Eye Contacts for Wedding

[AndyRosse]

Okay everyone, another question!!

I wear glasses and without them, I can see everything, but it is pretty blurry. For instance, if I walk into a room full of people without my glasses on, I wouldn''t recognize many people without coming up close to them. So of course, my fear is that I don''t want to wear glasses for my wedding, but don''t want to be blind walking down the isle, just smiling like an idiot who can''t see who she is smiling at!

So I''ve decided to try and get contacts, even though I hate putting eye drops in my eyes, never mind contacts.

So I have a prescription for my eye glasses that is still current (i.e. was given to me less than two years ago). Do I make an appointment with my eye doctor or what?? I called my doctor''s office who connected me with someone who does contacts I guess in the office, and they said it would be $150 for the appointment (not including contacts, etc.). Does that sound right?? I honestly have no clue.

Also, I guess my other fear is whether crying with contacts is going to be a problem. I''m not saying I''m going to be crying at my wedding, but I wouldn''t put it past me! I get emotional sometimes at the silliest things, yet at other times, I am nowhere near crying.

 

[belle]

contact lens prescriptions are different from glasses, so you do need to have a contact lens exam. everyone charges differently, but $150 is definetly in the ballpark. i would suggest wearing them for awhile before your wedding, as they do take some getting used to..especially if there will be tears!
best of luck to you.

 

[Tybee]

I say go for it!
But make sure you see your eye doctor, it is possible that your perscription has changed.
Also, your doctor will be able to teach you how to put them in.
I don''t wear contacts or glasses, but my FI is blind without his. He wears extended wear
contacts that are very comfortable. He can wear them for up to two weeks, he says that
he can barely even tell that they''re in (unless he''s super tired or dehydrated.)
I rarely see him in his glasses at all!
Good luck!

 

[MelissaSue]

how bout going to walmart or someone cheaper that does eye exams for contacts?

 

[AndyRosse]

Thanks Belle and Tybee

I know that the prescription is different from eye glasses, but from what I understood from the doctor''s office, I won''t be seeing a doctor, just someone that will use my current eyeglass precription to order the correct contacts and teach me how to put them in. Unfortunately, my insurance company (which I''m losing completely as of Jan. 1 anyway, but that''s another long rant) only lets me get eye exams every two years, and I am not up for one until another six months or so at least.

And yeah, I''m going in about a week or two so I can get contacts and get used to them before the wedding in June. And I LOVE the idea of extended wear contacts!! Hehe, I am soooo going to ask about those! My only concern with those is that I ride horses several days a week, and sometimes it gets a bit dusty!

But I know plenty of people who ride with them, so I guess that isn''t too big of a concern.

Yay! Thanks again for the quick responses!!

 

[AndyRosse]

Date: 10/16/2005 5:59:54 PM
Author: MelissaSue
how bout going to walmart or someone cheaper that does eye exams for contacts?

I just wonder if I have to pay for a general eye exam too. But is a great idea, and I guess it couldn''t hurt to call them up and ask! I just hate not knowing what I''m talking about LOL. But I will call Monday!!

 

[Scintillating]

Date: 10/16/2005 5:59:54 PM
Author: MelissaSue
how bout going to walmart or someone cheaper that does eye exams for contacts?

Contact EXAMS/FITTINGS are not something you should go discount on.
It''s very important that they fit well, and the script is right.
Poorly fitted contacts can be very uncomfortable.
It''s worth the money to have a reputable doctor do it.

You can buy your contacts later at a discount, once you know EXACTLY the right ones are.

Scintillating...

 

[AndyRosse]

Oh, maybe I can hyjack my own thread LOL and ask another random wedding question!!

If I am having the ceremony at 5:30ish at a church that is about 15 minutes max from my house, what time should I make my hair appointment for myself and my three BMs? The hair salon is about twenty minutes away. They want me to book the appointment now, but I have no idea what time to tell them LOL. Any suggestions??

 

[AndyRosse]

Scintillating, I guess I''m just confused about what exactly I''m paying $150 for at this appointment. Are they going to do an exam to figure out what my contacts prescription is, or can they just look at my previous exam info and my eyeglasses prescription and figure out what my contacts prescription is? I know that once I have the contacts, they will teach me how to put them in and everything. But it is that first part I''m confused on.

 

[Scintillating]

Date: 10/16/2005 6:08:19 PM
Author: Rascal49
Oh, maybe I can hyjack my own thread LOL and ask another random wedding question!!
What time should I make my hair appointment for myself and my three BMs? The hair salon is about twenty minutes away. Any suggestions??

Good question Rascal, I''d start a new topic on this one.
It''s a good Bride-to-be question, how many hours ahead of time should one book a hair appointment.
I think a lot of people will be interested. I think many will chime in with their experiences.

