I have the same problem. My vision is a bit worse than 20/70 and I've been wearing glasses since the 1st grade. I can wear contacts though. They were really hard for me to put in and take out for the first week and now I'm a pro at it. I don't even have to look in a mirror. My eyedoctor sent me a different brand of contacts once and I had the same problem you had. Right now I use contacts called 2clear sphere from VisionSource. They are great and I never have to use eyes drops through the day. I've tried the once a day disposable ones and they seem to be hard to put in sometimes because they are a bit thinner so now I just keep a few on hand incase something happens to my normal contacts. It feels so great to be able to wear normal sunglasses. Some people with perfect vision will never truly know what it's like to live with bad vision. I can't even see my alarm clock without glasses or contacts. When that laser eye surgery gets perfected, I think I might go for that, but in the meantime I'll stick to my contacts.
Does anyone know when a person is considered legally blind? What's it mean exactly to be legally blind? Isn't that just like having really bad vision that can only be correct so much even with glasses?

Anyone out there with vision that can't even be corrected to 20/20?

It was once my dream to be a fighter pilot and when I found out that I couldn't because of my vision, it really bummed me out. So you people with the really good eyes, consider yourselves very lucky.

 

At 45 I had to start taking my glasses off to read. I need them for distance. I tried bifocals once and they drove me nuts. The doctor said to just take them off so that is what I do. Without them on I can read my computer from 4' away to 6" away from the screen.

 

doc said i got 20/400 in one eye, 20/500 in the other. Guess i got VERRRRRRY bad eyes. Been wearing glasses since junior high. My dad's mother used to have what looked like Coke Bottle lenses.

 

My vision sucked since I was three. I am now forty, and 4 years ago had LASIK done .
Absolutely one of the best things I ever did in my life. It used to be that every day I was reminded of my poor vision. Whether it was touching my glasses or later on in life sticking my finger in my eye with contacts. Now the only time I am reminded of it is when some one brings it up!

 

just had Lasik done 20-20 left eye 20-15 left a little dry still but can see great!!

 

There is a certain "line" on the chart that is considered 20/20, that is the line that a person with normal vision can easily read, without squinting, at 20 feet. 20/15 would be seeing the next line easily at 20 feet whena person with the normal wision would have to be within 15 feet to see.

As for me? I am lucky I can find my house on a clear bright sunshiny day, lol. Stock in glass companies goes up when I get new eyewear. I wear soft contacts that look like the bottom of a 2 litre Pepsi bottle:-) Mono vision at that so I can read and still see far off. At least far enough to not run into things hee hee.

 

20/20, I was blessed with good eyes!!

 

I use a red tipped cane out the door to help me drive.

Actually, I've had glasses since 4th grade. I have no idea what the numbers are...I don't want to know. When my rich uncle gets out of the poor farm, he's gonna give me money for Lasik.

 

i've had to wear glasses since probly 3rd or 4th of grade. right now i wear contacts instead...i like em alot better.

 

I have worn glasses since I was about four years old... I had what they called a "lazy" left eye, and had to wear a patch on my right eye for awhile to compensate for it. With the glasses I am 20/40 in my left eye and 20/20 in the right. Sometimes I don't wear them, most notably when I'm driving and wearing sunglasses, but for reading and close-up work, they're a necessity.

 

Same condition here. Only, mine was the right eye. Makes it real fun growing up right-handed and darn near blind in your right eye!
The patches never worked for me, nor did anything else the optometrist tried, so the put me in glasses at around age 6 that were bullet-proof on one side, and a blank lens on the other.
About 6th grade, the doc told me it was never going to improve if it hadn't already, and I didn't have to wear the glasses anymore if I didn't want to. In the garbage can they went.
Haven't had a problem since, I just can't see worth a darn out of my right eye. Oh well. I can still see out my left one better than almost anyone I know.

 

My eyes are like 20/40 20/70. I can see pretty well up close without my glasses on, but at a distance i have to have them to pick out the details. The only time i really need them is when i'm doing precise work, or at night, it helps my eyes pick out the dimly lit objects on the sides of the road.

Now if i can just get some transition lenses, i'd be happy...no more of those drivers that like to blind everyone in the middle of the night with their super-ultra bright headlights and 400 watt driving/fog lights.

Either that, or go in for the Lasik surgery...and just have this mess taken care of for the rest of my life.

 

Well I just went and got my drivers license. Failed it(day time driving only) w/out my contacts. Perfecto with them!!! I've been wearing glasses since I was born, contacts for 5 years or so.