MEDICAL MATTERS

[Tizer]

I've had a strange discovery involving my eyes this last week. About 20 years ago I was prescribed varifocals but it took a while to get ones to suit me. Luckily I had a good optician and when the first lenses gave me trouble he did me specs with a different type of varifocal and that seemed to work OK. First lesson - there are different types of varifocal lenses. Second lesson I've learnt - the more recent ones have three areas of focus cf. two in the older types. But this has made it even more important to get the three lens areas (high, middle, low) exactly right for each customer. Although most opticians wouldn't believe me I've never been able to read books or PC screens using my varifocals, so I also have a pair of simple (monofocal) reading glasses.

Now here's the strange story. A leg on my 15-month old varifocals has failed at the hinge and the leg isn't stable so they're not easy to wear (and the hinge isn't simple and will need the optician to sort it or replace the frame). Until I could get it repaired I dug out my previous varifocals and used them. But here's the spooky bit. I wore them to drive the car and go for walks - but then realised that I'd got out the old reading specs, not the old varifocals. I've been wearing them most of the time for the rest of the week and have found they give me just as good long distance vision as my varifocals do. And they're fine for reading too!

So perhaps I no longer need varifocals. And no longer need separate reading glasses? I've scoured the Web but can't find anyone saying that they've needed varifocals for years but when they got older no longer needed them. But I have seen a lot of forum posts with people saying they feel they've been pushed into wearing varifocals when having 2 pairs of monofocal glasses (for near and far vision) would have been better and cheaper. A cunning wheeze?

I've booked an appointment with Boots opticians for next Friday and hope to get all this sorted out!

[Sue]

The scenario about different types of lenses fields of view etc I can relate to. A reason why in a different discussion I said I don't use specsavers as the one time I did all those fields of view were wrong. Well my eyesight is changing. I am sort sighted but on the present examination I am less short sighted than I was and my astigmatism has changed too so my lenses were changed. Some 30 years ago when I got my first pair of varifocals I was told this may happen . If this continues as has been inferred I presume ll only need normal distance vision glasses. I originally got varifocals as when I was teaching I could not see students, paperwork and compterscreens with one pair. I was constantly swapping and changing them .

[Big Kev]

My prescription has been consistent, for distance, for around 20 years. Varifocals are a fairly recent thing (6 years) and close vision has required increased correction at the last 3 eye tests. I wear glasses all the time and can't 'see' close up with just the distance lenses (I have a back up pair of single vision). I do read without any correction and, if an object is very close with glasses on, I find myself looking underneath them

[Stanley]

I don't know what is 'typical' eye glass history.... I used to be dead simple, very short sighted, brilliant near vision without correction but always needed distance lens. The first change was one many realise, when you find you need to hold things further and further away to see them and eventually having to give in and have bifocals in order to survive with only one pair of glasses. Since then various changes first to Varifocals then to single vision distance glasses and separate reading/computer glasses. No change now for a couple of years, perhaps in my 88th year my eyes have settled down...

[Tizer]

Thank you all for relating your own `spectacular' experiences! I'll let you know what the optician says about my weird change in vision after my appointment next Friday. Having done a lot of googling what I do find is that many people are having trouble with their specs. Perhaps like many other things in the `modern' world it's all got too complicated and offers too many opportunities for things to go wrong.

[Tizer]

I forgot to mention this in my previous post. My google searches also found several studies which have shown a significant association between wearing varifocals and accidents such as falls and ones involving moving objects, operating machinery etc. I don't recall ever seeing or hearing about these studies.

[Sue]

When I first got varifocals I was warned about tge increased possibility of accidents by viewing situations like escalators in the wrong area of the lens. I was always told to stop, check vision before I moved. I still do that. My present lessons are different, the way they are constructed, as understand it, they are graduated throughout the lens doing away with distinct viewing areas. They are brilliant. I can even sew wearing my glasses which I could not do before these lenses. I presume the ridk of accidents is reduced but I will still stop at the top or bottom of stairs or near any moving object

[Wendyf]

Did Mrs Tiz have the laser op for her eye pressure?

[Tizer]

Did Mrs Tiz have the laser op for her eye pressure?

Yes but the pressures haven't changed and she's still having to use eye drops.

Sue, right from the beginning (about 20 years ago) the standard varifocals didn't work for me but I had a good optician and he swapped them to the expensive version for no extra charge. Ever since I've been using similar lenses but have never been able to read through them. My last pair came from a respected local independent optician whose ophthalmologist also works at the hospital nearby and he couldn't provide me with ones I could use to read newspapers or books. Hence I have reading glasses too and - as described above - can now see close up and long distance better through them than the varifocals. It will be interesting to see what the Boots ophthalmologist says on Friday!

This web page discusses modern varifocal lenses...
LINK

[Sue]

Did Mrs Tiz have the laser op for her eye pressure?

Yes but the pressures haven't changed and she's still having to use eye drops.

