I've been lurking here for the last month or so, and just wanted to post a word of thanks to the forum for advice that really helped me understand options for progressives.
I'm in my early 50s. Until my most recent prescription change, I've stuck with single vision prescripion lenses (-2.25 or so) and accomodated presbyopia by taking my glasses off for reading. Over the past year or so, I had noticed two increasing problems: it was becoming more tiresome to view the computer monitor (many hours a day) and it was increasingly impossible to read anything without removing my glasses. This made other daily activities annoying as well -- for example, cooking where I had to remove the glasses to glance at a recipe and neither glasses on nor off really gave me sharp vision at, say, three feet (countertop level).
Thus, with a new prescription (-2.75 distance, +2.00 reading add), I knew that it was time to make some decisions. Hence, lurking here to get a handle on the pros and cons of various options. I had some concerns about a single pair of progressives, since so much of what I do in my daily routine is at intermediate distances -- where all-purpose progressives are at their worst. Also, I love to lie on the sofa when watching TV and I thought progressives for distance would drive me nuts. So, I was inclined towards a single-vision pair for distance (driving, watching TV, etc.) and an occupational lens for intermediate/reading that would allow me to glance at a recipe while cooking or read a document while working on the computer without constantly removing the glasses. The comments here, and especially the links to the Sheedy reports on progressives and occupational progressives really helped me understand the choices and what range of progressive add I might need. Even though you guys don't always agree, reading the range of suggestions was very helpful. For example, Chris' strong endorsement of occupational bifocals made me really stop to consider my daily routine and whether that approach would work for me.
To make a long story short, I was leaning towards something like the Zeiss Gradal RD or Zeiss Business occupational progressives when I went to my optician for his recommendations and what he was experienced fitting for occupational lens. The decision was pretty easy when my optician right off the bat suggested the Gradal RD, which he was wearing. We put the Gradal RD's in my existing Safilo frames (B height of 40mm, so plenty of room to accomodate the long corridor of the RDs) and a new pair of single-vision distance lens in new frames. The Gradal's have a +.50 add in the "distance" area at the top, going to my full +2.00 reading add at the bottom of the corridor.
I am a very, very happy customer! By the third day, I was completely adjusted to the occupational progressives. The +.50 add at the top is perfect for my deskwork (with a 21-inch monitor, I often sit slightly farther from the computer than "standard"), kitchen countertops, etc. Yet, I have no problem walking around (after the 1st day getting used to the progressives). In fact, the only real problem I've had adjusting is remembering to switch to my distance glasses when I watch TV or go out driving. With my particular prescription, the Gradal RDs have minimal astigmatic error (max of .50 based on measurements in one test report on occupatial PALs), so I really don't even notice the progressives except that I need to look through the bottom for close vision and the top for longer distances. I still don't know exactly what "swimmy" means...which is probably a good thing for a first time PAL wearer.
I can't believe how much better it is to have properly corrected intermediate vision at the computer. Night and day. I put on the glasses I was wearing a month ago and text on the computer monitor is blurry. No wonder it was fatiguing -- my eyes were in a constant strugge to focus! It is just amazing how many day to day tasks involve close to intermediate vision. The two pair approach -- one for distance, one for intermediate/close, is working out very well.
One other thing. If anyone is on the fence, get the AR coating. I got the Crizal coating on the distance lenses and the Zeiss Carat coating on the progressives. Wow. I had no idea how annoying the reflections were, both indoors and out. If these companies really wanted to sell their coatings, they should make up a range of demo glasses in various distance powers, one with coating and one without -- so consumers can actually see the benefit for themselves.
Anyway, thanks again.
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