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Old 12-12-2011, 11:34 PM   #21
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52 for me.

I've been nearsighted since 18 or so - I discovered I couldn't see the chalkboard from the last row of the big college lecture hall, where I liked to hang out. The need for bifocals came on very suddenly, as if I woke up one morning and decided I was better off reading the newspaper without glasses at 12 inches rather than with my glasses on.

DW was about 4 years younger when she started wearing the cheaters for reading. She never has had glasses otherwise.
+1 on the college experience. I couldn't see what the physics prof was drawing on the board from my assigned seat in the last row.

I had a brief flirtation with contacts in my 20s, until I stood on one (SCRUNCH!) during ward rounds in the hospital. Heck, glasses are easier!

I got progressive lenses in my 40s.
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Old 12-13-2011, 12:55 AM   #22
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Early 40s, about 2 years after I realized I needed them. Got away with it because I'm nearsighted and can read perfectly when something is between 8"-10" away. But that started to be both a pain in the neck and a really stupid way to avoid admitting I was aging.
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Old 12-13-2011, 02:10 AM   #23
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Went to an Opthamologist right when I turned 40 because of pain in one eye. Grandma had glaucoma at an early age and I was concerned I also had it. The Doc was about 112 years old and told me the pain was from eyestrain. I remember his exact words "when you get to be our age you need glasses". OUR age?

I am appreciative of that visit because I have had annual checkups ever since then. This year I was diagnosed with Normal Tension Glaucoma (optic nerve in one eye was a bit off off color so that set off a whole set of tests to exclude other factors). I have not had any loss of vision because the disease was diagnosed so early.
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Old 12-13-2011, 05:38 AM   #24
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Started contacts in my late 20's, stopped wearing them around 40 due to dry eyes. Reading glasses kicked in at 44.
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Old 12-13-2011, 05:55 AM   #25
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Started wearing glasses at age 30 and bifocals in my 40's. I noticed my prescription had a definite change a few months after FIRE after about two decades of steady prescription.
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Old 12-13-2011, 06:01 AM   #26
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Glasses in first grade (couldn't read the blackboard from the first row, so teacher clued my parents in).

Bifocals starting at age 47.

Wore contacts (loved them) between ages 24-25, 29-31, 35-41.
Finally had to give them up permanently due to conjunctivitis.

Now I'm looking forward to the day when my cataracts develop to the point of needing removal. The replacement lens should give me the best vision of my life.
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Old 12-13-2011, 06:20 AM   #27
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I started reading glasses in my early forties. When I was about fifty I discovered "monovision" - a single reading contact in one eye, nothing in the distance eye. That was like a miracle. It feels like having normal vision in both eyes. The brain reads from whichever eye has the appropriate vision for the task. Look out and the distance eye dominates, look at a page or anything close and the reading eye takes over all seamlessly. I have progressed over the years from a 2.0 reading contact to a 3.0. I also added a slight correction for my distance eye but recently stopped bothering with it since my distance vision is "good enough."
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Old 12-13-2011, 06:23 AM   #28
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I had fantastic vision for most of my life -- 20/15 at least, maybe a little better. As soon as I turned 40 everyone warned me that my eyes were about to start going south. Sure enough, within a few months my vision was starting to deteriorate, and by 43 I was wearing glasses.
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Old 12-13-2011, 06:40 AM   #29
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Early 40s. Had to read a map to get around a closed bridge on I-64 at night, and could only make out the red lines of another freeway and just guessed. Got the drugstore readers. A few years ago I got driving glasses since I was having a bit of trouble with reading road signs at night (apparently my LASIK wasn't done perfectly), and last year I got bifocals so I could both drive and see a map while driving. Unfortunately I don't like those glasses for driving, the lights seems to glare more even though they are supposed to be anti-glare.
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Old 12-13-2011, 06:47 AM   #30
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Nearsighted in only the right eye since about age 12, then one contact in that eye starting at about 30. Starting in the late 30's I couldn't read driver's licenses in dim light when writing traffic tickets and had to get reading glasses then. Bummer.

