The Decade-Long Contact Lens Story

Love it or hate it, I've been a user for slightly more than a decade. 

Are contact lenses safe and good?  Are they user-friendly, or are they troublesome? Are they even dangerous?  Do they help to boost your esteem?  

Here is gist of my own journey with contact lenses, and my second attempt to "quit".  Perhaps not to the extent of completely quitting, but to gradually turn into a social user .

Introduction

Coming from a predominantly oriental background and where close to half of my family (including extended ones) have refractive errors, specifically nearsightedness, it may or may not be due to the genes.  

Or it could purely be due to my personal lifestyle attributed to the nature of the subject of my choice after finishing secondary school... where spending hours in front of books was mandatory, or else risk not passing all the highly examination-based subjects.  

I used to enjoy a 6/6 acuity throughout my school life.  Perhaps it was attributed to living in a small town where I used to play and cycle outdoors everyday.  How I wish I can afford to have that for my suburb kids too because being what I am now, I am concerned about the possibility of them following my path, but at an earlier age than me.

But from the final year of my tertiary course onward, my acuity gradually went from 6/6 to 6/9, then 6/24, etc.  These changes only came to a halt in my late 20s.  

Even though my diopters aren't high (anything below -3.0 D is considered mild), I do face some inconvenience.  While I am able to still go glasses-free at home when distance vision is not required, an such defect sometimes result in embarrassment.  E.g. people would be wondering how can you mistake A as Z, for instance.  

The consequence ranges from the simple the embarrassment of not noticing and saying hello to someone known to me on the street, to something more serious such as being in a close brush with mishap due to vanity i.e. not wanting to wear glasses but also too lazy in putting on any contacts.

How did it begin

Without any concealment, I admit that I did not quite fancy glasses, largely due to: 

• Little knowledge of what's in trend;
• Fear of suddenly looking drastically different from my natural self of more than 20 years; and
• Coming from parents who were users of glasses (my dad too, before his cataract surgery which gave him reasonably good eyesight now as he has IOL now).  Both of them had been particular about their children's eyesight.  Hence, it was somehow ingrained in me that having good eyesight and being glasses-free is the ideal way to go and not to be like my parents, because they would tell me to "take care of your eyes so that you won't face the inconvenience that we face". 

But thanks to the existence of contact lenses, which I consider generally user-friendly, I did not hesitate in trying them out.   

 

My personal reasons back then as a "20-something" for using them:

• Peer influence.  Coming from an era and place where more than half of my peers are users of contact lenses, it thus naturally came to me to use them when I think is necessary (powers aren't high, so I could choose whether to wear anything or nothing on my eyes);
• Due to less variety available in the past, glasses didn't seem like the coolest thing on Earth back in those days; and
• Feeling good about (most) folks not knowing the secret of my imperfect eyesight.  But when thinking of it today, what is there to be secretive about?  Let's attribute that as my own silly thoughts.  
• Ease of use and access.  

Despite the above, I did not wear my contacts day-and-night, but preferred wearing them only when I was out for work or social reasons.  I do not wear contacts at home, and glasses was only reserved for when activities requiring long distance are required.

What I liked about contacts

I liked them for convenience, good feelings, and they definitely helped bring in pleasant vibes of being free from glasses.

Contacts are generally comfortable if you are using the ones that are suitable for you, and take care of them strictly as per the published instructions. 

Although it is tempting to continue using the same pair for longer than the advised period, please refrain from doing it, because besides the risk of infection, it may also increase the risk of getting GPC in the long run.  "Giant papillary conjuctivitis", eww no please....  

From my personal experience, the most comfortable and user-friendly brand is the bi-weekly Acuvue Oasys.  

What I disliked about them

Requiring more time to get ready, as I would need at least an extra of 5 minutes.

Possibly due to bodily changes as years go by, or me being less meticulous nowadays as I get busier, I'd end up with slightly uncomfortable eyes after work if I'd stay for extra 2 hours, even when I was using Oasys which is supposed to have higher air permeability.  I do not sleep in them.

However, when I wore my contacts during non-working days, I would not face the same problem - no red eyes and no dry eyes.

By the way, contact lenses are not perfect.  They can be a nuisance, or even hazardous, when it rains and there is neither any shelter nor umbrella around.  I have had an unfavorable experience before being outdoor when it suddenly rained and water got into my eyes.

Yay or Nay

If I insist that I must only wear my contacts when I am out including to work, the prudent thing to do is to first consult an independent specialist for a thorough examination.  

