my contact fell out!!!

[ladyjai]

i'm new to contacts. about 2 months of non-continuous wear. I have my old glasses, which are OLD. I have discovered that I can wear the contacts while riding, but the 9 mile commute leaves my eyes feeling a little irritated for an hour afterwards, and can slightly dull my vision. OK, no problem, I'll just have to wear my glasses. though I liked the fact that when I wore contacts, my eyes were cleaner than with the eye glasses. My glasses serve as a funnel or something, I always arrive with a few bugs in each eye, and lots of black asphalt dirt. the fact that i didn't have that while wearing contacts had an appeal.

well, I was at the LBS, and I found a pair of orange Tifosi glasses. They totally match my bike. 3 lenses... hmmmmm. I went for it. Figured they were designed to reduce wind, I had a pretty good chance, and I had not worn sunglasses since I was in 4th grade! (growing up, we could never afford 2 pairs of eyeglasses)

i wore them several days during my commute, with the clear lens so I could see (i can't wait for it to warm up!) then today, I was excited as it meant a chance to wear sunglasses, and see how they worked. I loved them! It took a few miles to get adjusted to the tinting of my world, but oh, so nice.

I rode up South Mountain. I went WEE---BRRRRRRRRRR down it, and my contacts started acting a little funky. I stopped at the triangle to try and let them feel happier, they settled down and I continued. Today was also decently windy, especially adding in the effects of riding down the mountain, and a headwind on the way home, not a bad one. Well, on baseline, about 48miles into the ride, my eyes started really being bothered. It was not pain, but they felt funny, and the bottom half of my vision was turning a little fuzzy... I wished again for the tenth time that I'd grabbed that little bottle of eye-drops. they seemed to be telling me I'd need them, but I'd left them at home.

2 miles later, i was blinking and felt one contact leave my eye. I tilted my head further down and it fell onto the glasses. For a split second, I freaked inside - my contact! I needed to see!
I removed myself from traffic and tried to figure out what to do with this thing. it was half-way dried out. i ended up putting it in a pill container that i bring my calcium and endurocaps in. then I tried to figure out what to do. regardless, I was at least 11 miles from home. I could try to visit a walgreens - um, where? not too close in that part of town, but.. the contact really looked like it needed a full night of soaking to maybe recover, it may not even...

ok.. well, i still have one eye working. the contact that fell out was for my -4 eye, so that was - fuzzy. cautiously I proceede forward... my vision is a new mixup, and depth perception and judging distances is much harder. Luckily my right eye is dominent, so clear prevailed over fuzzy. of course, I was worried that it would bail ship like it's sibling. When I could (clear parts of the road - luckily most of the way back was on a bike lane on not so heavily trafficked roads) I'd ride with my right eye closed, to try and keep it moist and happy. I arrived hope safely and with my vision unworsened. got home popped those buggers into solution and got my glasses on. my eyes feel fine right now, but...

So... any ride longer than a commute, I need to bring drops and use them every 10-15mile, or maybe i should stop wearing contacts and stick with eyeglasses, though I really liked the way the cyclist sunglasses fit and worked.

do any of you gals ride with contacts? do they make special ones designed for athletes? I'm using focus monthly's right now as i need flatter lens than the average person.

[jobob]

do any of you gals ride with contacts? do they make special ones designed for athletes? I'm using focus monthly's right now as i need flatter lens than the average person.

I wear the daily-wear soft contacts - use them one day and throw them out at the end of the day. I always carry a pair with me when I'm riding, plus one or 2 ampules of plain saline.
I'm -6.5 in one eye and -7.0 in the other so I don't dare go without a backup pair

[Veronica]

Last time I did DMD it was so cold on the descent of Diablo I swear my contacts froze and I lost one.

I carry spares now. I also use the daily wear ones.

V.

[Running Mommy]

well I don't wear contacts but... I recognized your route of "south mtn" and "baseline" as being in the Phoenix area. My only guess is the desert dryness got to them. Prolly a combo of wind and dry cool air. Just a guess though.
Glad you made it home ok though. In this area the last thing you need when riding is poor vision! People are NUTS around here!

[ladyjai]

especially since they fell out at 4pm!!! bleh...

OK, issue has been solved. It is cheaper for me to buy more than the year supply and carry the extra pair. unless I start losing them on a weekly basis thanks!

did you know they sell little contact lens cases with mirrors in them?!

[Lise]

This is part of why I got Lasik last April. I was a -12 in both eyes, truly blind without glasses or contacts. I had contact troubles while riding and swimming--one time a little wave in Lake Michigan knocked my goggles off and I lost a contact--riding my bike home with one eye shut really sealed the deal on that Lasik appointment. Aside from some dryness, which is less and less with time, I am very happy with the Lasik. Never thought I'd do it, but, then again, never thought I'd become an athlete either! Good luck. I'm sure you'll find strategies that work. L.

