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Read Thread: Am I ready for this???

Re: Am I ready for this???
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #73499 by Lock Wench
Feb 21, 2007 8:17am
Thread (disabled) Board
How long have you had them? I got used to mine within a couple days. I suppose it varies.

When I say "got used to", by the way, I don't mean "stopped noticing the distortion changes when I move my head". I mean "CAN NO LONGER SEE THE DISTORTION CHANGES". Seriously. As hard as I try to see the weird effects that were so disconcerting when I first got the lenses, I CAN'T. Apparently the human visual system rewires itself to take a distorted image and map it into an undistorted perception. Well, it'd have to; the retina's not a perfect plane (or sphere) so even without bifocals the image your eye's lens projects on it is distorted, but your brain un-distorts it. So that's not surprising, but I'm surprised at how quickly an ADULT brain can make the adjustment... and that, if I take my glasses off, I still don't see any distortion, so apparently my visual system has at least two un-distorting maps, one for glasses on and one for glasses off.

Brains are amazing.
Re: Am I ready for this???
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #73499 by Lock Wench
Feb 21, 2007 9:15am
Thread (disabled) Board
Hey LW,
Hang in there! Hopefully you bought the better lenses. They should settle down for you after a short time. Be persistant and try to wear them as much as possible without making yourself feel comfortable.
I have had mine for a few months now. The first few days were as you described. Now I use them every day and can't live without them! They're great.

That being said, progressives aren't for every purpose. I wear mine full-time so that I can see better in the distance and read as well (like in a dark restaurant for example). But, when I carve, I use a full frame "reading" Rx. With these, you will get a much larger field of view at close range and no "Wave " problem. Of course a nice bright lighted magnifier on top of them is my personal preference!!!

I'd recommend getting your reading glasses from a professional optical shop as opposed to "cheaters". Most people don't have a perfectly balanced Rx, and many have astigmatism too. Get it filled properly and you will see your best, your carvings will look the best possible, and you will be happiest! :o)

Pete - The Merry Prankster #1 - Registered Optician #4889
Re: Am I ready for this???
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #73499 by Lock Wench
Feb 21, 2007 9:24am
Thread (disabled) Board
I got progressives last summer and I had to relearn a couple of things (point of focus when walking up or down stairs was the biggest one) and I absolutely love them now. It took a little while to get used to them (maybe a week), but they go on my face and stay there now. :) The only thing I haven't been able to get to work right for me is playing the piano. Changing focal range for reading music and glancing down at the keyboard and back to the music again is really rough. I will probably have to get a single focus pair of glasses for that activity.

Webfoot
Re: Am I ready for this???
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #73499 by Lock Wench
Feb 24, 2007 1:32am
Thread (disabled) Board
Thanks for all the encouraging responses! It's been almost a week and I am getting used to them now. I think it's funny that almost no one has noticed that I have new glasses, but several people have said..."I never knew you had blue eyes!" I have VERY blue eyes..but I don't think you could see them behind my thick black rimmed Madame Librarian glasses...lol.

LW PhD
"Nice Counts"
Re: Am I ready for this???
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #73499 by Lock Wench
Feb 24, 2007 3:58am
Thread (disabled) Board
I thought I noticed new glasses but couldn't say anything at the moment. Then, of course I forgot about it when I actually had a chance. Yes, I too am aging and need to get bifocals. I've been putting off this year's optometrist appt because of that. I can still make do very nicely by taking my glasses off to read but it's almost constant! I share in your agony, so you're not alone!!