Lost Confidence

[Christine Wallis]

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this, A few months ago (in the summer) I was driving along and must have simultaneously got a bit of grit in both of my eyes, of course they both started watering buckets and (as we all know) the pain was horrific. In normal circumstances I would just have popped the lenses out, but I was at traffic lights and couldn't stop/pull over - I just had to keep on driving with virtually no sight. I eventually safely pulled over and took the lenses out. But this incident has severely dented my confidence - it was only by good fortune I didn't have an accident. Luckily I live only a 10 minute journey from work - and there are plenty of 'pulling over' spots, However I haven't been on a motorway since or driven to any places I'm unfamiliar with.

I'm a very positive person - but although I've been driving with KC for 20 years - It really made me seriously think about giving up driving.


Chris xxx

[Andrew MacLean]

Let me start with some generally good advice. It is NEVER right to drive, even a short distance, without sight that is up to the standard set by law. I think that this is 6/9 but it may be 6/12.

It must have been ghastly to find that both eyes were suddenly in agony and to have tears flooding in your body's attempt to wash away the grit that had entered your eyes along with the other foreign bodies that you had put in. I never had this happen to both eyes at once, but often did in one or other of them. It was only when I had my first scleral that I knew what it was to live without either this pain or the fear of this pain.

I fully understand why your confidence was dented. Here is a strategy that I used to adopt.

1 I always had lens fluid, something with which to rinse a lens and something with which to wash my hands (I used little 'fresh wipes'). I also had a large clean cloth so that I could 'blink out' a lens in an emergency.

2 If either of my eyes started playing up in the way you describe I would either pull over or (if at lights) just stay put until I had removed my lens, washed my hands, rinsed and then replaced my lens. this did sometimes mean that people 'tooted' in that friendly and encouraging way that people have of letting you know that you were stopped and they wanted to go.

This is not to say that I found myself in this sort of position every day, or even every year, but it did happen a couple of times in the decades that I wore contact lenses. Just having what I called my 'emergency kit' was a great boost to my confidence.

[Michael P]

Hi Chris.

You were extremely unlucky to get grit in both eyes whilst driving (i am assuming you weren't driving a convertible); it is bad enough when one eye is affected like this.

However, the chances of this occurring again are pretty slim and assuming the use of a car is important to you, I think you should continue driving and not worry about this happening again.

Perhaps, when possible wear rap around sunglasses if you are still concerned.

[Christine Wallis]

Many thanks for your replies Andrew and Michael, I've got a dog show in Lytham in a couple of weeks, and I'm determined to have regained my confidence by then - I think I need to throw myself in at the deep end. Thinking rationally, it's the first time in 20 years it's happened, so by the law of averages it will be another 20 years (hopefully) until it happens again.

Many thanks again for your positive thoughts....

Chris xx

[donna]

This has happened to me , in the summer I wear sunglasses all the time when driving. Its scary, painful and does knock your confidence. Wrap around sunglasses are really helpful.

[Pat A]

Hi there

This happened to me once too! Scary. But Andrew is right to suggest carrying some lens fluid with you at all times.

And strangely enough only last weekend I found that Tesco's sell little travel bottles of anti bacterial hand gel (made by Carex) which has replaced a similar product I used to buy in a large tube and kept in the car. I started that practice many years ago (well before I wore lenses ) when travelling a lot in France.......fortunately standards have since improved there! (I am sure some of you understand what I am getting at!)

I can't drive for longer than a couple of hours without having to stop and take my lenses out for half an hour - so the hand gel can come in very useful.

Take care all

Pat

[Christine Wallis]

Thanks again for all your replies - I have taken your advice and invested in a BIG pair of wraparound glasses, also put spare lenses (in case one pops out !) solutions etc in the glove compartment (does ANYONE actually keep gloves in their glove compartment ?) Also bought pack of anti-bacterial hand wipes and a bottle of Cuticura Hand Hygine Gel (this is brilliant, only £1 from Boots and also protects from colds, Norovirus etc)

That's what I love about this site, great advice and people who actually know what it's like - how can you describe eye/foreign bodies pain to people who've never worn lenses ?

Many thanks again - My confidence is restored now I've put the measures in place and am prepared if it happens again.

Chris xx

[whiteduck]

Chris,

Sorry to hear of your problem with grit in both eyes.

Confidence is a problem for me generally.

One idea I did find that is similar to that demonstrated by Paul McKenna on TV is EFT and although I haven't stuck at it, it looks very interesting and may work on improving confidence for 'some'. Check out tapping.com and the videos.

cheers
Ian