I was walking my big fat black lab at 5:30 this morning. There was a light dusting of fresh snow, and it was still dark. Next thing ya know, I'm flat on my back, bounced my head off the ice-covered pavement, and my glasses went flying. So there I was, flat on my fat ass, in the dark, glasses gone, watching that dog lumber away like she didn't give a hoot what happened to me. I crawled around, and finally found my spectacles. By this time, my ass was wet, my knees were wet, my glasses were covered in melting snow and the dog was gone.

I caught up with her a half block away, while she was taking her morning constitutional. We walked home and I haven't left the house since. I had planned on going back to bed, but was afraid to, just in case I had a head injury.

So, here I sit, nearly 3 hours later, still alive, no headache, but getting stiff and sore all over. The scary part for me was being pretty well blind...I found my glasses by feel, would have never seen them, and couldn't see diddly squat due to the darkness.

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2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

I'm a charter member of that club. I'm a bit worse than you............I cannot find 'em in daylight.

For some strange reason, one day they fell off the top of the clock radio overnight and landed on the floor. Woke up the next morning, and, thankfully..........put 2 and 2 together with regard to the noise I heard. Otherwise, I'd still be searching the entire house...............and would not have found them. I was very lucky that morning.

...............sucks to get old.........

My vision has been bad my whole life. My kids refer to my glasses as "bullet proof" because the lenses are so thick they look like the Lexan panels at gas stations in the 'hood. I leave mine in the same place every night, no matter what, or I'd never find them. Beats being deaf I suppose.

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2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

I never enjoyed the deal where you stood 20' from the eye chart:

Dr: "Please read the lowest line on the chart that you can"

I: "What chart?"


The chart starts at 20:400 for the big letters at the top.

I'm somewhere around 20:1000.

Sorry to hear of your fall Dave - that feeling (even if it's only temporary) of sudden helplessness sucks.

Try to keep moving, take some advil/aleve/muscle relaxant of your choice sooner than later. Sounds like your going to stiffen up, may be able to tone it down a bit with a preemptive dose.

Glad your pup stayed clear of vehicles - we lost Luke the Wonder Dog to an SUV the day after Thanksgiving (visitors inadvertantly let the entire herd past TWO doors while Darling Wife and I were at the grocers).

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1961 220b: first project car - sold.
2000 CLK 430: first modern Benz - sold.
2001 CLK 55: OMG the torque!!! - sold
1972 280SE 4.5: Baby Gustav
1991 300TE 4Matic: Gretel the Snow Bunny - sold
1978 300SD: Katz the Free Man - given away
1980 Redhead: Darling Wife

There weren't any vehicles out at that hour, thankfully...hell I could have gotten run over pretty readily, I was in the road too, although I didn't think about it at the time. My main concern was finding my glasses, and not stepping on them myself.

Had a spooky thing happen on last night's walk too...a big black Chow or Chow mix came tearassing out from between 2 houses, came right at my dog. My lab WENT OFF and did her best snarling wolf impression, she was ready to fight, hackles up, howling and snarling. I yelled, and the other dog backed off but followed us all the way home. There was a lot of barking that I could hear in the neighborhood last night too...something was up, not sure if it was just that black dog or if something else was going on...strange.

Jim, sorry to hear about your dog...I lost a lab to a car about 10 years ago, and still get teary-eyed thinking about her. Her cremated remains are on the mantle at home. Turner was probably the prettiest lab I've ever had, big blocky head, shiny black coat, one little blaze of white on her chest, gorgeous but dumb as a fence post.

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2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

My wife always had poor vision. 20/400 in one eye, 20/800 in the other. About 7 years ago she tore a contact and lost her glasses in the same weekend. The eye exam and new glasses were going to run over $1000. A local place was advertising laser eye surgery for $1000 / eye. She had laser surgery and is still 20/30 & 20/40 seven years later. It has been a tremendous change for her. It might be something to consider. I think the rates are still coming down. Good luck.

Chuck

Almost 5 years ago, Feb 2005.. I was in Philly at an orthopoedist's office having an exam for cervical spine problems. After giving me some very sobering news. (Your'e not leaving here without making an appointment for surgery), he gave me this cheery good-bye: "Don't slip on the ice!" I didn't ..and we all lived happily ever after...after a 5 level fusioin.. another story.

Knock on wood, my vision still remains pretty good. I get replacement glasses every couple of years, then seldom wear them. Usually end of the year expenses to deplete my FSA cafeteria account balance.

Hardest thing for me taking eye tests is when they give you the "which is better" battery. Some of the changes are so minimal (it seems like) it's hard to be sure you are giving an accurate answer!. I get concerned my lense Rx might not be as accurate as posisble due to (my) human error.

Man, that's a rough story - especially at Christmas time. It was/is wise to stay up at see how you feel as the day progresses.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

Yikes! Is that a minor, average or serious impediment to your work? Just curious.

My vision is hovering awfully close to the dreaded 20/1000 mark. Couple that with the fact that once I turned 40 I suddenly couldn't read, even with glasses on, so now I have progressive lenses. It's a major inconvenience for me, the thicker my glasses get, the worse my peripheral vision becomes. My progressives only magnify right down the middle of the lens, so when I read, I have to move my head to keep my eyes centered behind the lens, instead of just moving my eyes. If I turn my head too fast, I lose my balance and lose visual track of where I am for a moment. If my glasses aren't centered on my nose just right, my eyes aren't looking through the same level of magnification and I get a nasty headache if I try to read. In short, it sucks.

I'll bet Brian will have a similar take on things.

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2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

Glad you didnt hurt ourself too badly. There are people hurt badly evey year here in OKC from falling on the damned ice.

My vision isn't nearly that bad, but I really like my progressive lenses, especially with a large computer screen set back on my desk.

Fwiw one solution to reduce the risk of a fall is called “trekking poles.” There are also studs you can afix to the bottom of your shoes to help make them grippy.

Either of these is less costly than a trip to the doc…

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Toyota is a leader only because their drivers block everyone behind them. Oh what a feeling.

It was never an impediment with corrective lenses. Some distortion at the edges, but fairly close to 20:20 vision.

My problem today is the fact that I need reduced correction for closeup work...........and the amount of the correction varies depending on the distance to the work. I tried the progressive lenses and they were an abject failure.........couldn't see distance without distortion and couldn't get much for reading either. Right now, I'm forced to shove the glasses down my nose..........a specific distance depending on my focal length.........to be able to read my drawings. It's become a serious impediment.