Thursday, December 02, 2004

Contact Lenses
Does anyone use disposable contact lenses? I use the old school soft but long-lasting kind. The good news is that I squeeze a ridiculously long life out of them, 4 years for my last pair ("Are they still round? What's holding them together?" My eye doctor asked today. Since he decided it was a victory for a rigorous daily care program, I didn't have the heart to tell him the secret is not to clean them too often or too vigorously). The bad news is that the way they let you know they're finished apparently is by scratching your cornea mercilessly, which I can tell you hurts like a mother--think blinking with sandpaper instead of eyelids.

Long story short (too late), he wanted to recommend 2-week disposable lenses, but we decided I get far more value out of the other kind, and anyway--I said--I'm skeptical of a product where the company tells you to throw them away every 2 weeks and buy a new pair. I mean, really, what a racket, right? But instead of teaming up with me against the big bad eye care companies, the Doc took me on and said that no they only recommend exactly what the FDA tells them they must, given the data of testing research. So it's all science and helpful governmental oversight, not corporate profit. That's when I realized he must get a cut.

But really, that's a load of crap right? Do you really get rid of them every 2 weeks? What happens if you wait for, I dunno, 3 months? I'm not saying it should be recommended for that long, but it makes sense that they would direct you to get rid of them as quickly as they can get away with convincing people to, doesn't it?

I mean of course they are cleaner and more perfect on the first day than they are on the 15th, which is better still than on the 30th. Duh. That's not the point.

On another note--article 19 news--I've asked Deb to guest-blog for me on Friday and over the weekend while I'm out of town. If I can figure out how to get her signed up correctly that should work. So make sure and come by over the next few days. And, Deb, don't be so much better than me that there's a revolt. See you all on Media Monday, next week.

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