Scintillating...

 

[belle]

that's why you need a contact lens exam. there are different sizes of contacts. they can get an idea of what strength you will need from your glasses presciption, but you will need a contact lens exam to determine what kind of contacts will work best for your eyes. you will probably have to make more than one trip, since they usually want to have a follow-up.

eta: i am seriously as blind as a bat, so i do everything in my contacts..even ride my horses in the dusty desert. i will say that if you get even a tiny speck of anything in your eye when you have contacts in, it feels like a 2x4 in there and you have to be careful not to rub your contact out. they just take some getting used to.

 

[AndyRosse]

Thanks Belle. It makes sense now lol.

Okay, well then I will just go to my doctor and get everything straightened out. Then I can always order my contacts cheaper once I get the correct prescription, etc.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Scintillating]

Rascal I tossed you a Pm with a link and some info.

 

[belle]

Date: 10/16/2005 6:16:43 PM
Author: Rascal49
Thanks Belle. It makes sense now lol.

Okay, well then I will just go to my doctor and get everything straightened out. Then I can always order my contacts cheaper once I get the correct prescription, etc.

Thanks everyone!

that''s what i do. make SURE you get the lenses that you want (ie extended wear) and that they fit and are comfortable..and then buy them somewhere else. i order from a place in canada and i have yet to find anywhere else that even comes close.

 

[AndyRosse]

Date: 10/16/2005 6:20:41 PM
Author: belle

Date: 10/16/2005 6:16:43 PM
Author: Rascal49
Thanks Belle. It makes sense now lol.

Okay, well then I will just go to my doctor and get everything straightened out. Then I can always order my contacts cheaper once I get the correct prescription, etc.

Thanks everyone!

that''s what i do. make SURE you get the lenses that you want (ie extended wear) and that they fit and are comfortable..and then buy them somewhere else. i order from a place in canada and i have yet to find anywhere else that even comes close.

Belle, definitely!! Thanks!

And the Canada idea is a great one! I already order over-the-counter allergy medicine from Canada, and the savings are unreal!

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 10/16/2005 6:04:44 PM
Author: Rascal49

I know that the prescription is different from eye glasses, but from what I understood from the doctor's office, I won't be seeing a doctor, just someone that will use my current eyeglass precription to order the correct contacts and teach me how to put them in.

Ok, this doesn't sound right and whoever told you this.....run from them.

Your contact lens prescription cannot be derived from your eyeglass prescription. When you get a contact lens exam, it is done by an optometrist. He does a few things.....he measures your eyes (which helps him fit them properly for your eyes). He also typically does an air-blow test or alternative the one that dilates your pupil. Also, if you have an astigmatism of any kind, it will have to be factored in.

As many have suggested, you will want to get them far before the wedding to get used to wearing them. The toughest thing to get used to about wearing contact lenses is touching your eyes. Once you become desensitized to it a bit, it gets a whole bunch easier. Good luck!

 

[aljdewey]

duplicate.

 

[AndyRosse]

Thanks aljdewey! I think I get what''s going to happen now, so hopefully when I called the doctor''s office to make the appointment, they understood what I wanted. I tried to explain that I have glasses and now want contacts and don''t know what comes next. So hopefully all will go well, otherwise, I am going to be one peeved lady! lol The person on the phone was just so darn rude when I was trying to explain what I wanted.

Hence all this confusion and me having to harass all of you for the answers to my questions!!

 

[fountainfairfax]

You''ve gotten some very good advice here and maybe once Punch n Pie comes back from her wedding weekend she can chime in (she''s an OD, Doctor of Optometry.) I''ve worked for the last 10 years in wholesale optical of eyeglass lenses, but have picked up some knowledge of contacts along the way....

The $150 you are paying is for an exam that will include a standard refraction & glaucoma test and then, as Aljdewey said, your eye will be measured for size and front curve (called base curve) which is very important in contact fitting (and is not the same as your spectacle lens rx base curve.) The OD will also check the moisture content and will be scanning for any abrasions that would make wearing contacts dangerous. Once the exam is done, most ODs then do trial fits- if you have a slight astigmatism (which is layman''s terms is the fine-tuning of a prescription) your OD will often prescribe lenses with just a spherical correction. In general, if the astigmatism is greater than -.75 you will then be fitted with lenses made for astigimatics to accomdate that need for further correction. The purpose of the trial fit is to find lenses that work for your rx and life style. At this point the OD will insert & remove the lenses for you so that the trial goes smoothly.

Once the trial fit is complete you are then brought to either the Optician or Contact Fitter and that person will work with you on the correct way to insert and remove lenses, and will stress proper hygiene and care. Be prepared to spend as much time as you need to learn to get comfortable with the whole process...don''t rush out until you feel really comfortable with inserting and removing the lenses. Don''t worry if you take a little longer than the person at the next table or fitting station, this is your time.

