This is a true call we got recently. “Hello, is this the Optometrist office?” “Yes, it is”. “I’m calling from Costa Rica, and I lost my contact lenses. Can you ship some to me overnight?” Unfortunately for this patient, not only do we not stock their contact lenses because of their complexity, overnight shipping would have taken closer to three days, and cost around $80.00.
The sad thing is that we get people walking or calling in with situations similar to this on a regular basis. While we make every effort to provide the products and services to get them back to where they can see again, it often causes major issues for them. Lost wages, because they can’t see to work. Less than optimum interviews with prospective employers. Headaches and eyestrain. Family or wedding photos taken with VERY outdated glasses. Business presentations flawed by both appearance and struggling with poor vision with old or no vision correction. Vacation plans thrown into turmoil. The list goes on and on.
Part of my job of ensuring that my patients get the best vision care possible is inquiring about their back-up glasses. One response I often get is: “Oh, I have a pair at home with a really old prescription.” “Can you function well with them for several days?” “Not really…” Then they aren’t really back-up glasses! It’s like having a spare tire in the trunk – that’s flat.
One option for many contact lens wearers is to switch to daily disposables. Not only do you get to put on a fresh pair every day, you never have to worry about losing or damaging a pair – you always have a replacement handy!
Back-up glasses don’t have to be fancy and expensive. Many optical vendors, including us, have very affordable package plans available that probably cost less than one day’s lost wages. Can you find YOUR spare glasses? Do they work?
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