I’ve been poky about getting my eyes checked regularly.
I got my first pair of reading glasses in the last year or so of my time as a chemistry graduate student. About nine years later, shortly before the eldest Free-Ride offspring was born and in the midst of an intensive stretch of writing, I managed to go in for another exam and got my prescription updated. Last month, after a stretch of about ten years, I got my eyes checked again and got another pair of reading glasses.
It’s not like I can’t function at all without the glasses. My main issue is astigmatism, and the glasses make it possible for me to do lots of reading on the page or on the screen without eyestrain or headaches. Still, at a certain point a current prescription does the job better than an old one.
In the last ten years, it seems that styles in eyeglass frames have changed. A lot.
In the huge array of frames in my eye doctor’s office, there were none like my old ones (which I really, really liked). It took a lot of hunting to find a pair that was even the same color and approximate size. The cool shapes now, apparently, are more squared off and angular.
So it’s taken me about two weeks to get used to the look of these new glasses.
Maybe this is a standard length for the adjustment period when people get new frames? (I can’t remember if it took this long to get used to the last pair, since that was ten years ago.) And, if I develop a real fondness for these frames, I have a hunch that they might go out of style, too, before the next time I’m in to get my prescription updated.
Janet,
As your eyesight worsen over time, so does your memory. Ten years ago both your eyesight and your memory were better. Nevertheless, where fashion is concerned, your best bet is to check the style of eye glassses Sarah Palin wears; unfortunatly, idiots like her determine the direction of the American fashion.
I think some eyeglass places will “cut” new lenses to fit your old frames if you ask. Sometimes they have to take the glasses away for a week or two, because they can’t do it in-store. But if you really, really like the old frames, then that’s one option. It always does seem a shame to me to replace perfectly functional frames just because the lenses are defunct. But then I supposed one can always donate the old glasses to the salvation army or something.
Donate your old eyeglasses to the Lion’s Club:
http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/our-work/sight-programs/index.php
And, yes, it does take me awhile to get used to seeing my face with the new frames.
Janet,
Same issue here, but with only a 5-yr. gap since my last eye exam. My astigmatism is worse, my close vision is worse, my distance vision is the same (duh?), so I was standing in front of the display looking for something new. I ended up (much to my surprise) getting a pair of new frames that look almost identical to my old frames (different designer, higher price, but still the same shape). I couldn’t find another frame that I liked for my prescription sunglasses, so my guys were able to take my old frames and cut new prescription lenses.
I really understand your desire to have something like the old ones, but I was trying to find something different and ended up with my old ones! I think it may be that my face and my brain are resistant to new frames!
I am nearsighted, and my vision has not changed much at all over the past 15-20 years, so I have not needed new glasses very frequently, EXCEPT for style changes. When I was a postdoc in Germany, I got a pair that I loved so much I never wanted another pair in my life. They were perfect in every way for me, and that’s not just my opinion – everyone I knew said so. The Germans have the greatest eyeglass frames. Sadly, they were not indestructible, and they eventually broke in a way that was not repairable. Grief. Fortunately, I was scheduled at that time for a business trip to…Germany! for three days. During which I managed to get a new pair of glasses. Which I wore until they, too, broke irreparably – right at the time we were working on getting mom into assisted living. I had one weekend at home to find new glasses, before I had to travel back to be with mom. Frantic search ensued and I ended up with what I have now, which I only moderately like. Ideally, I would have traveled to Germany for new frames, but alas it was not to be. Picking out new glasses is a big deal, at least for me, since I tend to live with them for LONG periods of time. I feel your pain!
My issue in the past decade or so is that the styles haven’t changed enough. About a decade ago, I went to get new glasses and everything was small and straight across the face, the rectangular were just coming on the scene. I bought a pair. My problem with them? They were so small and sat so low on my face that most of my field of vision was not corrected, the top of the frame pretty much cut across the top third of my field of view. I really need that correction! I buy my glasses so that I can see, imagine! When I brought them back, the saleswoman actually tried to convince me that I should stick with them because they went so well with my eyebrows! So I went elsewhere and ended up with other glasses that I hated, but at least I could see. I continued to shop for frames, but everything continued to be too small or too low. Finally, I found an optician (connected with my ophthalmologist) who would listen to my woes, admitted that what they have in stock wouldn’t work with my nose brow, flipped through a few catalogs, ordered several frames she thought would work for me, and hit the jackpot (plus they’re kinda purple, woohoo). The next year she helped me find a good frame for sunglasses (purple again!). And last year, when I wanted to retain my old prescription and frames as my backup pair, the new optician checked for my old frames…discontinued, but he called around until he found another pair in someone’s back room. I am very happy with this ophthalmologist and her opticians! http://rockawaybeachoptometry.com/ Bonus, Dr. Quirante’s sister is an archivist!
Getting new lenses for old frames can be done, but the chains usually will not do it, some saw about insurance issues. Going to an independent optician usually works better; they are looking to build a relationship, not just sell you the one-time piece of crap they need to unload.
Ugh yes, 10 years since my last frame change here. I really don’t feel like my new rectangular glasses correct enough of my vision. I’m extremely short sighted and can’t see anything without my glasses. What’s worse is that they were very difficult to get adjusted to fit my mismatched ears (resulting in my glasses sitting on an angle before correction). Took me much more than 2 weeks to get used to the new frames. And I last changed my lenses only 2 years ago (IIRC).