Bioptic Glasses Issues - I Need Experienced Help
Over 15 years of being diagnosed with a form of macular degeneration (Stargardt) and I finally went to a low vision specialist to ask about glasses and bioptics.
The doctor was very familiar with Stargardt, and said he has helped many people to see better. He also said he’s been able to get many of his patients to be able to drive legally with the use of bioptic glasses. For the first time in a while, I felt like I was in the right place. He understood how I saw, how light can affect me on a daily basis, etc. we were blown away when I was suddenly able to read the eye chart through the telescopes. From there, everything went really fast. He figured out my prescription, took measurements, and placed an order for the bioptic glasses as well as a pair with a specialty orange coating for outdoor use. 6 weeks later, I had both pairs, and I have to say - I’m disappointed. I’ll list the issues I have below:
First of all, our purpose for the bioptic glasses are for driving. In the office, I was able to read beyond the required line for the DMV from about 10 feet away. That’s all that was checked. I was told to wear them a little more every day for 2 months before driving, and that was the end of my visit. Once I went outside and put them on, I realized almost everything was blurry. It seems that the focus through the telescopes is set to around 10 feet. A focal length of 10 feet is definitely not good enough for driving. Through the scopes, I can’t read a license plate from 15 feet away. It’s blurry like when a camera isn’t in focus. I tried positioning them in different spots, but no improvement. The carrier lenses on the glasses are good - everything is very crisp.
I went from having no glasses at all to a specialty pair of bioptics and another pair that are basically sunglasses, both with a hefty prescription (-4.00 and (-3.00) - Why wasn’t the first priority to get me wearing a regular pair of glasses to make sure everything was right, before jumping into extremely expensive bioptics?
I was never given a choice in frames for either pair. I understand the frames for the bioptics may be limited, but what about the sunglasses? I don’t like the way they fit my face, and they don’t cover enough of my eye, allowing sunlight in from all four sides.
Questions for those of you with bioptic glasses:
Did your doctor check how well you could see through them in real life situations, like standing outside, reading a sign, or looking at a TV? Or did they simply use the eye chart like mine did?
Did your doctor train you on how to use them?
Did you have glasses before your bioptics? If not, what did you receive first - regular glasses for everyday use, or bioptics for driving and distance?
I was very excited to finally get my glasses, but now that I have them, I feel like a lot of steps were skipped or done in a weird order. I was told I just needed to “adjust” but I don’t see how their focus is suddenly going to change.
Sorry for writing a short novel, and thank you in advance!