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I Need Glasses

Old 04-20-07, 11:00 AM
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I Need Glasses

I'm 45 and have often heard people say, once you turn 40 your eyes go, just like clockwork.

How old were you when you were fitted for your first pair of glasses?
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Old 04-20-07, 11:04 AM
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Old 04-20-07, 11:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Mayonnaise
How old were you when you were fitted for your first pair of glasses?
12...after our championship Little League seasons in which I was the biggest kid on the team and NEVER got a base hit. In fact we won 3 years' championships and I never got a base hit.

After the 3rd season, my parents had my eyes tested and, with my left eye very nearsighted & with astigmatism, turns out as a right-handed batter "I never saw it coming!"...

but these days I'm a mean slow pitch softball homerun swatter
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Old 04-20-07, 11:28 AM
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In jr. high school, but they were only for long distance viewing (movies, TV). I got my first pair of progressive (love 'em!) bi-focals a few years ago which I wear for all serious viewing up close or distant - computer, TV, crafts, movies, etc. I also wear progressive (love 'em!) bi-focal sunglasses w/non-glare protection and they go wherever I go. I started noticing big changes in my early-40s. When my mom was that age and starting to have to hold things further and further away, I would joke "Want me to hold it for you across the room, Mom?" She'd always say "Just you wait!".
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Old 04-20-07, 11:32 AM
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Same thing happened to me in the last 10 years. My arms got too short. Just got a new pair of progressives with the new Transition lenses, love em.
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Old 04-20-07, 11:32 AM
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Originally Posted by centexwoody
12...after our championship Little League seasons in which I was the biggest kid on the team and NEVER got a base hit. In fact we won 3 years' championships and I never got a base hit.

After the 3rd season, my parents had my eyes tested and, with my left eye very nearsighted & with astigmatism, turns out as a right-handed batter "I never saw it coming!"...

but these days I'm a mean slow pitch softball homerun swatter
The same thing happened to me! I was good at baseball until one year I completely stunk. Couldn't get a hit. I couldn't see the ball right, and I didn't know what was going on. Got on base with a fielder's choice once. But other than the occasional walk, that was it. So out of deep frustration, I quit the team. I could sit on a bench anywhere.

I got glasses like a year later, but I still had very little depth perception. It wasn't until two years ago that I found out I have astigmatism, got toric contacts, and now my depth perception is pretty good. But I think about how much better in baseball and basketball I could have been. I could have been a contender. I could have been somebody. Instead of an idiot, which is what I am.

Edit: Oops. I was using the "View New Posts" feature, and I know that Mayonnaise races, and I thought I was in the Road Cycling forum. Sorry to crash the party.
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Old 04-20-07, 11:43 AM
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Originally Posted by Yen
In jr. high school, but they were only for long distance viewing (movies, TV). I got my first pair of progressive (love 'em!) bi-focals a few years ago which I wear for all serious viewing up close or distant - computer, TV, crafts, movies, etc. I also wear progressive (love 'em!) bi-focal sunglasses w/non-glare protection and they go wherever I go. I started noticing big changes in my early-40s. When my mom was that age and starting to have to hold things further and further away, I would joke "Want me to hold it for you across the room, Mom?" She'd always say "Just you wait!".
Correction: I meant transition, not progressive.
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Old 04-20-07, 11:57 AM
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A few weeks after my 40th birthday I was calling a supplier from the jobsite and dialed a wrong number. Turned out to be an eye doctors office. I thought to myself that this could be a sign, so I made an appointment for the next week. Walked out of the doc's office with glasses on my face. Three years later I started wearing bi-focals and four years ago (I'm almost fifty-five now) I started wearing transition/ progressive/ lens without lines in them glasses to avoid going to tri-focals.
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Old 04-20-07, 12:00 PM
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i was 7 or 8...i'm cresting up on 42 in the next few weeks and I'm either wearing badly ground lenses, or I'm going to need bi-focals soon as well. I can't read a book with my glasses on anymore.
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Old 04-20-07, 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Mayonnaise
I'm 45 and have often heard people say, once you turn 40 your eyes go, just like clockwork.
How old were you when you were fitted for your first pair of glasses?
Glasses and sometimes more...

