Friday, August 28, 2009

Friday fury

I know, traditionally – though I’ve lapsed of late – this should be a Friday Photo but I have fury I wish to vent.

I just went to the opticians to have some glasses made up to my new prescription. I’ve worn (hard) gas permeable contact lenses for twenty years until one day about fifteen months ago. (I refuse point blank to link to that best forgotten event but if you are desperate, you can find it in the archives somewhere.)

Anyway, for a multitude of reasons I decided about five months ago that I no longer wished to persevere wearing contact lenses. The problem with this situation is that hard lenses keep astigmatic eyes in the same shape and when you stop wearing them, your eye shape has some relaxing to do - into whatever odd shape it desires to go. Normally, this takes a few months, but not in my case. More than a year after losing the comfortable lenses my eyes are still changing: hence the need for my third pair of glasses/lenses in fifteen months.

So off I went today (yes, at last we’re getting there.) I went into the place that Carol and I went to choose her glasses a way back. Every time I pass there it’s got a sign saying 70% off.

Firstly, there’s no blooming sign in the window. Bugger.

Secondly after I show them my prescription, the price, which up to that moment included both frame and lenses, suddenly doesn’t include my abnormal measurement. My lenses will be extra. This isn’t entirely unexpected. My optician in the UK very gently told me that my astigmatic measurement has gone beyond the normal range. I always knew I was special! Still, the positive is that in Thailand glasses are way cheaper than in the UK, so price is relative.

Finally, I start selecting glasses. I don’t mind this; I’ve got a fair idea what shape suits me.

I pick out several pairs and move to the mirror.

I take off my specs and put on the new pair. I look in the mirror.

Hmmm.

What do I see?

I see a pale, face shaped thing, with splodges where my eyes and mouth should be. I can hardly see my nose and I definitely don’t see any glasses.

How the hell are you meant to see if the new glasses suit you?

********

The need for this rant has nothing to do with glasses and everything to do with Sons, GCSEs and coursework.

11 comments:

Beth said...

oh god i remember that. i still wear contacts and it makes buying glasses so many millions of times easier... but it was a complete nightmare before i started. especially if you're really shortsighted. i remember nearly smacking my face into the mirror and still not being able to see my reflection properly.

hope the son/gcse/coursework thing is sortoutable. thinking of you. only a couple of years til you can kick him out, eh?! ;) (and just in case he's reading - i'm only kidding!)

Chris Stovell said...

My heartfelt sympathies - from a minus 7. Can't see and have to pay HUGE sums to be able to. Grrr. Vent away, JJ.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I'd never thought of that before, although I did ask my godmother once how she did her eye makeup without her glasses (she didn't wear contacts and has dreadful sight).

My eyesight has deteriorated so much this past year, although, that said, I can still read without my glasses, so it's not that bad.

Sympathies re your son and his gcse/coursework. I groan when I remember the fun I had with J.

DOT said...

I too am astigmatic and tried contacts for a couple of years before returning to glasses.

Fortunately, my sight isn't too bad, so choosing frames is not a problem.

Do you have a stylist friend whose opinion you trust to take with you?

Queenie said...

Errrr, hold your face further away? Oh. Maybe not.

I'm sorry to say this, but your post made me giggle. I do love a good rant.

Lazy Perfectionista said...

I have the same problem with choosing glasses but I have a solution! I take a picture of myself with my phone, rather than trying to peer through the 'clear' lenses (that are generally so smudged with fingerprints and covered with stickers that I suspect even people with normal vision would find it tricky to see through them). That way you can flick through the pics of the options, without having to try on the glasses again when you can't remember which was your favourite (another problem I always have...)!

Jenny Beattie said...

B, it's awful isn't it? And thank you for the comments about Son (he won't be reading - too dull) I expect we'll get there.

Chris, MINUS SEVEN? Wow. I'm not very short sighted... it's mostly astigmatisms... Blah.

Debs, Oh, don't get me started on make up application. Impossible. Eye brow plucking? Out of the question. Pah.

DOT, uhm, no... control freak? Me?

Queenie, I'm glad it made you laugh: it cheered me up.

Ellie, OH MY GOD: that's brilliant. Thank you!

Carol said...

Sorry to hear that your having problems with son again....I'm sure they will sort themselves out...he's just at a bad age!!

I think Ellie's suggestion is pure genius!!!

C x

HelenMWalters said...

I think anyone who has contacts is very brave. I wouldn't be able to put them in at all.

Marcie Steele said...

I'm with Helen on the contact lenses, haven't used them, wouldn't dare but thankfully, my eyes are okay (about the only thing that is at the moment, ha, ha)

I'm with Queenie on the fact that your post made me giggle (and yes I remember the saga 15 months ago)

And I'm with you when I say, Ellie, what a fantastic idea!

That's why I love reading your blog JJ, you are so just...you xxx

Beth said...

I WIN - I am -8.50 in both eyes!!!!

sorry, it's not a competition is it? i'll shush now. carry on.