Major Clanger's First Pair of Specs

[major_clanger]

42 and my slow but steady disintegration continues: I finally need reading glasses (picture here.)

Looking back I've been experiencing a reduced minimum reading distance and more frequent headaches after long periods reading for a few months now. But it was only when I realised that whenever darth_hamster put something in front of me to read that I was always pushing it a little further away that I decided that an eye test was in order.

It turns out that my distance vision is as excellent as ever but, sure enough, my near sight has started to deteriorate (my prescription is +1.25/+1.75). Not having ever worn glasses before other than sunglasses, I'd made sure to bring darth_hamster along to help me pick a pair; the ones I ended up with and picked up today are comfortable and seem to fit my face well. Now I know the style that seems to work for me I can look at other sources for future pairs (thanks fjm for recommendations.)

I've been slowly getting used to the glasses this morning. For reading, they make a significant improvement. At typical screen distance for a computer, it's 50/50 - I could generally read OK without them, but the slight magnification is nice and I expect I'll be reducing eyestrain by using them.

The really weird thing? I can suddenly, when typing, see how hairy the backs of my hands are with horrifying clarity. Eek.

Comments

[chilperic.livejournal.com]

If needing glasses is a sign of slow but steady disintegration, then I have been disintegrating since age 3: i.e. now just 61 years ago... It is, on the face of it, quite likely I am actually no longer alive.

But, anyway, enjoy the glasses, and the backs of your hands!

[davidwake.livejournal.com]

I went through that a couple of years ago. I do find getting the script, microphone, glasses and lighting in the right angles tricky when doing performing script in hand to an audience. Lack of practice.

[plaid-dragon.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping that it holds true that as you get older, you get more long-sighted. Then it might evetually balance out my nearsightedness.

Those specs look good on you, good choice.

[redbird]

Some people get lucky that way. And some of us need bifocals (what are now called "transitional" lenses or something, because there's no line in the middle between the prescriptions.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

varifocals over here...
i've never heard of anyone whose age-long-sight cancelled out their birth-short-sight. Not sure it can work that way..

[daveon.livejournal.com]

My mother for a few years in her 60s... it didn't last.

[dorispossum.livejournal.com]

Ah, the harbingers of old age...

I got there about 4 years ago. Only need a mild prescription, but the really annoying bit (cf plaid-dragon's comment) is that it DOESN'T fix the myopia problem (different mechanism) - you just wind up with two different problems.

Not sure if you use contact lenses at all? Or is your long vision good?

But if you do wear them, ask optician about 'monovision' lenses. This involves having a 'full strength' lens in one eye (for long distance vision) and a 'low strength' lens in the other (for reading). I've been doing this for just over a year, and it's brilliant - the brain corrects for the difference, and it's not at all disorienting, as I'd feared. And no reading glasses needed! I found RGs infuriating - working in a classroom means being very attuned to people's faces (not unlike a courtroom?), so having to continually put glasses on to read book, remove them to talk with people - repeat over and over... DIDN'T like that.

[daveon.livejournal.com]

So I'm at the point (42) where if I wasn't short sited I'd be using reading glasses. At the moment I'm at the removing my distance glasses for reading in poor light stage. At the next eye test I think it'll be time for my first set of varifocals. Grrrr....

[cobrabay.livejournal.com]

Those specs look good, very dapper. I started with reading glasses a year ago, but I think I only staved it off for so long due to my initial short-sightedness. Soon you will be realising the necessity for the *spare pair* of reading glasses. I'm fortunate that my prescription is similar enough in both eyes that I can get away with inexpensive generic readers as my spare pair.

A Barrister in the E.E Doc

[hairyears.livejournal.com]

When you get bifocals, you'll be a Second-Stage Lensman.

[pauldormer.livejournal.com]

I've been wearing reading glasses since the age of 12, something the optician I most recently saw found surprising. OK, 15 years ago, when I moved to my current address and got a paper delivered for the first time, I could still come down stairs in the morning and pick up the paper and read bits of it. Nowadays, it's all I can do to pick out the headlines.

As it happened, I was going into London yesterday, walked down to the station to get a train, and a train had got in early so I found a seat and whilst waiting for the train to leave, picked up my book. I then discovered I'd put an empty glasses case in my pocket. Fortunately, as the train was early, I had time to get off the train before it left. I then had a half hour walk to the house and back to pick up the glasses. There's no way I could have survived the evening if I'd not been able to read anything.