Sue, right from the beginning (about 20 years ago) the standard varifocals didn't work for me but I had a good optician and he swapped them to the expensive version for no extra charge. Ever since I've been using similar lenses but have never been able to read through them. My last pair came from a respected local independent optician whose ophthalmologist also works at the hospital nearby and he couldn't provide me with ones I could use to read newspapers or books. Hence I have reading glasses too and - as described above - can now see close up and long distance better through them than the varifocals. It will be interesting to see what the Boots ophthalmologist says on Friday!

This web page discusses modern varifocal lenses...
LINK

That's a shame, I have always liked mine. I trued varifocalcontact lenses as I used to wear contact lenses. They were rubbish

[Stanley]

Sorry but I have to relate yet another tale of woe..... (If they come in threes I have another lurking round the corner!)
I hadn't received the usual notice from Well Pharmacy that my meds were ready so Today I tried to ring them. No joy nobody answering the phone so I decided the best thing was to walk up there..... I got togged up and went out in the cold drizzle but when I got there there there was a sign on the door closed 'till' 12. So their grammar is crap as well as their customer care policy. I decided to come home and go back later but one of my friends advised me not to do that as there will be a queue.... I think that's a go0od call so I shall try to ring them later this afternoon but not think about calling in until tomorrow when the kids come to visit and we can go to the Town Square mob-handed to do the veg shopping.
So to make my journey partially productive I called in at the Co-op and got the peppers and tomatoes that are the accompaniment to my chicken and I shall roast my chicken instead of fretting over my meds.....
So I think you can see why I am pissed off!

[Tripps]

Sorry but I have to relate yet another tale of woe.....

Homespun Oldham philosophy -

It gets you down doesn't it?

► Show Spoiler

Aye - if you let it. . .

Get a grip man - in the broader scheme of things - that's nowt.

[PanBiker]

It's why I changed to an online pharmacy. No brainer for repeat medication which you can plan in advance before you run out. Simple toggle on the MyGP app.

[Stanley]

That is so helpful Ian......

[Stanley]

David, are you telling me to get a grip?
I have, I have come home and put my chicken in the oven. My medications are of course quite important......

[Tripps]

David, are you telling me to get a grip?

Yes - and you have. That's good.

I often tell myself the same thing - sometimes a great deal more vigorously - and to get things into perspective. Change is not always welcome, but sometimes necessary. Rejoice that there is a free choice, and not a nationalised pharmacy system. Some call it a feature of Capitalism. Ironic that Ian, the champion of nationalisation of everything, is so enthusiastic for a free market system.

PS - Yes I am trying to liven things up a bit. with mildly controversial posts. The site is in danger of getting into a rut, with too much routine and repetition. I think I've made my point now.

[Big Kev]

It's why I changed to an online pharmacy. No brainer for repeat medication which you can plan in advance before you run out.

Same here, no issues so far and meds delivered within 3 or 4 days of placing the order

[Big Kev]

PS - Yes I am trying to liven things up a bit. with mildly controversial posts. The site is in danger of getting into a rut, with too much routine and repetition. I think I've made my point now.

PPS it's raining

[Big Kev]

A Facebook comment from earlier today, you couldn't make it up

I have just witnessed one of those bizarre moments that you can only class as ‘you couldn’t make it up’.
Side door of Well pharmacy opens, pharmacist(s) leaves, said pharmacist(s) scoot around corner on to backstreet. Cue cigarette’break’.
Pharmacist assistant/front counter staff leaves side door. Shouts to pharmacist “What are you doing?”
“Having a break!” in a rather aggressive mind your business voice.
“There’s a queue of customers waiting for their prescriptions, are you joking me?” retorted pharmacy assistant.
No reply.
Assistant retired inside … followed 10 minutes later by the Smoking Man.
I’d suggest getting in touch with head office, relate this and if necessary tell them to get in touch.

[Stanley]

I shall attempt to get a face to face with them this morning.....

[Tizer]

I've been getting my scrips faster from Well recently. They're only 5 minutes walk away and I can pick them up on my daily walk. But I'd not been getting the expected text to say they were ready even though I kept telling them there was a glitch. Then last week, first time for more than a year I got their text. Now I'm waiting to see if it's a one-off or permanently corrected.

Sue, I should have mentioned above my varifocals are Essilor's `Varilux X' series, supposed to be the best (they should be, they cost the Earth!).

[Stanley]

I queued for 30 minutes at Well and was asked if I was signed up to their text service as my meds have been ready for 10 days. I told her yes but I had received no message and nobo0dy answers their phone at the pharmacy. Anyway I am safe for another month... From what I can make out I was lucky, most of the people in the queue were having to come back later, their prescriptions weren't ready.

[Big Kev]

Sounds like too much messing about to me, I like to make things easier.

[PanBiker]

Me too, easy enough to change in the MyGP app and is a lot more reliable. Especially for repeat stuff which you can plan ahead. Free delivery so what's not to like.

[Stanley]

As I have said before, the discipline of having to walk up to the pharmacy is good for me and usually the system works OK. It's just that every now and again they seem to go off the rails..... I shall be OK now until the end of the month....