[alpinerabbit]

you could have licked it and put it back in? as an emergency measure - can't promise it works every time (it definitely does not work with my one-shot contact lenses, they are too thin and flimsy and somehow very finnicky. In fact I've had to toss one and take another on numerous occasions.)

with practice you will not need a mirror anymore to insert them.

Lise: Lasik with -12? please do tell. I have -8 and -11 but I'm scared to do it.

[nuthatch]

I think it's definitely the dryness of the air that makes them blink out. The disposables are mostly water. Drops are good (but a pain to stop and put in). I live in a more humid location but I usually take that "grabby eye" feeling as a signal to drink more water. It seems to help me produce more tears almost immediately. Probably psychosomatic!

[VenusdeVelo]

Anytime I've had my contacts pop it was becuz of dry eyes -- I was having problems (have worn them for about 25 yrs!) with contacts though in the last few years drying out at the end of the day. I switched to the new Acuvue contacts that have extra moisture (can't remember the name, Oasys was one brand but not the ones I bought) *plus* I use the new saline with "moistureloc". They helped, they even helped when flying as I do overseas trips and just don't like putting on glasses for long periods.

My eyes are a bit worse than yours (-5 and -6) so they do have contacts for your strength. And yes, bringing an xtra pr along is a good idea (but I usu don't!!) -- I have the drops I use at stops.

And I also have the more wrap style sunglasses designed for a woman's face, they keep the elements out a little better I think than the larger men's sizing.

Some things to consider...I wish I wasn't too squamish to go and look into Lasik....

[Crankin]

I have been wearing contacts for almost 30 years and I have never had an issue with them while riding. I am really blind, too. The dryness was definitely a problem in the climate in Phx. But, that was back before they had contacts with a high water content. I suggest you look at Accuvues; I wear the kind that last for 2 weeks. You can keep them in overnight, but I don't. I don't even remember they are in.
My issue is now that I am old, I wear reading glasses over my contacts. I can still see my bike computer, but I am dreading the day when that gets blurry!

[DeniseGoldberg]

My issue is now that I am old, I wear reading glasses over my contacts. I can still see my bike computer, but I am dreading the day when that gets blurry!

Old? You're not old Robyn! You're right that we all have to deal with the reading glasses thing at some point, but old is in how you feel and act! You don't fit into 'old'.

--- Denise

[Crankin]

Just a figure of speech, Denise. I know that I am not "old!"
But I never forget to pack my reading glasses in my seat bag...

[Lise]

Lise: Lasik with -12? please do tell. I have -8 and -11 but I'm scared to do it.

Yep, I was scared, too. I've worn glasses since I was 7 years old, and it got progressively worse until my late 30s. Swimming with contacts/goggles was a real pain in the butt, and sometimes kept me out of the pool if I didn't have perfectly sealed goggles. Having surprised myself and everyone that knows me by becoming a triathlete, I needed to swim sometimes!

I also started dating again after a yuk breakup and 5 years solo. I am -was- so blind that I literally couldn't see the features of the person I was dating without glasses or contacts. So, swimming and ...fooling around... that's what pushed me over the edge to look into it.

Also the fact that a 70+ year old woman I know had it done. Hmmmm....

The hospital where I work has one of the two new laser devices in the city of Chicago. The doc I saw told me that this newer technique "Alace", I think it's called, or "Alase", is better for the really, really nearsighted.

The procedure itself was scary and uncomfortable, but I could see nearly perfectly by the next day. For about a week I was astonished by the miracle of seeing perfectly every time I opened my eyes, and then the shock wore off. It's as if I'd never worn glasses. One of the best things I've ever done. Scary (and expensive) as it was, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Lise

[kiwi girl]

This isn't a solution to the dryness problem - but in terms of the losing a contact and having trouble getting home - I keep a spare set of my disposables in my seat bag with my bike repair stuff

[annie]

I have been wearing contacts for almost 30 years and I have never had an issue with them while riding. I am really blind, too. The dryness was definitely a problem in the climate in Phx. But, that was back before they had contacts with a high water content. I suggest you look at Accuvues; I wear the kind that last for 2 weeks. You can keep them in overnight, but I don't. I don't even remember they are in.
My issue is now that I am old, I wear reading glasses over my contacts. I can still see my bike computer, but I am dreading the day when that gets blurry!

Ditto! Exactly. I wear the same contacts you do, Robin, and just recently gave in to "old" and got reading glasses. I don't like it but I had no options! Until lasik can resolve near AND far-sightedness, I will wait........

LadyJ - Maybe see if you can find sunglasses that wrap around enough to keep that dry wind out of your eyes..... plus carry the rewetting drops with you. At least now you know of the signs of your contacts drying out and could prevent it with the drops before it gets too bad.

annie