varifocals

[lobelia321]

I have new glasses.

I posted about the new frames a few weeks ago, and the frames themselves are an absolutely knock-out and they suit my face as if they were tailormade for it. I clearly have an 80s face (t'h has a 70s face; put a shoulder-length rocker wig on him and he looks to the manner born), and, if you remember, I bought myself some vintage 80s glasses from Retrospecs in St Alban's, Hertfordshire.

But now I have the lenses. And they are my first pair of varifocals evah (middle age, yoohoo, I'm there). Everything lists! Everything sways! My peripheral vision is drunk! I can't see my feet when I look down, and I have to cock my head to the side when I want to read a book, and EVERYTHING'S WEIRD.

I ran to my higher education establishment where I had the prescription made up and they said, 'oh it may take you up to six weeks to get used to varifocals'. Then I met a friend for coffee and she said, 'I've had my varifocals for a year and I'm still not used to them.'

ARGH. Yesterday, I had to take a paracetamol because my eye hurt and made my head hurt.

I am noticing, however, that my previous glasses have given me some bad habits. Because my previous prescription was rubbish, I got into the habit of reading with the book held about an inch away from my nose. The varifocals do not allow me to indulge in this habit.

HELP.

On the other hand, who cares if I can see? I LOOK fabulous.

Well, I will proceed to answer my own question. Who cares? I care.

Oh, and I have to adopt a special angle and stance when typing into t'laptop. Thank the something that I taught myself to touchtype at age 19.

Comments

[msilverstar]

Oh I know, it's so weird looking down at a table and the surface is wavy.

But! I got used to mine in about 4 days, and now I love love love them.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

4 days. Okay. It's been 3 for me. And it's true, it's better than it was!

And it's also true that with my old glasses I could basically see nothing...

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

I got varifocals because I got new glasses and they were all WRONG when I tried to read or look at someone in "talking distance." I took ZERO time to adjust to the varifocals. I can't use them on the laptop, though - I have special computer glasses.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Special computer glasses? You intrigue me, woman. Do tell.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

They are optimized for the screen distance, both in power (i.e., the doc wrote me a special prescription for them) and in focus (i.e., this was an option when I got the actual glasses, which I did over the internet). They are much more relaxing to use than my regular ones on the computer. I have accidentally worn them outside a few times (like, I went to a talk on Sunday and forgot I was wearing them, rather than my proper glasses) and distant things are a bit too fuzzy; I can read with them but need to hold the book a little far.

Also, your other reply mentioning Karl Urban reminded me: we rented The Bourne Supremacy last week and the Russian assassin looked kind of familiar, and finally I exclaimed, "Oh! That's Eomer!" and my husband snorted at me. But it made me think of you.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Haha, you didn't know he was in the Bourne Supremacy? That's the only reason I went to see that film! Oh, fandom... Before he was Eomer, he was Cupid, of course (*whispers*: Xena Warrior Princess) -- omg, I still have the box sets.

This computer screen glasses thing is highly intriguing. No optician mentioned this to me; they only ever say 'reading glasses'. But it is totally true: there are different forms of reading. I don't hold a book as far as away or at the angle I look at the computer screen. In fact, I don't hold the book as opticians seem to want me to hold it... My pupils keep slithering round in my eyeballs looking for the right spot on the varifocals for me to see the page properly. It's all a bit of an optical rollercoaster.

[bunnysquee.livejournal.com]

hmm ... i missed your post about your glasses - i went back and looked at them, and they are fab! people still wear them, and not just for the retro 80s look. hope you get used to your lenses quickly.

i need glasses but am refraining from getting my eyes checked because ... well, i don't want to wear them.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

In England people do not still wear this type of glasses because it is not available in normal shops!! I had to trawl the internet and then drive for 1 1/2 hours to get them!! What you can't see in the photo is that the glasses are tiny and just go around my eyes. This is maybe why the varifocalness is difficult but I love their tininess!

I've had glasses since I was seven so I love glasses but if you've never had them I can see how it can be hard to get used to them. But I see them as a fashion accessory! You could just get a cheap pair and hide it in your bag...? Or just use it sekritly at home. At least, then you'll be able to see some of the time?!

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

P.S. Also, the eyetest is fun. :-)

[bunnysquee.livejournal.com]

i think i'm put off eyetests because the last person said my eyesight is failing because i'm getting old!!!

don't get me wrong; i can still see. it's just that now i can't read the numbers on the bus from two streets away, whereas ten years ago, i could read the signs on shopfronts on the ground floor from the 57 floor.

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

Ah, we're all getting old... They shouldn't be telling us those things!!!

[yellow-oranges.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to see your priorities are in order. ;)

[lobelia321.livejournal.com]

*snorts*