Anyone here with a high near-sighted prescription?

[Vic]

Dave, the only thing nice about gas perms is handling. They are easier to put in (smaller) and to take out (you simply force your eye wide open and then pull the outside corner, the contact literally pops out). Also, you can't possibly put them in backwards and they won't fold up into a little ball in your fingers.
Everything else about them is worse and I know, having worn them for more than 15 years straight.
Your optometrist will tell you that gas perms breathe better. This is true but they are also hard and inflexible and have sharp edges. When I first got soft lenses (2 months ago), my first reaction was OMG they are so comfortable. Gas perms have a tendency to irritate the eye (even when nothing is wrong) and cause frequent blinking. It's easy for me to tell a gas perm "sufferer" (as an old optometrist of mine once said): their eyes aren't open all the way, they blink constantly (especially when they change focus), and they get little "3-and-9" red lines across the whites of their eyes. If it sounds like I grew to hate them, trust me, I did.
You've never known the true agony of wearing gas perms until you blink wrong the first time (it can also happen when sneezing) and one ends up lodged in the corner of your eye (or all the way up on top). It's ok though, they'll give a little suction cup just for that purpose.
And then the worst thing about gas perms (for me right now) is that they tend to mold the cornea. Because of this, your prescription may suddenly change after you stop wearing them. Mine did, and it took 3 return visits to the optometrist over these past 2 months to dial in my new prescription. Luckily, it was for the better. I was -8.25/-7.75 before, now I'm -7.75/-7.00
The big downfall of this changing from gas perms for me is that I was told I would have to wait as long as 2 years before I would be eligible for Lasik surgery Ask your doctor, Dave. The minimum length of time between wearing gas perms regular and then being able to get Lasik is 12 months.
And that's probably the major reason why I switched to glasses. My eyes have been more or less bad since I was 9 years old (31 now) and the idea of having perfect vision (if only for a few years) is like a dream to me.
Which is why it was so nice to hear MrsSkoorbs' success story. Someday soon I hope to have my own to tell.

 

[MomAndSkoorbaby]

Originally posted by: PSYWVic
Dave, the only thing nice about gas perms is handling. They are easier to put in (smaller) and to take out (you simply force your eye wide open and then pull the outside corner, the contact literally pops out). Also, you can't possibly put them in backwards and they won't fold up into a little ball in your fingers.
Everything else about them is worse and I know, having worn them for more than 15 years straight.
Your optometrist will tell you that gas perms breathe better. This is true but they are also hard and inflexible and have sharp edges. When I first got soft lenses (2 months ago), my first reaction was OMG they are so comfortable. Gas perms have a tendency to irritate the eye (even when nothing is wrong) and cause frequent blinking. It's easy for me to tell a gas perm "sufferer" (as an old optometrist of mine once said): their eyes aren't open all the way, they blink constantly (especially when they change focus), and they get little "3-and-9" red lines across the whites of their eyes. If it sounds like I grew to hate them, trust me, I did.
You've never known the true agony of wearing gas perms until you blink wrong the first time (it can also happen when sneezing) and one ends up lodged in the corner of your eye (or all the way up on top). It's ok though, they'll give a little suction cup just for that purpose.
And then the worst thing about gas perms (for me right now) is that they tend to mold the cornea. Because of this, your prescription may suddenly change after you stop wearing them. Mine did, and it took 3 return visits to the optometrist over these past 2 months to dial in my new prescription. Luckily, it was for the better. I was -8.25/-7.75 before, now I'm -7.75/-7.00
The big downfall of this changing from gas perms for me is that I was told I would have to wait as long as 2 years before I would be eligible for Lasik surgery Ask your doctor, Dave. The minimum length of time between wearing gas perms regular and then being able to get Lasik is 12 months.
And that's probably the major reason why I switched to glasses. My eyes have been more or less bad since I was 9 years old (31 now) and the idea of having perfect vision (if only for a few years) is like a dream to me.
Which is why it was so nice to hear MrsSkoorbs' success story. Someday soon I hope to have my own to tell.

Ah yes, my success story!
I wore normal contacts and I had to leave them out 2 weeks before my surgery. It was PRK too I might add, not lasix. For my eyes and me, that was a better option...or one that I was more comfortable with. Everyone has different eyes!

