Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2022-11-17 02:09
My $0.02
Years ago, sci-fi writer Jerry Pournelle had a column about the end-user experience "Computing at Chaos Manor" in BYTE magazine monthly. In one issue, he talked about good choices, including glasses, for people who worked at computer screens all day. In my mid-40's at the time, I took note of what he said for future use, and a decade later found his advice to be spot-on, for staring at both computers and sheet music.
Because of 20/400 uncorrected vision since my teens, I see an ophthalmologist twice a year. My daily glasses are made by a local optician whom I have found to work at a high level of precision, and who will still make them out of glass.
Once a year, the ophtho writes prescriptions for multiple sets of glasses: 1) normal bifocals, 2) single vision distance, and 3) single vision for a focal point just out of arms reach, which has been perfect for reading music. Because I am near-sighted, I pop the glasses up to adjust my reed. If you are far-sighted, bifocals would be more appropriate. This might also be true if you have had cataract surgery; I am going in that direction so it would be good to know.
Every time I have had the discount places make my daily-wear glasses, it has been a big fiasco. A couple of times, they talked me into trying high refractive index polycarbonate or another "state-of-the-art" plastic. But both times, the glasses either gave me splitting headaches, or I just couldn't see out of them, so my days of experimentation are over. I want to be treated like a customer, not a guinea pig. And heck, they are supposed to be the experts.
Simple, discount chain plastic glasses used for an hour or two at a time, and not for distance viewing, have been generally good. I was a contract employee for decades; my client (the people I really worked for) supplied me with plastic safety trifocals, and they worked well. Still, every other year, I have to sign a waiver in order to have my daily-wear specs made out of glass.
My wife and I both had vision plans through work, but now that we are retired, I am making due with a new pair of bifocals every other year. They come from the optician mentioned above, and the copay is not too bad. The prescriptions for the others go to Costco, where they do not do glass, their products are good enough, and the total cost per pair is less than the copay for the glass bifocals from the optician.
While I was working, I replaced a set of prescription sun glasses every 3-4 years or so. Now, the optician sells me a set of Cocoons, that fit over my every-day specs, for $65. Or I get a similar thing at a drug store chain (CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens - can't remember which) for $20. Toward the end of last summer, I stumbled into a bogo sale for them.
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Post Edited (2022-11-17 02:11)
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