cornea", the cornea is abraded by the laser and the "eyeball" reshaped. Lasik surgery is one that uses the blade to cut a corneal flap, the laser reshapes the eyeball and the flap is then replaced over the eyeball. Each one has it's own risks and rewards but for my money I would go for the Laser surgery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted March 26, 2005 Share Posted March 26, 2005 Right you are, mo32a. I was referring to Lasik surgery which, according to the research we did, is the most popular form done today. Apparently, there's also some clinics who are beginning to use a form of laser to create the corneal flap, rather than using the microkeratome blades. Having been blessed with 20/12 or better for all of my life, I can't say I've had to give it alot of thought, but the optometrist figures I'll need reading glasses by the time I'm 50. I admire those who can do it, but the idea of going near my eyes with anything sharper than a cotton ball gives me the willies. Call me a wimp, but I can't imagine even being able to wear contact lenses. If needed, I'll stick to wearing glasses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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