Old Flower Eyes

Checking back my posts, I 1st decided that my eyes were bad enough to need glasses in June 2022. I was still in denial and I got myself a lousy off the shelf, obiang looking black rectangle frame glasses. Maybe I was hoping that it would be temporary. After several months of use, the frame broke and I got 2 proper pairs from Lenskart bcos there was a one-for-one promotion. My eyes were tested and I was told that I should get 150 degree lenses. In the end, I opted for 100 degrees for 1 pair and 150 for the other. 

The glasses served me well and I have them probably for about 2 years. They are still in good condition. I have no idea why Daddy Lim and the kids needed to change their glasses almost every year. Their glasses, bcos the lenses are so freaking expensive, cost at least $500 per pair. At least the Hoya myopic control lenses had been keeping the kids’ degrees stable since lower primary. Nevertheless, my heart aches whenever the kids think that their eyesight had worsen or tell me that they needed to change their glasses bcos the lenses had been badly scratched.

Some time last year, I realised that I am unable to read without my glasses. I now bring them everywhere bcos even looking at the phone without the glasses is not possible. I also realised that on some bad days, the 100 degree glasses still give me bad vision and I have to rely on the 150 one. I can also wear the 100 one comfortably when looking at something slightly further, without the need to remove the glasses. This wasn’t possible in the initial days. In other words, my old flower eyes had become older. T.T

There had been some occasions that I forgot my glasses or they are just not at hand. Just 2 weeks ago, I went to work in the afternoon without them and was in such bad mood at work. My eyesight gets especially bad if I was wearing glasses then without them. That was exactly the situation and I was so blind. The words on the laptop were blur, even though I increased the font size. 

I had been toying with the idea of contact lenses bcos glasses are just a hassle. I finally went to the optical shop where the kids usually got their glasses to ask for free sample. I was given sets of 2 different degree - 100 and 175. I was told that with multi-focal contact lenses, the reading wouldn’t be as sharp and if the reading degree is high, then it will affect the sharpness of looking far away. 

I was very excited to try them. Bcos I have no short sightedness, I barely have experience wearing contact lenses except for during my ROM, when I wanted different colour eyes. Hoho. I do remembered how uncomfortable they were and my eyes were so tired after a few hours. Ah Yee was the one who taught me how to wear the lenses. While I had little problem wearing them, the challenge is to remove the lenses. Pinching at one’s eyeball seems like a scary thing to do. 

Daddy Lim had to show me how to wear the contact lenses yday afternoon. I tried a few times but the lens kept sticking to my finger and Daddy Lim kept repeating that I needed to touch my eyeball. I have no problem touching my eyeball ah. When I was a kid, I used to touch my eyeball for fun but the damn lens just refused to stick to my eyeball. Lol. 

The 主人公 is the eyeball. When the finger (and lens) touch the eyeball, the eyeball must roll around to lock in the lens. I am so surprised to realise how comfortable they are; I barely felt them. I tried to use the laptop and it wasn’t very clear. While I can live with it, I do have to strain my eyes a little. There will also be moments that the reading gets very blurred, then I have to close my eyes and rolled the eyeballs a little. Very busy. 

I wore the lenses until evening and there wasn’t any discomfort. However, in poor light, reading was tough. I knew that I needed to try the higher power lenses. When the staff gave me the higher power ones, I was initially resistant and she persuaded me, telling me that it is normal for “my age” to wear such power. Zzzz… how comforting. 

Taking them off wasn’t as challenging as I feared. Nana showed me the usual pinching way. I cannot. I pinched and failed. Then I tried what I found on Google. Hold the lens, slide it to the side of the eye. The lens will crumple a little, making it easier to pinch and remove. Tadah! I got them off. 

This morning, I tried the higher power lenses. Reading was so much easier. Hohoho. But, looking far away is compromised but tolerable. At least it doesn’t make me dizzy. I did think that the contact lenses gave a very mild dull headache. I duno if I am overthinking or I needed to get used to the lenses. 

Contact lenses are expensive compared to my trusty glasses. I do want to try to wear them some times bcos glasses are inconvenient. Auntie T shared a lobang, that it is cheaper to try to buy from JB and shared a contact. I am going to try. Nana is running out of contact lenses too. She has started to ditch her glasses and don a new look since she started ACJC.

Oh ya, I never think that my eyes are small until I started wearing contact lenses. Do eyes become smaller as we grow older?

Mummy Lim