Thanks for the Reminder!

[Ksyrup]

Just thought I'd pass along a humorous but frustrating story....

In the past 5-6 months, I've had a serious issue trying to get replacement contact lenses. I have worn Focus Torics for years and went to the eye doctor in February to get my prescription renewed so I could order some more. I was down to my last pair, and they were about 2-3 months old.

So I get my prescription and order from Vision Direct, a mere 50% cheaper than the in-store alternative. I get a message telling me that they are on backorder. No problem, I'll wait. Except I wait for over a month, at which time I call and am told they are stil backordered. So I cancel and order elsewhere. Same issue. I start calling local places, and no one stocks Torics because there are so many different prescription combinations, it isn't worth it to pre-order and keep stock. I finally find out, from Wal-Mart no less, that CIBA Vision, the manufacturer of Focus Torics, has been working on next-gen lenses and as a result, all current-gen lenses are on backorder. This continues for several months. Meanwhile, my eyes is goin' cwazy over here.

I try a couple different Toric brands, and no use - they don't fit well, they bother my eyes, and I can't see out of them. I'm basically at the mercy of CIBA Vision. I have a pair of glasses, but my eyes are so bad that I don't feel comfortable driving with my glasses because I have no peripheral vision. So I stick with the old contacts.

Finally, 2 weeks ago, the backorder is over for my particular prescription. I order from Vision Direct AGAIN (for the third time), and the contacts arrived yesterday. This morning I finally put a fresh pair of contacts in my eyes. When I opened my email about 20 minutes after that, I found the following message from Vision Direct:


Dear Christopher,

Based on your order history, we have noticed that you will likely be ready for your next order of contact lenses in about 14 days.


Really? Based on my order history, maybe you also noticed that I canceled 2 orders and just got a new delivery yesterday!! I don't know whether to laugh or get angry. I mean, the delay wasn't their fault, but that's some pretty bad timing. Not to mention, I usually get 2-4 months out of a pair of contacts anyway, so I probably won't be reordering until late 2008, at best.

But anyway, I just thought I'd share. They couldn't have timed that any better (or worse) if they had hand-delivered the reorder reminder.

[wade moore]

Ha-ha, Ksyrup's blind.


;)

[Ksyrup]

Pretty much. I sleep right next to the alarm clock, but I still have to squint to see what time it is. I'm not sure what my 20/X is, but with contacts I'm right at 20/20. Without...20/PrettyFuckingBad.

[Passacaglia]

Well, maybe it is a good idea to get started trying to get them now.

[rkmsuf]

What?

[Ksyrup]

I'll just start the process when I still have 1 pair left. I didn't realize the freaking world stopped for lens production - never had that happen before. But like I said, it'll be 18 months minimum before I think about ordering new contacts.

[Ksyrup]

Maybe it would help next time if I bring my glasses and my shoes to the eye doctor...so I have them.

[rkmsuf]

Maybe it would help next time if I bring my glasses and my shoes to the eye doctor...so I have them.

have you considered tan or sandlewood tinted contacts?

[Ksyrup]

I just buy whatever the fuck they sell.

[SnDvls]

Have you thought about lasik?

I had it done just over a year ago and I was in the same boat as you...blind without my glasses/contacts. It cost about $1,500 an eye, but I'd do it over again in a heartbeat. I now have better than 20/20 vision.

[bulletsponge]

Meanwhile, my eyes is goin' cwazy over here

lol, he tawks funny two

[Ksyrup]

lol, he tawks funny two


Don't make me come down there for you, too, tough guy!

[Ksyrup]

Have you thought about lasik?

I had it done just over a year ago and I was in the same boat as you...blind without my glasses/contacts. It cost about $1,500 an eye, but I'd do it over again in a heartbeat. I now have better than 20/20 vision.

No, not really. I mean, I might eventually get it done, but not right now. I'll wait a few years until my opthamologist brother gets out of the Army and partners with someone who will do it for free (he can't/won't do it for family).

[rkmsuf]

Don't make me come down there for you, too, tough guy!

Who do you think you are? The super across the way?

[Ksyrup]

Who do you think you are? The super across the way?

Look jerky, I don't need to talk to you.

GET ME IZULDE I SAID!

[MikeVic]

Look jerky, I don't need to talk to you.

GET ME IZULDE I SAID!

I can get you Izlude.

[Ryan S]

Have you thought about lasik?

I had it done just over a year ago and I was in the same boat as you...blind without my glasses/contacts. It cost about $1,500 an eye, but I'd do it over again in a heartbeat. I now have better than 20/20 vision.