There is a long list of contact lens-induced conditions, which many of us are actually unaware of because they do not present any symptom during the early stages.    

This is not surprising as in Malaysia, contact lenses can be easily bought without mandatory professional assessment.  

So far, there had only been one place I've been where the optometrist did a thorough examination before prescribing new contact lenses, and not just checking on acuity alone.  The optometrist's shop is still in business today, located at Ipoh Parade (my former hometown).  

Before any greater discomfort shows up, I thus decide that it will be better to take it easy on the usage of contact lenses.   

Further, as the nature of my job does not require one to be glasses-free, so why the hassle, one may ask.

Having said the above, I am not implying that all contact lens users use them for the same reason as I do (no, and never!).  Personally, I do not have strong justifications to insist on their usage, other than being a solely personal choice.  

Redness and dryness had been a cue to me, so rather than to risk suddenly losing the ability to use contact lenses altogether one day, it will be better to quit or at least to cut down its usage by more than half.

Some of my friends had personally undergone LASIK, and those who'd had positive experience have shared their suggestions to consider one. However, up to-date, I have not decided to give LASIK or its alternative a try. 

• Many centers offer attractive, interest-free easy payment schemes that when you compare with the costs of buying contact lenses, solutions, or even replacing your glasses once in every 2 to 3 years, LASIK may be slightly cheaper than the latter.  
• But as with any surgery, there is always a risk even though by just 0.001%.  Thus, the main factor to consider before deciding whether to do it or not, is the risk vs. benefit. 
• So far, there has not been an indication of the benefits outweighing the risks in my case.  While I don't see really well when I'm outdoors, I'm otherwise able to go around within the four corners of mine without glasses.  E.g. I'm able to tell the time from the wall clock at my wee living room although the numbers may not appear very clear.   
• Ultimately, it boils down to each individual's unique needs and preferences.  There is no right or wrong on what is the best option.  Hence, just decide according to your lifestyle needs, and to respect the subjective decision of each person.

But no matter how much I loved contacts, I suspect they may be the culprit behind my somewhat poor ocular immune system.  How?

Red, red wine

A long-lasting conjunctivitis back in 2016 was probably attributed to the use of contact lenses.  I have written about the ordeal before, here.

My family who contracted the conjunctivitis recovered within 3 to 5 days, but I took 14 days to appear presentable without noticeable redness.  And it wasn't even full recovery as people who came close to me noticed that my eyes looked a bit red.

After that incident, I managed to quit the use of contact lenses when going out for about two (2) weeks, before thinking "what am I to do with the remaining contacts?" and succumbing to using them again after that.

Resolution 2020

Having attempted to quit or drastically reduce the use of contact lenses for a few times without real motivation, I am gradually coming to terms that I should consider the long term.  

"Be moderate in everything you do".  

How to quit contacts when you have 2 boxes of them with you?  

This is so akin to wanting to quit smoking, but at the same time you still keep a new packet of cigarettes with you. 

This is as I'd bought 2 boxes of Oasys a few months ago, in name of utilising my yearly humble amount of fringe benefit as self-treat after a year of so-called hard work.  

For now, I neither plan to be a daily user, nor go cold turkey.  

With what I have now, especially when the 2 tampered boxes with me are non-daily lenses with expiry dates, I'd better use them up, but only sparingly.  

The longest I have recorded in recent times without touching my contacts at all was 7 weeks.  Although I didn't feel anything amiss when I don't wear glasses at home, I felt odd looking at the mirror when I was out on the occasional few days when I wore my contacts recently.  

It's apparently the other way round now.  What the heck, isn't that what I've done for the past decade, and why would I feel strange gazing at my 'glasses-free' appearance on the mirror when I'm out now?

In the meantime, I feel like continuing to buy contacts sometimes, because I would still love a second option, if possible.  Arghh... call it addition.  

But it's been half a year since I switched habit, and 6 months should be sufficient to embrace what seemed unimaginable in the past.  The motivating factor should be what's good or otherwise in the long run. 

Once in a blue moon & the over-protection myth

Seeing Red

I don't recall exactly when I last had conjunctivitis because I've not had it since secondary school.

But recently - last week, my left eye appeared red, but was neither itchy nor painful.  How innocent I was for thinking “nah, it must be just due to allergy” just because I was sneezing nocturnally for a few days.  Prior to this, Aaron and my husband were down with conjunctivitis for about a week.