I would always suggest that when you book your contact appointment for the first time try to schedule for times when the office is less likely to be busy, take a little time off from work one day so you don''t have to go through the fitting and trial with a full office. Your Optician or Fitter is a great resource for a lot of your general optical questions for both spectacle lenses and contacts and you should take your time working with them.

I wish everyone would get away from the idea that eye exams are only necessary every two years- insurance companies should be ashamed of themselves if they only allow an exam every 24 months

Yearly exams may not detect extreme changes in your rx (so you may not need new eyeglasses every year) but are essential to maintaining good optical health.

Ok, I''m getting off my optical soapbox. One thing I would suggest is that the first time buy your contacts from your OD/Optician. Don''t just get your rx and then call one of the 1-800 #s. If your contacts are not right for you most ODs/Opticians will take back anything you didn''t use and will refit you. Buy them from the internet or over the phone and you may be stuck with them and they can not give you alternative lenses.

Good luck and get that exam wayyyyy in advance of your wedding!

 

[Jelly]

I''ve been wearing contact lenses for the past 18 years and I''ve showered in them, slept briefly in them, worn them to the beach, biked, cried, etc. I definitely would try to get used to them before the wedding.

You can get them fairly cheap at Costco...I think they even do exams there too.

Good luck!

 

[Rae~]

Just a point re what sort of contacts you should get - do you expect to wear contacts again after the wedding? Very often? Or would you probably revert to glasses again for daily wear, except for those "special occasions"?

If you think you are only going to wear them once in a blue moon, than my personal recommendation (obviously, discuss this with your opometrist / optical technician) would be to get the single-day use ones.... they are "better" for your eyes (ie more oxygen-permeable), and then you won''t have contacts sitting unused in solution for weeks on end at home... and you forget how many days you''ve worn them for.... etc etc.... .

I used to wear contacts every day for years and years, but since moving to a very polluted city I have had so many problems with sore eyes etc that I have now reverted to glasses.... I have both extended wear (fortnight) and daily-wear contacts, and use them according to what suits.... for my (eventual!) wedding, I would absolutely wear daily-use ones, as I find that getting teary causes them to get more "build-up" on the lenses, quicker... the daily wear ones just seem to allow my eyes to recover from a "leaking eye incident" (

) a little bit quicker....

Also be sure you know how to easily replace a contact if it comes loose (eg if you blink it out due to tears welling up - not even to the stage of "crying".... ) and have a contact lens case handy (already full of lens solution - with one of your BMs maybe?) in case a lens pops out at an inconvenient time.... you can just pop it in the case, then grin and bear it in mono-vision until you can get to the bathroom to put it back in.... that way you don''t lose a lens from dropping it or having it dry out. Also - have a spare pair handy on the day!!! It''s amazing how easily those little suckers will disappear, at the worst possible moment.... And take a little bottle of opti-tears (or whatever brand) along - contacts *will* dry out, and your eyes won''t need any more aggravation than necessary.... (I am a sook - I know my eyes are going to be red the whole day !!!!)

Hope this helps a little.

 

[Mara]

I say go for it too ... you don't have to wear them all the time but as you start to wear them your eyes will adjust and get used to them...I never used to like touching my eyes at all and now I have worn contacts for many years now. I would get them from your doctor and practice putting them in ...practice wearing them for a few minutes a day and then keep bumping it up every week or so until you can wear them for a few hours at a time etc. The more your eyes get used to them the easier it becomes.

I get my eyes checked every year, and I use Site for Sore Eyes...they require a checkup once a year esp with contacts etc. And my eyes are still kind of changing so it's good that I continue to go. I agree re: getting daily wear ones so you don't have to worry about how long the other ones have been in the container. You can just open a fresh box the day of and use those and have your BM's have one as well etc.

Oh and crying is no big deal at all, I bawled at my wedding (stress and I forgot my vows!) and the contacts were just fine.

It's important to work with a doctor who knows the nuances of your eyes, aka curvature...my first few pairs of contacts kept coming out because they were too flat I guess, so now they are more curved and they are great. Until I get LASIK that is!

 

[Faerievert]

the extended wear ones are probably the best, though if you''re not planning on converting to contacts full-time, dailywears can be very convenient. My future father in law is an optomitrist (I''m sure I just spelled that wrong), so I hear a lot of preaching about eyecare. Don''t go anywhere for the exam that won''t run all the proper tests - ie. they better dialate your eyes and do that little air puff thing. Try asking if they do digital scans as well, they''re awesome for longterm eye health, and shouldn''t cost you extra. Good luck with the contacts, and do leave enough time for the fittings and stuff. They may have you try 2 or 3 different types of contacts, and it may take you half a dozen tries or so to get them in each time!