 

[Linflas]

When I started wearing contacts I never got a new pair of glasses for a very long time since I only wore them 10 minutes a day. When the frames finally bit the dust a few years back I had to get a new pair so I got the new prescription when I got my contact lens exam. I should mention at this point that my old lenses were glass because I hated the way plastic lenses scratched so easily. Anyway the store I got my glasses from convinced me to try the new ultra everything scratch resistant lenses. When I got home and tried them it was like looking in a fun house mirror. I could not walk wearing them. I took them back to the store and they verified the prescription was made correctly then after reviewing the prescription strength determined that it might be better to try another type of lens. I forget exactly what the differences were but it definitely changed the way they worked for the better.

 

[UltraQuiet]

Originally posted by: PSYWVic
Dave, the only thing nice about gas perms is handling. They are easier to put in (smaller) and to take out (you simply force your eye wide open and then pull the outside corner, the contact literally pops out). Also, you can't possibly put them in backwards and they won't fold up into a little ball in your fingers.
Everything else about them is worse and I know, having worn them for more than 15 years straight.
Your optometrist will tell you that gas perms breathe better. This is true but they are also hard and inflexible and have sharp edges. When I first got soft lenses (2 months ago), my first reaction was OMG they are so comfortable. Gas perms have a tendency to irritate the eye (even when nothing is wrong) and cause frequent blinking. It's easy for me to tell a gas perm "sufferer" (as an old optometrist of mine once said): their eyes aren't open all the way, they blink constantly (especially when they change focus), and they get little "3-and-9" red lines across the whites of their eyes. If it sounds like I grew to hate them, trust me, I did.
You've never known the true agony of wearing gas perms until you blink wrong the first time (it can also happen when sneezing) and one ends up lodged in the corner of your eye (or all the way up on top). It's ok though, they'll give a little suction cup just for that purpose.
And then the worst thing about gas perms (for me right now) is that they tend to mold the cornea. Because of this, your prescription may suddenly change after you stop wearing them. Mine did, and it took 3 return visits to the optometrist over these past 2 months to dial in my new prescription. Luckily, it was for the better. I was -8.25/-7.75 before, now I'm -7.75/-7.00
The big downfall of this changing from gas perms for me is that I was told I would have to wait as long as 2 years before I would be eligible for Lasik surgery Ask your doctor, Dave. The minimum length of time between wearing gas perms regular and then being able to get Lasik is 12 months.
And that's probably the major reason why I switched to glasses. My eyes have been more or less bad since I was 9 years old (31 now) and the idea of having perfect vision (if only for a few years) is like a dream to me.
Which is why it was so nice to hear MrsSkoorbs' success story. Someday soon I hope to have my own to tell.

Thanks for all the info. I'm kind of in limbo right now because they are still evaluating what is going on with my eyes. I lost a lot of vision in my left eye over a period of a couple months and they are still not sure why. It could be this kerataconus or it could be allergies (which I have never had). I have been borderline with my stigmatism for a while now as far as wearing soft lenses. I have considered the surgery but it's not cheap and the Navy won't pay. They always gave me contacts when I was on the sub but I have been buying my own for the last year. If they decide it is kerataconus they will give me hard lenses because they consider it a medical condition but just out of curiousity how much to the GP lenses cost?

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: DaveSohmer
Thanks for all the info. I'm kind of in limbo right now because they are still evaluating what is going on with my eyes. I lost a lot of vision in my left eye over a period of a couple months and they are still not sure why. It could be this kerataconus or it could be allergies (which I have never had). I have been borderline with my stigmatism for a while now as far as wearing soft lenses. I have considered the surgery but it's not cheap and the Navy won't pay. They always gave me contacts when I was on the sub but I have been buying my own for the last year. If they decide it is kerataconus they will give me hard lenses because they consider it a medical condition but just out of curiousity how much to the GP lenses cost?

Well, I won't go against the advise of your doctor, but I would rather have glasses than gas perms (which is basically what I'm doing right now )
GP lenses cost similar to a years supply of softs, but last much longer. Properly taken care of, a pair of GP lenses could last 5 years, seriously. Maintenance is easier and solutions tend to be cheaper. Wearing them overnight is bad. They can be scratched so be careful how you handle them.