Contact lenses are great practice in persistence and motivation for difficult child

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
We made it through a 3-hr appointment today (the dr ofc was running an hr late, but still ...) difficult child tried and tried but was still unsuccessful at putting in and taking out new contacts. He refuse to wear glasses because he doesn't like things on his face, but suddenly, it's looking more attractive than bloodshot eyes and loads of frustration. He had the option of going back again today, or going back next week. He chose next wk. (Fine by me; my back went out, and I have poison ivy. I don't know which one of us wanted to go home worse.)
It was kind of fun watching difficult child try on his first new pr. Sort of a coming-of-age rite. :flirtysmile3:
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Im so sorry he had such a hard time with the contacts. It is somewhat of an art. I finally got contacts about 15 years ago and was so thrilled but then my eyes started drying out so badly with them in I had to stop wearing them. I wish I could still wear them. I cannot stand wearing glasses in the house at all so I tend to just squint constantly. I keep my distance glasses in the car and I have lost my bifocals that were supposed to be in the house!
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I started having problems with dry itchy eyes a couple of years back - I now have the Oasys contacts, which hold more water, and I use Aquify solution. It's a bit more expensive, but I canNOT wear glasses outside the house - I have NO peripheral vision at ALL.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
I'll be interested to know how he manages over time with these. difficult child 1 complains about his glasses when he plays sports, especially if he has to wear a helmet and gets jostled, as they tend to get knocked around. His personal hygiene is not the best, which is the main reason I've held off on getting him contacts. It would be his luck to get an infection right off the bat...
 

Marcie Mac

Just Plain Ole Tired
Are they hard or soft lenses? I have been wearing contacts since I was 11 - will be 61 this year. I went in for a new pair, and the dr said to try the soft lenses. FORGET it. I could not get them in or out to save my soul. 20 minutes later and I finally said take these out please and give me back my hard lenses. Even though I had been wearing my glasses for about a year, got those puppies and popped them right in no problem. Only problem is now I have to wear reading glasses for fine print due to my age

Marcie
 

Fran

Former desparate mom
I'm another contact lens lover. I bought my first pair with my first real paycheck at 16.
difficult child got contact lens and it took about a year of working with him and helping him put them in and take them out. He loved them but he has had some issues with sore eyes. I suspect he isn't vigilant about keeping his hands clean. He has the ones you throw away every couple of weeks. Cuts down on the infection risk. They can learn but it takes a lot of repetition and practice.

I now have had intraocular lens put in to correct my diminishing distance vision. So not more contacts but I still need a light reading pair of glasses. I love them. It's like a contact lens that was put inside my eyes.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I too will be interested in hearing how difficult child does with contacts over time. We just had difficult child's appointment. for his eyes and he needs glasses (has in the past but rarely wore them and kept breaking and losing them). He wanted contacts, I said no but maybe should have let him try. My worse nightmare is he wouldn't be able to get them out once he got them in-I can only imagine the drama.

I so want to wear contacts. I try every year. My eyes are so dry they often fall out and on the rare occasion they stay in I have to practically peel them out. I've tried the Oasys ones but no good for me. My doctor gave me a new kind to try with a new type of solution as well that he thinks might help. He told me also taking a supplement of fish oil or flaxseed oil might help. We'll see!
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Ahh, yes, the hygiene thing.
I told husband that difficult child and I had gone to the dr to get contacts, and husband said,
"You think that taking 'Mr. Hygiene' in for contacts is a good idea?"
Sigh.
Stay tuned.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
My Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) son would NEVER wear contacts. He couldn't handle the feeling in his eyes and has said contacts are "gross." Good luck with your son and his contacts :)
 

Fran

Former desparate mom
Wiped out, have you tried restasis? It's for those of you with dry eyes. It's a prescription though. My husband uses it. He had the laser surgery about 10 yrs ago. He wore glasses since he was 6 and had a pretty bad astigmatism(sp?). It worked great for him but he had dry eyes and the restasis has really helped that a great deal.

Terry good luck. I helped guide difficult child's finger to his eye. His biggest problem was blinking too soon and the contact folding or wrinkling. Try to have him stare at a spot on the ceiling as you help guide his finger to put it in. After he gets less guarded about putting something in his eyes then he can look into a mirror. Just a suggestion.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Maybe its an AS thing because Billy has awful vision and his glasses are really expensive. They used to be coke bottles but now they at least look a bit better. I keep trying to get him to try contacts because he also has psoriasis and the glasses make it worse. He swears he cant do it. I keep telling him he doesnt know if he can or not until he tries. I actually have a few pairs of some that they gave tony but he wont use them either because he is convinced it is gonna make his eyes worse. He only has bad reading vision...his distance vision is okay so they just gave him one contact and he thinks wearing one contact is gonna mess up his eyes.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Ahh, that reminds me ... he's supposed to practice touching the schlera of his eye a few times a day.

I have no idea if it's an AS thing. All we can do is keep trying.
 
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