I actually started wearing glasses at 11 (nearsighted + astigmatism) so I learned to live with them. After 45 reading becomes more difficult, if you are nearsighted you actually remove your glasses to read. For most people it means reading glasses.
At 47 I got an additional surprise. My day vision quickly got worse and worse from the right eye. The sunnier is was the worst it got. I was diagnosed with cataract, the kind that comes quickly and at a younger age. The eye got operated on and set to regular vision (medium to long distance). Wow! I didn't glasses anymore. I used my nearsighted left eye for reading and my brand new, shiny, right eye for the rest. When the cataract became annoying on the left eye I was offered to either set the new lens for near vision (as my real lens was) or set it like the right eye which would mean necessary glasses for reading. I opted for the monovision setting (nearsighted left). 3 years later I only use corrective lenses for critical night vision (driving, tv, movie).
Obviously not to have to wear glasses is a plus but the best is that I can choose any cool riding glasses I want. Getting over 50 is way cool!!!
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Old 04-20-07, 12:07 PM
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10 when I got them. No idea how long I needed them before that.
Near sighted in one, far sighted in the other, astigmatism, lazy eye, poor depth perception.
Bifocals from day 1.
Now I've added cataracts and glaucoma.
I've gone from arms too short to nose too long.
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Old 04-20-07, 12:17 PM
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Fourth grade. Discovered that with glasses, I could see individual blades of grass and leaves on trees. Who knew???

Now I wear contacts AND reading glasses. Sigh.
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Old 04-20-07, 12:48 PM
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12 years old, here, as well. And to add to the ocular oddities list: Nearsighted-left eye, far sighted right-eye. Right eye has a congenital cataract, both eyes have slight astigmatism. I started wearing photogray lenses 30 years ago and loved them but once my lenses got too thick for glass, bye-bye photogray. Tried Transitions and that seriously sucked. Transitions II was supposed to be a huge improvement... still seriously sucked. I don't know what number they're on now but current Transitions ROCK! Definitely as good as I remember my Photograys being. Oh, and another progressive wearer here, too, though I don't generally wear them on my rides.
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Old 04-20-07, 12:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Mayonnaise
I'm 45 and have often heard people say, once you turn 40 your eyes go, just like clockwork.

How old were you when you were fitted for your first pair of glasses?
I was eleventeen and the very first pair were bifocals. I had needed them for years.

The thing that's killin' me now is the presbyopia. Alas, there is no correction available for it, just turn up the lights and do the best you can.
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Old 04-20-07, 12:55 PM
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I've made it to 52, but the time is nigh!
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Old 04-20-07, 01:07 PM
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Got to around 50 and they started making books and Papers with smaller print. Gradually got worse and about 5 years ago it got to the stage that I cannot even read the computer screen without reading glasses. I am only short sighted but without those glasses- I cannot read a thing.
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Old 04-20-07, 01:15 PM
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I replaced my arms with gorilla arms, so I can hold the newspaper further away from my eyes. Works great, except now my knuckles drag on the ground when walking.
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Old 04-20-07, 01:23 PM
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I'm 53 and still don't wear 'em, but when I get in a dark restaurant I often can't read the menu.
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Old 04-20-07, 01:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Jet Travis
I'm 53 and still don't wear 'em, but when I get in a dark restaurant I often can't read the menu.
That's because you shave your legs.
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Old 04-20-07, 01:50 PM
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8 or 9
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Old 04-20-07, 02:15 PM
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It's just not true that it happens at 40 years. Heck, I was 41 or 42 before I conceded the need. Bye the way, my doctor told me that my eyes themselves were perfect. It was the weak old muscles which focused them that were worn out.
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Old 04-20-07, 02:20 PM
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The biggest problem that I see with age is not the glasses but the inability my eyes to change from one mode or distance to another.
If I am reading and go out to drive the car it seems like 10 or 15 minutes before my eyes adjust to distance vision again.
In and out of bright spaces is the same.

My eye doctor tells be to get used to it.!@#$%^
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Old 04-20-07, 02:47 PM
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If memory serves, I was 45 for glasses, and 50 for bifocal glasses.
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Old 04-20-07, 02:55 PM
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Originally Posted by webist
It's just not true that it happens at 40 years. Heck, I was 41 or 42 before I conceded the need. Bye the way, my doctor told me that my eyes themselves were perfect. It was the weak old muscles which focused them that were worn out.
Actually, the primary contributor is the age related changes that are taking place within the crystalline lens of your eye. Like every other part of our body, the tissues become less flexible, and the lens becomes unable to achieve the proper shape to act as a plus lens, which allows you to focus for near.

The 2 other components for near vision, convergence and pupil dilation, are less affected by the passage of time.

BTW, presbyopia = old age

To the original question, I was 11, and of course, had the required battle in my classroom with the class cro-magnum who was good enough to comment on their style. Pair #2 happened that same day. My parents were less than happy. Thank goodness I'm in the business, and haven't paid for glasses/contacts in about 30 years.

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Old 04-20-07, 03:17 PM
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Actually, now that I think of it again, my Dr. said what Quattro said. He also told me that I would likely forget what he actually said by the time I turn 56. True enough that!
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