It was that time again for my bi-annual eye test, and with my vision slowly changing – not for the better, unfortunately! I knew it might be time to change my glasses too.
So off I popped to my local Boots Opticians, having made an appointment to have a full eye and contact lens test this time, I wanted an up-to-date prescription for both.
My tests showed that my close up vision was changing, and the optician suggested that I might opt for verifocals instead of a normal lens.
Having grown up seeing my Nan and Mam wearing verifocals, I had the distinct memory of the seam in the lens half way through, which defined the differentiating lens type.
Really not my cup of tea, I thought, until the assistant at the opticians made me realise that things have developed – for the better – over the past 30 years with regards to lenses and now there is no visual seam in the lens, it’s all blended into one.
So I decided to give them a go and subsequently had to rethink the shape of my usual frames. Normally, I would choose narrow rectangle shaped ones but the assistant suggested that if I wanted to get the full benefit of the verifocals, then a larger frame would be needed.
So off I trotted to the glasses display and spotted a pair I liked straight away, the Wayfarer shaped Radley Lauren frames.
They felt comfortable on, and although I looked totally different, as they were bigger and more rounded than my originals, I knew they were the pair for me.
I did try several other pairs of glasses of a similar shape and size, but these black plastic framed Radley pair were the ones that I was happiest in.
The larger frame meant it was easier to incorporate the new type lens, so off I went and ordered the Radley pair with the new special verifocal lenses.
My new glasses were returned within 10 days of ordering them, and at first the verifocal lenses took a while to get used to. Whenever I looked down to the ground, everything was a bit blurry as I was looking through the magnified part of the lens, but a slight dip of the head and normal vision resumed.
The great thing about Boots Opticians is that they offer you a 30 day trial with the verifocal lenses. If you can’t adjust to the change or simply “Don’t get on with the verifocal lens”, Boots Opticians will change the lenses back to normal ones and refund the difference in price, which in my case would have been £110.
However, I persevered, and it was nice NOT to keep taking my glasses on and off to read close up and typing on my laptop was made so much easier.
Now 6 months later, I almost forget that they are verifocal lenses – it is only when I’m sitting down watching TV or talking to someone, that I forget I have to lower my head ever so slightly, so that I am looking through the distance part of the lenses and not the magnified area.
The glasses and lenses were an expense, but I believe as they are on my face all day long, they are part of my “make up” and the benefits far outweigh the cost.
Also I have suffered fewer headaches and strained eyes with not having the nonsense of slipping my glasses on and off my face throughout the day, as this was causing my eye muscles to work extra hard, as they were adjusting to the different vision etc.
Another bonus with buying from Boots Opticians was that during the Summer months they were offering half price discount on a second pair of glasses or prescription sunglasses. Of course with a prescription for my deteriorating eye sight, I invested in a new pair of large round Vogue tortoiseshell framed sunglasses – aka Jackie Onassis. (I’ll write about them in my next blog piece!)
Needless to say I had the basic brown tinted normal lens put in my Vogue Sunglasses, as most of the time I am either driving or walking when wearing sunglasses, so I didn’t need the verifocal lenses like my prescription glasses.
So all in all I am really pleased with both new purchases from Boots Opticians, just hope my eyesight doesn’t change in the next 2 years again!