As most of you already know, I'm 45 years old. Definitely, solidly in middle age. Yuck, how I HATE that term. Sounds so frumpy. And matronly. I don't want to be either of those things. (Though I suppose I'm a bit of each, actually). Anyway, until recently being "middle aged" hasn't really bothered me. I still feel young. I color my hair, I don't have too many wrinkles, I can keep most of my spider veins covered up most of the time and there's always under wire bras for a little "pick me up". So far it hasn't been too difficult to deny being "middle aged". Well, all that changed about a year ago. I've worn glasses or contact lenses for distance since I was 15 years old. But, suddenly I needed reading glasses. No big deal. I bought a few interesting pairs and off I went. But, I soon got sick and tired of having to keep a pair of readers handy at all times. I decided to try multi-focal contact lenses. My eye doctor gave me a few different pairs to try and said "be patient". I gave it a quick try, but then we went away for Thanksgiving and I decided I didn't want to bother with it. I decided to just wear my glasses while visiting family for Thanksgiving. Then I discovered something very interesting. When I took my contacts out and wore my (distance) glasses, I actually didn't need readers. I could no longer read with my distance glasses on, but all I had to do was take them off and I could read just fine. So, since last November I've been wearing my glasses and simply removing them when I want to read.
Well, of course, I got sick of doing that and once again decided to try multi-focal contacts. And yet again, I couldn't find a pair that gave me crystal clear READING vision. You can imagine how important THAT is to a bookworm like me. So, now I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. I can wear contact lenses for distance and put readers on and off all day long. Or I can wear distance glasses and take them on and off all day. Frankly, it's a pain in the @ss. And I'm a little sick of wearing glasses all the time. So what's a middle aged woman girl to do?
Today I had to take Madeleine to the eye doctor for contact lens "training" (THAT didn't go too well). While I was there I shopped for a new pair of glasses. I found some frameless ones that I like a lot. I ordered the frames and I'm going to talk to the doctor about bifocals vs. distance only lenses. Not sure how bifocals would work, since I see fine WITHOUT glasses. Would he make the bottom portion clear? Not to mention I've heard lots of people who wear bifocals HATE them. Apparently, you have to turn your head to see clearly - as opposed to just your eyes. You no longer have clear peripheral vision. Oh and bifocals cost about twice as much as single vision glasses. My inclination is to go with single vision right now, since I don't really NEED bifocal. I'm so confused! So in addition to ordering the new glasses, I also ordered two more boxes of distance only contacts. Maybe I can continue on this (schizophrenic) path a while longer.
Is it too much to ask to have clear vision all the time (like in the good old days)? Have any of you dealt with this "in between" stage? What did you do? Got any advice for a youthful 45 year old with aging eyes? I'd appreciate any words of wisdom you can give.
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12 comments:
I feel your pain!
I see just fine without my glasses, but get headaches (weak eye; other overcompensates). I've needed bifocals (according to the docs) for several years now, but I did indeed hate them. This year I opted for progressive lenses and they are working out great for me. Tom got them last year and couldn't say enough good things about them. (yet I'm not wearing any lenses at all right now as I type, and I'm pretty darn comfortable with that...)
I am 49, rushing to 50 in just 4 months, and I started wearing reading glasses at age 40, and I hated them!!! My eye doctor told me as I aged my distance might start to need help, and when it did about 3/4 years ago I was elated that multifocus contacts made my life better. For me my close up vision is sharp, but my distance isn't perfect. It's way better than what you need to drive and see, and I rarely can tell the difference.
I just hated wearing glasses, made my face look different, just not me. I had progressive lenses with clear on top, then a tiny correction, and as it got worse, voila contacts were fine.
I just hate the expense of those lenses.
Good luck.......this part of aging is not fun!!
I know someone that wears one reader contact and one distance contact... Together, they are fine for everyday, but when she needs to read, she closes one eye, when she needs to focus on something far away she closes the other...???
I am knocking on wood over here!!! My eyesight is still in good shape. I'm curious to read your comments as they filter in and store all the advice up for when I need it...
OKay, I'm am so overdue at the eye doctor. I use a pair for the computer, one for reading, add the two together to see the phone book. My sunglasses are on a rope around my neck. All I do is look for the other glasses.
And 45? You enjoy that age. You're a youngster.
My lecture for the day! HAh!
I had bad vision since 9th grade. Big cheers to LASIK!!!! I heard I may need reading glasses later...I saw a fab pair of Dolce and Gabbanas so I have no fear. LOL.
Since starting school with glasses, I don't really know life without them. But I have worn contacts since 18 which makes me far more comfy. Readers are a poor man's solution...it's not perfect as they can't stay on but I HATE to wear glasses so I will avoid bifocals as long as I can.
I have a girlfriend who just made the jump to bi-focals and said once she got used to them she love loved them.
Hi pam,
Try multifocals. They work really well and they can change distance vision to match. There is no clumsy line either. I think this page talks about it http://www.eyecaresource.com/conditions/presbyopia/eyeglasses.html
I'm not there yet but will be soon. I've worn glasses since I was 10 and contacts since I was 15 so after 30 yrs I"m not ready to go back to glasses! My eye doctor said he'd start me with 2 different lenses (one distance, one reading) but I think I'd hate that. I wonder if I could use multifocus lenses. I have a feeling I'll just have to move to mulitfocus glasses full time - that's what most of my friends have done.
Gail
I've had progressive lenses for years and I like them well enough, I guess. Of course, I'd prefer no glasses at all but at age 55 I'm almost blind as a bat without them anymore, ha! It took a bit of adjusting with the progressives but I like how they make the transition from far-to-mid-to-near so smooth, not like with bifocals or trifocals where I found myself constantly cocking my head this way and that, trying to find a comfortable way of going from near to far or vice versa. I was very 'silvery' at age 35 and decided to just go with the natural look. No dyes for me. Now my hair is a beautiful silvery-white and even I can't remember myself with my natural brown hair. I keep fit by walking my grandboys 3-4 days per week in their double stroller, 4-5 miles each time. My son told me the other day, "You know, Mom, you have some really great-looking legs for a woman your age!" I dunno, Pam...age is so relative. We can fight it or we can relax in to it and accept it gracefully. I've never worn make up -- I'm a 'natural' girl of the '60s-'70s - and I guess I've always had the "I am who I am" attitude...if you don't like how I look, that's YOUR problem! Works for me!
Middle aged? Middle aged? I'M middle aged??
OMG!OMG!OMG!
I turn 44 in November (insert tears here) and I still have one in Pull-Ups (insert more tears here)
:)
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