Vindicated!

When Mom was in her late sixties she had a dreadful time finding glasses that suited her. She had her computer glasses, her reading glasses, and her distance glasses. One time she bought glasses and simply couldn't use them. I said she could go get them adjusted but she was not up for it.

I picked up my new glasses yesterday. Simply couldn't use them. They worked for distance, but if I wanted to read something I had to nestle it under my wattle and look down my nose. I gave myself a day to adjust but I had to call the glasses store after four hours. I couldn't find a way to position my computer monitor under my nose. Same went for my dashboard controls, which I noticed as I drove back to the glasses store.

When I walked in I suspected they'd say, "You need give yourself a few days to adjust. Push your glasses up on your nose. Perhaps you need a separate pair of computer glasses."

Nope. Looked at me, looked at their documents, said, "Why these glasses have been made incorrectly." Evidently there is a Seg (?) number to indicate where your progressive lens changes from distance to reading, and my number was entered incorrectly. I had only a tiny slice of reading at the bottom instead of half reading, half distance.

I have never been so overjoyed to discover a company screwed up. In fact, I said, "You screwed up? It's not me? That is SO GREAT." I almost got up and danced about. Instead, I had a very smug conversation with Mom-in-My-Head. "Gotta stand up for yourself, Mom. Don't always assume it's your fault."

I may have been impudent enough to suggest she be more assertive in the future. While she's dead. Just in case there are progressive lenses in heaven.

Comments

[Arlene]

I wear progressives and have the same problem. Had to have them redone once when I had only a tiny slit at the bottom to read. But, I have been told (by an optometrist) that one problem is the narrow frames that are now (and for the last ten years) in fashion. Depending on your prescription, these narrow frames don't allow enough room for a proper progression. I've also been told (by other optometrist) that there is no problem fitting progressives into narrow frames. All I know is that I have to remove my newish glasses to look at anything close. Irritating! I'm hoping that Clark Kent frames will be back in style soon.

[Hattie]

My trifocals work great, but I still like to take them off for serious reading, and I'm most comfortable with computer glasses for long stretches at the computer.(I'm very nearsighted.)
I'm very glad you got the proper correction, because it makes a big difference, especially at work.

[allison]

I imagine your mom is smacking you upside the head with a ghostly hand.

[TheQueen]

Arlene - I miss my giant 1980s glasses. My face looked so small and wan in them.
Hattie - Since I might need to invest in computer glasses someday, do you just ask for computer glasses specifically? Mom acted like they gave her specific computer glasses but I might have made assumptions.
Allison - Ha! Impossible! She could never get her crippled arm up that high. She could have kicked me though.

[Big Dot]

I'd like to know about computer glasses too. I had to get the nose-pads of my new progressives adjusted so they sit in the right place, but it's still a bit of a mission sometimes looking through the right bit. It's a pain.

[TheQueen]

Big Dot - From http://www.allaboutvision.com/cvs/computer_glasses.htm

"Another popular lens design for computer glasses is the occupational progressive lens — a no-line multifocal that corrects near, intermediate, and, up to a point, distance vision. It has a larger intermediate zone than regular progressive lenses for more comfortable vision at the computer. But this leaves less lens area for distance vision. So these lenses are not recommended for driving or other significant distance vision tasks."