It wasn't long after that the left eye started to go nearsighted and I had to get a contact lens for that one too. But both are still correctable to 20/15 and I use drugstore reading glasses for close stuff. I get an annual eye exam, so far so good.
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Old 12-13-2011, 07:16 AM   #31
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Donheff, I'm thinking about trying that.
I've worn glasses/contacts for distance since I was in high school but in the past 6 months or so I quit wearing the contacts because I can't see up close with them.
I really miss wearing them instead of glasses sometimes and wondered if the monovision thing would work for me.
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Old 12-13-2011, 07:26 AM   #32
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I was 20/15 when I was (much) younger. Age 44, started with +1.25 reading glasses. When the realization hit me, I was very surprised. Now 17 years later, I'm at +1.50 or +1.75. Fortunately all I need is drug store readers, though I assume my correction will continue to slide. DW's prescription is much more complicated and therefore expensive.
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Old 12-13-2011, 07:34 AM   #33
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Got bifocals during my 40's also.

Still, just taking my glasses off and reading tiny print up close can't be beat. That's what I do for upclose reading. The only trouble comes when I work with tools that need eye protection. For that, I put on the bifocals and safety glasses and struggle to see clearly.
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Old 12-13-2011, 07:46 AM   #34
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20/15 until age 38. Left eye started seeing things a bit blurry, right eye not so bad. I was getting slight headaches when reading large volumes of text. I did a lot of reading and long duration computer use when I was still w*rking. I used Dragon speech to text software when I developed carpal tunnel and tendinitis in both hands, so I needed to see the computer screen perfectly to be able to use that software.
I tried the drugstore cheaters, but they just made things worse. So I bit the bullet, and got the graded index lenses (no line bifocals), with the bottom view for reading smaller print and the straight ahead view optimized for the computer screen.
Post-FIRE, I do not wear my glasses unless I am reading a book or need to see finer print on labels. I turned up the font size on my web browser so I do not need them for casual computer use.
I have an eye exam scheduled for early January, so I will get a new optical Rx. My frames are still in perfect shape, so I will simply have the lenses replaced.
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Old 12-13-2011, 08:43 AM   #35
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I started reading glasses in my early forties. When I was about fifty I discovered "monovision" - a single reading contact in one eye, nothing in the distance eye. That was like a miracle. It feels like having normal vision in both eyes. The brain reads from whichever eye has the appropriate vision for the task. Look out and the distance eye dominates, look at a page or anything close and the reading eye takes over all seamlessly. I have progressed over the years from a 2.0 reading contact to a 3.0. I also added a slight correction for my distance eye but recently stopped bothering with it since my distance vision is "good enough."

If you do great with monovision contacts you'll do great with monovision cataract surgery . I had it and it is amazing . I had worn monovision contacts previously .
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Old 12-13-2011, 08:56 AM   #36
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I began wearing glasses for astigmatism/myopia at age 12. until about 20 years ago (I am now 66) I could see very well up close. Then I graduated to trifocals. Now I use progressive lenses and I will not go back to trifocals.

The megacorp I retired from had a program that furnished free computer glasses which had the far vision in the bifocal part at the bottom of the lenses and the near (computer) vision in the top part of lenses. Those things were awful! I gave up after 3 tries. However, I find the progessive lenses to be ideal for me.

I only wear glasses when I want to see. Many of my activities require safety glasses anyhow and my ever-present glasses have saved my eyes a number of times.
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Old 12-13-2011, 09:46 AM   #37
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Eye glasses at 7, bifocals at 53 or so.

There are trifocals available for the truly insane. Near vision at bottom, distance at middle and intermediate at top. For say, auto mechanics working under car on a lift. They can only crane their necks so far.

Edit add: Cataract lenses implanted at 63. True joy, real colors and only a 1.25 el cheapos fro near vision.
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Old 12-13-2011, 10:06 AM   #38
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Started with glasses at about 5.... had bifocals at about 6...

Had them until I was in my mid 20s when I went to another doc.... he asked 'how long have you been wearing bifocals?'... I said since 6... he said 'you do not need them, do you want to keep wearing them?'.... HECK NO...

Now 54 and still not wearing them.... I NEED them, but I have tried the regular bifocals and the progressive and can not get used to either... I think I will have to break down and get them soon as the menu (as others have pointed out) is harder and harder to read....
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Old 12-13-2011, 10:24 AM   #39
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I'm 41, and don't wear glasses of any sort yet, but I have a feeling it's going to happen pretty soon. I've noticed that I can't read some fine print the way I used to. And as I was rolling coins the other day, and came across a penny that looked really old. Tried to focus, but I couldn't read the year on it.
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Old 12-13-2011, 10:59 AM   #40
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I'm 41, and don't wear glasses of any sort yet, but I have a feeling it's going to happen pretty soon. I've noticed that I can't read some fine print the way I used to. And as I was rolling coins the other day, and came across a penny that looked really old. Tried to focus, but I couldn't read the year on it.
In time your arms will get too short...
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