Contact lens wearers, goalies specifically

[vikingGoalie]

So been playing for longer then I care to relate Played at some pretty decent levels, now just content having fun and playing beer league hockey. That said here's my quesiton/issue. I have always had corrective lenses for my moderately bad eyesight, I also have astigmatism in both eyes. But contacts have always corrected things such that my vision is actually better then 20/20. But lately I finally realized why I've been whiffing every now and then on longer shots. My contact lenses are giving me issues. It's a subtle / insidious thing. I figured I just was off on my angle or too deep or bascially some sorta screwup. But what I found is that with my one eye when I was struggling some I couldn't read the scoreboard with my one eye on the far side, like at all. My other eye it was a little fuzzy. When the puck would really get moving I'd just lose it, it literally was like it was invisible. Where as hither I would have games where I could literally see the puck rotating in the air as it was coming.

Now, my prescription overall has not changed. aka my glasses still work as they always have. I think my older eyes are drying out while I play, and that m toric lenses are getting wonky. (for those that don't know, toric lenses must be oriented in your eye a certain way or they distort things). Of course I have an appointment with the eye doc, but I was wondering if anyone else has gone through something like this, and if so what you did to correct it. I just want as much info as I can have when I go talk to the doc.
thx

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[Neutrinos]

Get laser surgery and be done with it

 

[bambamcam4ever]

If your eyes are drying out, practice blinking correctly.

 

[Doctor No]

I have a similar problem, and have had it since the mid-1990s. Started when I was playing college, which was frustrating because when I showed up for a game, I wouldn't know how my eyes were going to react.

"Blinking correctly" (per the above) suggests a *severe* lack of understanding of the problem (no offense). And some people can't do laser surgery for one reason or another.

Your eye doctor could recommend punctum plugs, or a change in the type of lens you're wearing. The former didn't work for me, but I ultimately found a type that I can use (it's a toric as well). Although I still have problems when there's a lot of smoke in the air (as there is now).

Either way, good luck and be open with your doctor.

 

[vikingGoalie]

If your eyes are drying out, practice blinking correctly.

ok i'm taking that as sarcasm.

so. played a game tonight and tried using some contact lens wetting drops before the game. that made a huge difference. I mean I know it's a dumb thing . But tonight there was one kid who plays for penn state firing bombs, and I calmly stopped all of them, I could see the puck clearly the whole way. It sounds like such a cop out, which is why I wouldn't even play that card with my teammates, but the previous game the puck was literally disappearing on me, Team mates told me I was great, they are good team mates, but I quite literally lost the game because I failed to pick up two point shots that I was not screened on. For myself that was the worst feeling in the world when you know the puck is coming and you literally have no idea where it is and are just kinda guessing.

I still need to talk to eye doc and will. I think these lens might not be quite right for me anymore as I still am not quite as crisp with contacts as I used to be, but a step in the right direction.
As far as lasik goes, one time I was told I'm an ideal candidate, another time I was told my cornea is a little too thin. I'd rather not risk that. The other thing is being near sighted and having old guy eyes. I can read without any correction, and always have been able to. But if I had lasik done I'd have to use reading glasses and I'd rather not.

 

[Howie Hodge]

I had a similar problem once. I had a 4.75 in my right eye, and a 4.25 in my left. That's based on my prescription.

I tried a 4.75 in my left eye, and my vision, for distance, was improved quite a bit.

Made it harder to read, granted, but I just go back to a 4.25 in the left when not playing.

Sounds crazy, but it worked, and that's all that matters.

 

[LeifUK]

Get laser surgery and be done with it

I know a lot of people get surgery, but there are risks, and given that my eyes are fine apart from short and long sight, I'm not prepared to take the risk. As you age, you find that eye surgery does not correct eyesight anyway, it can only correct distance sight but not near or vice versa. I guess when I have cataract surgery in 20+ years time, I will have new lenses anyway.