I got LASIK almost 7 years ago ($3000 per eye) and I don't regret it for a moment. My vision was appalling before the surgery and now it is around 20/15.

[saldana]

I got LASIK almost 7 years ago ($3000 per eye) and I don't regret it for a moment. My vision was appalling before the surgery and now it is around 20/15.

gah....i got mine 5 years ago, 1000 bucks an eye...went from 20/1000 to 20/15....best money i ever spent

ksyrup...what is your prescription number...mine was -6.5

[cartman]

I got LASIK almost 7 years ago ($3000 per eye) and I don't regret it for a moment. My vision was appalling before the surgery and now it is around 20/15.

gah....i got mine 5 years ago, 1000 bucks an eye...went from 20/1000 to 20/15....best money i ever spent

ksyrup...what is your prescription number...mine was -6.5

+3

Got it done in January of 2000. Went to 20/10 in one eye, 20/15 in the other. Best elective surgery I've ever had.

[AZSpeechCoach]

My prescription is -8.0 in each eye. Is that bad? :p

[Ksyrup]

Mine is -6.00, but that's as high as torics go.

[heybrad]

...best money i ever spent

+4

[saldana]

My prescription is -8.0 in each eye. Is that bad? :p

holy crap...your glasses must look like andy dick from "employee of the month":eek:

hey, brad

[AZSpeechCoach]

holy crap...your glasses must look like andy dick from "employee of the month":eek:

hey, brad

I have featherweights from LensCrafters. Not nearly as bad as the coke bottles.

[sabotai]

I have featherweights from LensCrafters. Not nearly as bad as the coke bottles.

I would have coke bottles if I had large lenses. I have to have featherweight glasses or else they would be too heavy. My vision is quite bad as well. I have no idea what my 20/x is. I can't see the E from 2 feet away. Everything is just a blur. I don't want to go to contact lenses because...I'm lazy. I don't want to have to deal with taking them out every night, cleaning them, putting them in my eyes in the morning....that's way too much work. :)

So LASIK is down to about 1k an eye now....what's the surgery and recovery like?

EDIT: Does being far-sighted or near-sighted make a difference anymore? I'm far-sighted in one eye and near-sighted in the other. Not sure if that would be an issue.

[Ksyrup]

I've been wearing contacts for almost 25 years now. Compared to then, they really are no trouble at all. You don't even have to clean them anymore. Back when I first got them, you had to clean them, rinse them, and then bake them in this little heating box for an hour every night. Now you just pop them out and into saline solution.

[SnDvls]

So LASIK is down to about 1k an eye now....what's the surgery and recovery like?

EDIT: Does being far-sighted or near-sighted make a difference anymore? I'm far-sighted in one eye and near-sighted in the other. Not sure if that would be an issue.

most places will give you a "free" examine to see if you are eligible. if you qualify and don't do the LASIK they will change you for the eye examine.

I did flapless with a laser so I can only speak on that, but I was in and out within an hour...only meds they have you take is an anti anxiety and asprin before and they put these numbing drops in you eyes prior as well. After it was done I had to do 3 different drops in my eyes twice a day and then I had rewetting drops if my eyes got "tired or dry." I got some freaky cool ski goggles to wear at night to prevent me from rubbing my eyes at night (my wifed loved them :D j/k) I did it on a Friday and was back to work on Monday with no problems....I'd say I could have gone back to work on Saturday or Sunday at the latest.

I then had two follow up visits. One to make sure the eyes were healing and to check my vision at that point (about a week or so after I believe) and the second was 3 months later to see where I was at and to see if I needed any futher tweeking at all.

All follow up visits and tweeking if needed (I didn't) was covered in the cost.

You can't drive home after either so you'll need someone to drop you off/pick you up.

[Passacaglia]

My prescription is -8.0 in each eye. Is that bad? :p

Mine is -4, but I think lurker's is something like -12.

[Ksyrup]

One of our secretaries who wore contacts had LASIK and they made her wear her glasses for about a month before the actual procedure. Is that everyone's experience? That would be an issue for me - lilke I said, I really don't like wearing my glasses other than for an hour or two before bed and early in the morning.

[sabotai]

One of our secretaries who wore contacts had LASIK and they made her wear her glasses for about a month before the actual procedure. Is that everyone's experience? That would be an issue for me - lilke I said, I really don't like wearing my glasses other than for an hour or two before bed and early in the morning.

According to info I read on LASIK's website, wearing contacts actually changes the shape of your eye a little, so you have to not wear them for awhile so that you're eye basically goes back to it's natural shape.