Question For Canadian Members

pookie-poo

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I have an odd question for those who live in Canada.

I was working today, doing a lot of sewing on a big plastic surgery case (reduction mammoplasty and abdominoplasty.) I wear contact lenses, but when I'm sewing, I tend not to blink often enough, so my contacts stick to my eyeballs (EWWW!) and hurt! Then I tear up and I can't see to sew! I had to call my Mom and have her go to my house and get my glasses and bring them to me at the hospital. She was a little put out because it was snowing and the roads were awful.

I got to talking with the surgeon about why I never wear my glasses, and prefer my contact lenses. I'm horribly nearsighted (-7.50) and now I'm starting to need bifocals. I also have astigmatism. I hate wearing my glasses, because even with the high index lenses, they are still quite thick (aside from the fact that I have absolutely NO peripheral vision with my glasses!) He told me that I need to take my glasses prescription to Canada and have glasses made there. He said that Canada has different requirements for glasses and safety glasses, etc., and I would be able to get much thinner lenses in Canada than I can get in the U.S. Does anyone know if this is, in fact, true? If it is, are there any 'quick' glasses places, like Pearle Vision, LensCrafters or Nu-Vision? I live in Mid-Michigan, so going to Detroit and over to Windsor wouldn't be much of an ordeal for me.

Thanks for any insight you can give me on this subject!!! I'd really love to have a pair of glasses that don't look like Coke bottles!
 

tarasgirl06

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...well, I can't claim Canadian citizenship (or even visitation, woe is moe) but I have similar eyesight to you, and I get along very well with Johnson & Johnson AccuVision daily wear contacts; they are claimed to be extra comfortable and to alleviate dryness, which I think they do a pretty good job of. You might want to check them out, on either side of the border. Good luck! and hope you recover quickly and feel better SOON.
 

lunasmom

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I'm VERY similar to you. I have -8.00 in my right eye and -7.50 in my left and a slight astigmatism.

For a year I used these lenses (B&L Purevision), however I had to switch last year because they only had a base curve of 8.6 and I'm 8.4.

However what I loved about them was that they were extremely breathable and you could sleep in them (for up to 30 days). Like you when I stare at a computer for a long period of time I have to mentally remind myself to blink, since I often forget to.

I had very little headaches and eye problems (other then them being too big) with these lenses and they were great overall. I'm hoping that their new 8.3 base curve isn't too tight for me...I currently wear Acuvue Oasys with Hydraclear, but I haven't been as happy with these.
For now I keep rewetting drops and use them maybe once a day.

Ask your doctor to try them out for a month and see if things improve.
 

catlover19

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I don't know if that is true or not but Hakim Optical does glasses in an hour and they always have good deals on them.
 
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pookie-poo

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Thanks for the comments!

Interestingly, I had used AccuView Advance contacts (for astigmatism) for years without a problem. Then I started having pain issues in my left eye. My opthalmologist switched me to PureVision Toric (which I currently wear without too much problem.) My main issue is that I have problems with the basement membrane of my corneas, especially in my left eye. Apparently, it has a very loose attachment, and starts to swell and tear as I blink my eyes when they're dry, causing extreme pain and swelling of the cornea. I have hypertonic eyedrops (Muro 128 - 5% saline) that I'm supposed to use at night, which drys out the fluid between the layers of the cornea to make them tighter to each other and reduces swelling of the cornea. They sting something awful, so I'm not real compliant about using them. Actually, I think Maggie has turned the bottle into a toy and batted it under the bed somewhere....

I guess I should just go buy another bottle of Muro 128, suck it up, and start using it again to see if I can stop this pain/swelling cycle. Maybe I can avoid getting another pair of glasses if I follow my doctor's advice


Thanks again for the suggestions!
 

natalie_ca

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Stay away from those 1 hour eye glass places! All they do is take your prescription, have you pick out a pair of frames and then create the glasses. They don't check for your eyes' focal points. Not everyone's eyes focus straight ahead in the middle.

Go to a reputable place where they take the time to check your focal points. Getting glasses that have the proper focal point for your eyes is just as important as having the right prescription.
 
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pookie-poo

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Stay away from those 1 hour eye glass places! All they do is take your prescription, have you pick out a pair of frames and then create the glasses. They don't check for your eyes' focal points. Not everyone's eyes focus straight ahead in the middle.

Go to a reputable place where they take the time to check your focal points. Getting glasses that have the proper focal point for your eyes is just as important as having the right prescription.
Very true! I forgot about that....
 

icklemiss21

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Most of the one hour places do not do thinning of lenses, it is usually sent off. I got mine in 4 days (3 but they called when I was at work and I got the message too late to go by and pick them up).
 

mbjerkness

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Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Stay away from those 1 hour eye glass places! All they do is take your prescription, have you pick out a pair of frames and then create the glasses. They don't check for your eyes' focal points. Not everyone's eyes focus straight ahead in the middle.

Go to a reputable place where they take the time to check your focal points. Getting glasses that have the proper focal point for your eyes is just as important as having the right prescription.
I used an one hour place, they checked my focal points
 

lunasmom

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Are you a Costco member? Try taking your glasses Rx there. I did with mine and perhaps its because I got plastic frames rather than wire, but my lens seem to be a lot thinner.
They do require a week to get the glasses back (ps, since were similar vision, it only cost me $150 w/ the frames, lenses, thinning, and anti-glaring..but Costco just rocks like that).
 
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pookie-poo

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The pair I got this past July cost me nearly $550. I got plastic frames, high index (thinner) lenses, bifocals with progressive lenses, polished edges, and anti-glare. Obscene, huh? It was the bifocal progressive lenses, combined with the ultralight high index lenses that killed me. (I should probably call my Opthalmologist and ask exactly what lens material was used in my glasses.) Even with the high index featherweight lenses, they were still thick. That's why I'm interested in finding out what type of lenses and lens materials are available in Canada.
 

rapunzel47

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My current glasses, purchased in late January/early February this year, were less than $350. I don't remember the exact amount, but that's thin lenses, otherwise they'd be almost cokebottles, and progressive bifocals. The lens material and/or finish is an improvement over earlier ones, too, as they just don't get dirty. Period. The guy we go to charges $99 for single vision and $199 for bifocal, and always has good deals on frames. AND he's a magician when it comes to measuring, and adjusting for specific situations. Rob always gets him to do separate glasses for various uses -- office computer, home computer, music, etc. We're spoiled. He'd better never go out of business.
 
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