What better way to pass a free morning than spending it repeatedly poking yourself in the eye for a few hours? Yes, I have been trying out contact lenses. What fun!
I have been finding wearing glasses whilst working very tricky. It is gradually descending from mildly irritating to downright tedious. I don’t need to wear specs all the time (yet) but can’t read a word without them. This translates in gardening terms to “spot weeds”, “find pests”, “read plant labels”. As anyone who has tried to walk about wearing reading glasses will know, this veers from comical to dangerous. So my specs go on for close up work and then off again to visit the compost bin. When not in use they sit on the top of my head where they get caught up in my hair which necessitates an inelegant and often painful removal when I need them next.
Only last week the pound shop glasses Farmer Tony generous donated to me, when I had forgotten mine and was squinting like Mr Magoo, fell off the top of my head at which point I promptly stepped backwards and crunched them. Tricky.
There has to be a better solution.
So when at a recent eye test they suggested contact lens, I thought, “why not give it a go?” They also mentioned the words “free trial”. Even better. I am not naturally squeamish. I love watching a good operation on the TV, but when it comes to the eyes being treated I can be found hiding behind the sofa looking for lost crisps. I am definitely eye squeamish.
Still I was game. Faint heart never won good eyesight. This morning was my initial appointment. All was well until I had to put them in. “What I have to do it myself?” Eventually I managed it, after much pushing and prodding and stretching and thoughts of “beam me up Scottie”. My tutor was a saint. And the result was great. No irritation, just much better eyesight, it was truly amazing. All was well. We had this cracked. Then I had to take them out. Or not, as the case might be. After an age trying, with eyes red and sore, I admitted defeat.
My humiliation culminated in an ethereal optician putting me in a headlock and removing the offending lenses.
But I’m not giving up. Yet.
Off The Edge Gardening 
Bi- or vari- focals with secure round the ear fittings might be less troublesome. You could have the upper part of the lenses “neutral”. I mean, if you can’t get the contacts out again, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40630852.
LikeLike
That is not helping! I shouldn’t have even looked. Being nosy is such a handicap!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh come on!! I’ve laid my borders bare using my vari-focals!! And I can now spot all the gaps and the naughty little weeds popping into the gaps with all the added lovely compost and rain!! Keep them on your nose and possibly add screen-wipers and you wont have to suffer so with all these insertions and extractions!! :)xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Screen wipers, such a brilliant idea! Now we just need someone to make them. Is Brian busy?
LikeLike
Vari-vocals definitely the way to go, much better than Bi-focals. Bye the way when are we going to see another photo of the now not so new boots?
LikeLiked by 3 people
Ok, thanks, will remember that. I will try to remember to take a photo of the boots tomorrow. They do look a little different now! 🙂
Like
You see, those singing lessons are going to help you in ways you never imagined! 😉 (sorry)
LikeLike
Too bad we need our eyes for so many jobs! My daughter had to have contacts extracted too. Husband has lost umpteen pairs of glasses, both cheapies and not, by removing them and laying them on the dirt beside where he is digging. We dig them up all the time. I once bought him 4 pair of cheap ones, but he still lost them just as fast. Good luck in finding a solution.
I am now using two pair of computer glasses plus a couple of magnifiers. Some things on the computer refuse to be seen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My husband does exactly the same thing! He leaves a trail of reading glasses wherever he goes.
LikeLike
Thanks Kayti, we will see, I have an open mind about it, I will give it another go. x
LikeLike
OK, Gillian, I have worn hard contact lenses since 1974. I am certain you can deal with them. Bifocal contacts are amazing, you’ll love it. Always carry eye drops when working outside! That is key.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the tip! I did wonder about being out in the mud and eye rubbing.
LikeLike
I wore contact lenses for a number of years, starting in my teens when vanity was a great motivator. Then one day, my husband watched me crawling around on the floor looking for a lost lens. He asked me why I didn’t just wear glasses, which is what I’ve done ever since. I wear prescription sunglasses when gardening. I’m nearsighted, though; so my problem is different from yours. I wish you luck.
LikeLike
Thanks Mrs D, I am not sure there is a perfect solution, not yet anyway. Come on you scientists, get working on it!
LikeLike
Good luck, I never did get used to them having tried a couple of times instead of glasses that I’ve had to wear since my early teens. xx
LikeLike
Really interesting what mixed experiences people have had. Helps a lot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oops! Should have focused on my vocals.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I knew what you meant! 🙂
LikeLike
with you on the eye squeamishness – have always worn glasses – middleoldish age now means I have varivocals and computer reading glasses – neither of which are quite right for gardening but anything is better than having to poke about in your own eyes
LikeLike
Such a weird thing to do! It really was an out of body experience. I just wanted to run out the door at one point and then realised I couldn’t because I had the lenses in still. 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person