To further aggravate troubles, I innocently put on contact lenses as if I was alright (I use them on weekdays for convenience and practicality and vanity reasons, but since my eyesight is not too bad, I go without glasses when I’m indoor e.g. at home and not in need of clear distance vision).  Vanity must be so intoxicating that it took away my common sense to realise the risk - so what if I've washed my hands?

By the time I started taking medical leave, both my eyes looked red and the left eye appeared worse than the right eye, as in being more painful, more swollen, and more watery.  The lymph node around the left hand side of my jaw was also swollen and painful - so it's clearly infection.

"One big one small"

Today is the 6^th day I’m having red eyes.  But unfortunately, it looks as if I’ll be forced to be away from work for the whole of this week.   

The usual case once you start school

As if “sudah jatuh ditimpa tangga”, as much as I wanted to stay at home without going out to public places with red eyes, I was nevertheless forced to go out today when Alvin is sick again.  Generally, it’s the usual sickness that affects many school-going children.  But then, it's chest infection again, oh no! 

When entering Dr Hew’s room at Columbia Asia Hospital Cheras this morning with Alvin and my husband, the first question from him was about my eyes, followed by about Alvin.  I feel very bad going out with red eyes – mainly because conjunctivitis is very infectious and painful, and secondly because of embarrassment.

Speaking of schooling and catching illnesses, while I am not concerned by the frequency of sickness, what bothers me is the “magnitude” of Alvin sickness due to his sensitive airways, highly likely due to the fact that he’s a very premature baby. 

Privy or not, it matters

But what disheartens me most are unsolicited (though well-intended) comments from parties who are not privy to Alvin’s case.  While I am grateful that Alvin has progressed generally well from the day he’s born as in not having major issues related to prematurity, he has a little extra path to walk through before he can be the same as most of his full-term-born counterparts.

For instance, he has some developmental delay in relation to language and fine motor.  Let's take a simple example, he only starts to speak now at the age of 4 and may not be able to answer a question like “Where is Ken Ken?” without giving you a blur-blur expression.   That’s generally the diagnosis of developmental paediatrician Dr Raja.

Back to unsolicited comments, I frequently received remarks like “I don’t understand why you don’t send your son to nursery earlier, so that’s why he’s still not talking at 3”…. Or “Of course he’s late, because you're stubborn”.  

The reasonable man test

Given a choice, do you prefer to let your child have an early start, or do you prefer to overprotect your child at the expense of his development?

The word “over-protection” is a taboo to me.  Given a choice, I wouldn’t mind Alvin starting school earlier than 4 years although it's not necessary to hurry.  But let’s take a look at his state of readiness first before divulging further.

The fact that a 4 year old child can have chest infection i.e. pneumonia twice within a period of 4 months which also coincides with upon entering pre-school, should be stark enough to spark a concern.  So imagine if he’s only 2 and if he were to battle all the infections within his nursery – can anyone imagine what sort of stuff he’ll go through?  If it’s a typical full-term baby, then of course the story may differ.  

Moral of the story, which I also frequently remind myself is that I’ll never make comments or speculations about how people raise their children.  In most cases, parents have solid reasons when they depart from the norm in certain matters.  Unless the full story is known, please refrain from comments on why is so and so doing this and that. 

Ahh… in any event, I am relieved that at this stage, Alvin does not have to be hospitalised yet... but don't know about later.  With an active conjunctivitis, rooming-in with Alvin in the ward will be one of the worst nightmares around, regardless of which hospital.  

Conclusion

Sometimes, I am curious to know what others at home think whenever Alvin falls terribly sick, although the logical side of me would think – why care about what others think as long as you’ve not done anything wrong?  Well, that's easier said than done.  And beneath my ice-cold appearance, I am flooded with lots of guilt and even self-anger.

What’s just a cough to other children may be more than just a cough for Alvin.  Sometimes too, I blame myself for bringing pain not only to Alvin, but also to the rest of the good family when they get distressed seeing a young child cough, cough and cough, as in last night from 1.00 am to 6.00 am, a few times in every 10 minutes, and had absolutely no appetite for the past 3 days.  

Call me silly and lousy, I regret the very premature delivery of Alvin although there was nothing that I could have done to prevent it back then because it was my first time and thus, I did not know that I’m having a defect called cervical incompetence.

On my red eyes, I wonder when will normalcy resume?  On another note, I am wondering too if I can have enough will-power to ditch my vanity for good as part of minimising risks towards my eyes in the future...