A few rambling thoughts about vision correction...
This is an interesting thread. Thanks to all you guys for sharing your experiences. I am nearsighted (about 20/300) and have been since age 12. Since I spent so much time as a teenager in the optometrist's office, that was my first career choice. But then, someone said I should be an engineer, and now I are one!
I've kept up with the various surgeries through the years but haven't yet made the decision. They are making so many advances in corrective sight surgery, I'm wondering what new surgery is right around the corner. Right now, I am very happy with gas permeable contacts for distant vision (20/20 and 20/15) and reading glasses from WalMart, Walgreen's or wherever.
I even have a pair of bifocal contact lenses that I still wear occasionally but since I found out they are illegal for flying, I don't wear them in the plane. That's another topic, but the bottom line is don't act as PIC while wearing any contact lens for near vision which includes both bifocal contacts and the common practice of "monovision" using one lens for near and one for far. I have noticed that with my bifocal contacts my near vision focal length is in the order of 12-14 inches and is quite narrow, whereas my near vision through both distant contact lenses and reading lenses has a "depth of field" of apx. 12 inches out to about 24 inches. So for my vision while flying, the legal way works better for me.
I have even been seen wearing my reading lenses on the tip of my nose and my sunglasses on the bridge of my nose. That's one joy of getting older...I don't really care if it doesn't look cool!
Hey, it works.
I remember a welder a few years ago who had a special pair of bifocal glasses with the reading lens in the top of the lens. That way when he was welding overhead, he could better focus on his weld (through his welding helmet, of course.) As I became presbyopic, I remembered him and came to appreciate his solution. Maybe us old presbyopic builders should have such a pair out in the shop for some of our unusual attitudes while building. I would love to hear if anyone has done this while building an RV...
Larry, I thought your story about the study group wearing and adjusting to lenses with inverted vision was going to lead to a punch line about aerobatic pilots flying inverted but looking at the world right side up!!! Wouldn't that be a hoot?
I haven't tried the progressive lenses yet, as my present glasses which are bifocal are for backup only.
Thanks, again, everyone for your experiences. I was not aware that there were so many differences in the lenses provided by the optometric community. This explains why my wife has had some difficulty getting a good lens fitting with a different optometrist. I suspect he only buys from one or two lens/frame suppliers when in reality there are probably more than two dozen to choose from.
I'm out!
Don