 

[moremoremore]

I used to CRINGE at the sight of watching a girlfriend putting in her contacts...

When I had to put them in the first time myself, it took me LITERALLY on hour for both eyes and I was crying I was so frustrated LOL

Now, I can do it with one hand in bout 3 seconds flat...

I agree with what has been said above...get them soon so you can see if you have any problems with them... I never know mine are in...and I can go into hysterics and cry my eyes out and they are fine..

But get yourself a mini rewetting or blink and clean solution..... sometimes after a REALLY good cry, there is a litte build up on the lens...

I pay about $150 for the exam and about $200 for a half year''s supply of lenses...I have the take out at night and throw out every two week kind...those work best for my eyes

 

[MINE!!]

I was Nine when I got my first pair of contacts. This is when they first came out with the soft ones. I had the pair that you wore all year. (you had to heat them at night to disinfect them). Then I was a victim of the "never have to take them out, wear them for a whole month at a time." BAD BAD BAD.. they quickly (about a year or two) took those of the market cause the realized how bad they were.(and I have the damage to prove it) But since then, they have come up with amazing brands. I wear the ones that have the extra moisture in them (cause I have allergies) and you can wear them for 2 weeks (you have to take them out for at least 10 hrs a day.. so bedtime) I have cried in my lenses, swam in them (It is always good to have an extra pair with you just in case... and it is a possiblility that they will fall out if you are swimming and open your eyes.. or swimming without goggles) I scuba in them with no problem. I run, exercise, do yard work, shower and nap in them without a problem.

MMM~ when I first got contacts I was the same way.. took me FOREVER to get them in and out. I remember opening and shutting the case to make sure that I had not gotten the contact stuck on the rim and torn it. LOL.. I do not drink anymore, but when I was in my early 20''s I partied quite a bit

I remember waking up in the morning.... my contacts not in and not remembering taking them out but there they were clean and comfy in their case. It was then that I realized that I have had contacts for a long time.

The only time I have a hard time with my contacts is when I am in a place where people are smoking. The smoke really starts to hurt my eyes.

But I say GO FOR IT. I bet there are more people around you then you know that wear contacts. I hate wearing my glasses, but if I know I am going to be home all day I will wear them to ''give my eyes a rest.'' They are awesome. Try not to be too frustrated. JUST stick with it. Putting them in and taking them out will get easier and easier.. just do not get upset.

When are you going to see the Dr?

 

[appletini]

I officially got contacts in 8th grade, but started trying to get them in 6th grade. I was always so afraid to put them in my eye. The third time was a charm. When you get them try putting them in slightly to the side and then move them to the center. I tried this method until I felt more comfortable with the direct approach. Now I can do them without a mirror I had too. It just takes awhile to get comfortable. So start practicing with them ASAP. That way you won''t have to worry about red eyes or anything on your wedding day. I have the 2week contacts, but open fresh ones about once a month. Also crying is not a problem. However if you sleep in them or take a long nap, your eyes will feel dry when you wake up, and the contacts will stick to your eye, making them more difficult to remove.

 

[Mara]

Oh yes I can''t sleep in mine AT ALL, if I fall asleep and they are in aka for a nap and I wake up, it is murder getting them off my eyes, my eyes dry out very quickly and sometimes they feel glued on and it HURTS when I have to take them off. So I always try to remember to take them out before a nap or anything. I also have to re-wet them during the day because my eyes are dry, I have some special type for dry eyes too.

 

[AndyRosse]

WOW! Thanks everyone!

My wedding is in June and I made an appointment for next week, so I will have plenty of time to get used to them. If all goes well, maybe I can wear contacts every day!! Hehe

And I''m so glad for your suggestions about bringing an extra pair on the wedding day etc., those are the things that I would not think of until it was too late!!

So thanks again FFF, Mara, Jelly, Rae, Faerievert, MMM, Mine, Appletini, aljdewey, Belle, Scintillating, MelissaSue, and Tybee!!

And if I''ve missed anyone, thanks to you too!! LOL I''ll let you all know how traumatizing the appointment is next week

.

 

[elepri]

Rascal,
I hope i''m not stating the obvious or repeating what''s already been said but when you get your contacts, please make sure to have someone show which way exactly to put them in. When i first got mine, the woman in the optometrist''s office never even mentioned that they look/feel different on the different sides and you have to make sure it''s the right side up. It took me months to figure out why my contacts sometimes felt fine and at other times incredibly uncomfortable. Then finally, a friend on mine who wears contacts figured out what I was doing wrong. I never had any problems with them again and now I"d never go back to glasses.

 

[AndyRosse]

Elepri, thanks!! I had no idea LOL. Nothing is too obvious when you are talking to me