Lentil recipes: Megathread

Ava Ador said:I could never get used to wearing contact lenses.😢

That's too bad. So do you just wear glasses now, or do you just squint through life?🙂

What’s the actual advantage of semi-rigid lenses, if there even is one? I’ve heard things and read bits here and there, but my eye doctor never really bothered to explain it to me.

Jose Miller3 said:I was with my softeners on the first day—they went to work and I didn't get back until about 8 PM, so that was 12 hours straight. No issues at all.

I didn't run into any trouble on my first day either (I was working at a local theater), though I did try following his instructions exactly when I started.

Later on, I definitely found myself hitting that 12-hour limit for how long I could wear them.😬

Yeah, I definitely blow past the 12-hour mark. Honestly, there are plenty of days where I'm looking at 18 or even 20 hours straight.
As for the pros and cons of soft lenses... I don't really want to act like a know-it-all and lecture you on stuff that's already been covered. Just do a little digging through the forum and it'll all make sense. They're better for astigmatism, give you a sharper image, help slow down prescription changes, have a lower risk of infection, and they're way easier to pop in and out. The downside? They just aren't quite as comfy. But yeah, just give the search bar a shot.

Lenses 👍
The recent batches, specifically those semi-hard, gas-permeable ones, have been absolutely stellar. Honestly, they’ve become such a staple in my nightly routine that I frequently drift off to sleep wearing them; there have even been nights where I’m mid-skincare routine and realize I still have them 😁

Ava Adore said:I could never get used to wearing contacts😢

Same here, 😢

I spent like, a solid year trying everything under the sun to make them work, but nope—nothing. And I’m talking about those semi-rigid ones too. Putting them in and taking them out? Easy. But actually *wearing* them? Total nightmare. 🙄
Since it was honestly ages ago, sometimes I think, "Maybe I should give soft lenses a shot," but then I just realize I'm way too lazy for all that hassle...

I’ve been rocking contact lenses for about 12 years now. Honestly, when I first started, it was a bit of a struggle—I was using those hard lenses for a while—but you get used to it. I spent maybe four years on the hard stuff, then switched to soft lenses for about seven, then went back to hard lenses again. You eventually adapt to anything. At first, it feels like you’re just walking around with a handful of gravel shoved into your eye sockets, but once you adjust, you can sleep in them without even thinking twice.

For the last two months, though, I’ve been using overnight lenses, which means I don't have to wear anything during the day at all. And man, I am absolutely loving it. They actually work. Like, they really, really work!!! It’s such a relief getting used to being able to rub my eyes or wash my face without a total meltdown. Plus, I can go for a run through a dusty trail without constantly stressing that a lens is going to pop out or scratch my cornea into oblivion.

Anyway, good luck to everyone!

Hey, write a bit more about those night owls! I’m actually thinking about picking some up myself, but I haven't heard any firsthand reviews yet. Where did you end up finding them?

I think I mentioned this on the forum already, but I'll dig through my posts later to find the exact thread.

I picked mine up in Chicago at Dr. Miller’s clinic www.poliklinikadrbaic.hr
Not sure if anyone else in the city offers them, but fair warning: they are a total pain in the ass at first. You have to give it some serious time before your body actually adjusts—it took me nearly two months just to get used to them. Plus, you’re stuck doing constant follow-up appointments with the doctor.

Look, they definitely have their perks, I'll give you that, but they aren't all sunshine and rainbows.

Bradley Smith, what's your prescription?

-2.50, -3.25

They work up to -4, even though this doctor keeps swearing he’s been correcting much higher prescriptions than mine.
I actually saw this little girl there once, maybe 7 or 8 years old, wearing the exact same kind of lenses. So, honestly, if a kid can pull these off, I shouldn't feel so weird about it myself.

Besides, I’ve pretty much forgotten what my actual prescription even is😬 because my vision is always sharp. Even when things get a bit blurry, my correction is only about 0.50, which compared to my actual baseline, feels like HD. The best part is when my vision starts to dip; I just pop them in and everything snaps back into focus. Or I'll wear them for an hour or two and I'm good to go again.

Have you ever thought about getting laser eye surgery?
I’m sitting at -3.75 plus some light astigmatism, and then there's the heavy stuff at -2.25...

Yeah, I’ve thought about it, but honestly? It’s off the table for me. Out of the four people I know who actually went through with it, two of them ended up with issues. One deals with chronic dry eye and constant irritation, and the other actually had their vision regress back to where it started.

Besides, laser tech isn't even at its peak yet. There are already better versions out there, and in ten years, the tech is going to be lightyears ahead of what we have now. Plus, I don't really deal with that nearsighted struggle anymore—my vision feels fine, so why bother stressing over surgery?🙂

I've been wearing soft contact lenses for about four years now. Honestly, they’ve never been an issue for me. From the very first day, it felt like I’d been wearing them forever—totally seamless.
Getting them in and out was a bit of a struggle at first, though... but after a week, it just became second nature. Still, there were definitely moments where I wanted to throw them across the room after spending 20 minutes wrestling with one tiny little lens.🙄

What are those "dream" pills actually called?
The link just gives this super fancy, high-level definition, but there isn't a single professional or detailed breakdown of how they actually work.

Matthew Morris28 said:I definitely go over 12 hours at a stretch. It’s pretty common for me to hit 18 or 20 hours a day.
Regarding the pros and cons of soft contact lenses, I don't really feel like reinventing the wheel here or preaching about stuff people already know. Maybe just do a quick search on the forum; it might make things clearer. They're better for astigmatism, provide sharper vision, help slow down prescription changes, have a lower infection risk, and they're easier to put in and take out. The downside? They aren't as comfortable. But yeah, just look it up.

Thanks, after an answer like that, I guess I won't even need to search. 🙏

I use ACUVUE® ADVANCE™ with HYDRACLEAR™, including the astigmatism version (though just for one eye). 🙏 🙏

They’re soft, comfortable, and honestly, I have nothing but good things to say about them. 🙏

Sean Nguyen4 said:Where can I grab those droppers? Like at a drugstore or an eye doctor's office?
If I bail now, I’m probably not gonna get back into contacts anytime soon, and $200 all that effort will just go down the drain.

Check your local eye doctor or CVS-$13
.

I wore semi-rigid contact lenses for two years. I did everything in my power to make them work for me. At first, they felt perfect—like they were custom-made for my eyes. Then, one day, after spending five or six hours out in the blazing sun, I started acting like a vampire. It became impossible to look directly at daylight or even stay in a room with the lights on. My eyes were constantly squinting, and the irritation became so intense that I developed uncontrollable eye twitches. After two years of pure misery, I finally said goodbye to them.

Daniel Diaz6 said:What's the actual name for those "dream lenses"?
That link just gives you some fancy-sounding definition without actually laying out the gritty, professional details of how it all works.

Just Google "ortho-keratology" and you'll find it.🙂