spectacles URGENT

[opas]

Help, I have just broken the frame on my specs, I have a complex prescription.

I am after a chain of Opticians in France that have a lab, so I can buy a new frame for my orriginal lenses.

I am on an old spare pare now that are not up to date, so will have to cadge a lift off a generous neighbour if somone can come up with the nameof a lab. I am in dept 66 near perpignan.........will ask around the neighbours in the morning ............If I can find their doors!!!

will also post on Postbag.

[Viv]

Hi Opas

Have you tried that spex4less, that was recommended on here. You can order online and they are cheap and quick delivery from the UK, [geek] they might do in the mean time until you can get your proper glasses fixed. Can't hep you with that bit sorry!

[opas]

Cheers for the rapid response, but I do not have an up to date prescription, will try for an eyetest tommorrow, but It would mean a good 10 day wait for the glasses(one month with zeize(sp)).................only a spec wearer would understand. I liken my self to a bat ( no comments please)

[Opalienne]

Try http://www.grandoptical.com/index.asp

They seem to have lots of branches and deliver glasses pretty quickly if you have either a prescription or old lenses

[opas]

Opalienne....this is exactly the type of place I am looking for, unfortunatly the nearest one to me is about 150 miles away.

I can see myself ordering jam Jar bottoms if I am lucky to get an appointment at the opticiens.

 

[Teamedup]

We have done this twice now. Just went to any old opticians and found frames that the lenses would fit into and had them made up. Cost a bit, but was done within a couple of days.

 

[opas]

I know I have done this in the past in the UK, will try the one in the nearest town this morning. Perhaps I will phone around to see the time span we are talking. I feel like i am walking on the moon in this old pair.

Think I should book in for an eye exam too..........so I can get a spare pair!

Thanks .

 

Just had a thought..........I`ll bet the busses are on strike, better start using my thumb!

[Quillan]

We used Optic2000, ours was in Limoux but they are a chain and are all over the place. Pat has strange lenses and hers are made special by Zies to get them so thin. Only took a week with Optic2000 whilst in the UK they can take 6 weeks. Plus, being in the system here, it cost us nothing. Not really worth going to the UK as someone sugested. Optic2000 may have a machine that can make your old lens fit new frames, you just need to peddle round Perpignan till you find them or somebody else you does.

[opas]

funnily enough Quillan, The optic place in our nearest town is Optic2000 and I have just rung them. They have told me to go in and they will try for a close match, or if not 2/3 days if they have to go to the lab.

Just as an aside , you mention that Pat has super thin(as do I ) I enquired at a place in the Centre commercial (auchan) a few weeks back as I do plan to have an eye test . I also have reaction to light lenses...........Oh the bill just goes up and up! anyway this guy said that I would not be able to have the both( I have done for about 15 years from zeis)  I shall ask at the shop when I go in.

As for peddleing around perpignan..........Is that legal I am so blind I am not sure If I have my clothes on the right way round!

[Teamedup]

If you don't have a prescription then I would imagine that you would have to pay for your new frames, best ask when you go in.

 

[opas]

I didn`t have any other thoughts than that I would have to buy the frames, are you saying that if I go to the Opthalmiste show them my broken frames  ask for a prescription for a new frame, then I can get them at a different price from the shop?

Couldn`t get there this morning, no bus, try again tomorrow.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Teamedup"]

If you don't have a prescription then I would imagine that you would have to pay for your new frames, best ask when you go in.

[/quote]

I can't say about frames but I did break a lens. I took the glass's back to Optic2000 and showed the problem. He got another lens made up for me and when I went to pick them up he had one of those form things that you send on to CPAM to claim the money back. I was wondering if he did this on the back of the original prescription or what. I also got the rest reimbersed by my mutual as well yet it was my fault, I dropped them.

Opas - Pat was told the same thing, you can have the ultra thin but no "reactolight". It's something to do with the manufacturing method. Mind you she never had it in the UK either.

[parsac23]

I was in dispensing optics in the UK for years and the combination of thinner lenses and photochromic are definatly avialiable in plastic and glass (plastic preferable because of weight and safety) my daughter is pretty shortsighted -5.00 and is currently wearing thinner/photochromic. Maybe if the prescription is very unusual with lots of astigmatism or prism this may preclude this combo of lenses.Good look with getting sorted, I am a bit paraniod about having some sort of spare as I know how debilitating it is being without.

[opas]

Yes, as you say this combination is available as I have had it for about 15 years ,always in glass. I do have astigmatism.

I will get my frame sorted out for now and then start routing round for a new pair.

Thanks everyone, I will let you know how I go on.

[maureen]

Have you looked ( or get someone to look for you!) to see if your house insurance covers broken specs...? I know somebody who claimed, when he knocked his glasses of the ladder when painting, broke them and they were replaced, free! Worth a butchers.

maureen.

[Loiseau]

Good point.  My husband broke his spex while on holiday in France, and replacement/repairs were covered by our UK house contents policy.

Angela

[opas]

Now I`m not being funny here ,but without my specs I am finding it neigh on impossible to do much.

One of the thing I did do yesterday was squint at my policy, coudn`t see much, but the insurance office is in the same row of shops where the Opticians is. If i get time today I will pop in and explain ........one can but try.  To be honest I would pay a kings randsom to get my sight back!

[Judith]

Very shortsighted at -5! Try being -15 and -17! With astigmatism, retinopathy of prematurity (ie very bad floaters and clouds, increased possibility of retina detaching suddenly) plus the need to wear varifocals, and plastic is far too thick, and then you have problems. I usually need to change my glasses at least every two years (c£500 a pair with c£32 reduction from the NHS for a complex prescription, so you lot in France (even perhaps Opas with whom I sympathise) don't know you've been born!

Whilst I can (just) see to put clothes on and walk around somewhere I know, there is no detail without glasses, so I always have spare (or two or three - they don't go to the returns bin until I really can't see out of them, as anything is better than nothing!)

My experience in France when my glasses have got bent (and they DO need to fit exactly for me to see properly) is to find the nearest optician and see what they can do. I admit a refit is not the same as a new pair, but [again] my experience is of opticians always being as helpful as is needed - they can see that they are a complex pair and understand how dependent you are on them. And I've always come away happy.

Now all I need is to find the equivalent of Moorfields in SW France in case my retina goes suddenly - as did my husband's (only -10) and my sister's (something comparable to me). Immediate entry to the best eye hospital (Moorfields) (husband) and a brilliant specialist (Addenbrookes) (sister - who nearly lost her sight) saved the day for both of them.

So - who can help with that one - please?

Meanwhile - if you are now able to read again Opas, hope all goes well - suggest you get a second pair to ensure this won't happen again, and hang the cost. As you say, anything is better than not being able to see.

From one myopic to another - good luck

[opas]

Yipeeee....I can see the screen again!

Went to Optic2000 in our nearest town this morning. No sucess there I`m afraid, they didn`t have a huge range and my frames are very tiny (this was advised to me by my UK Optician to reduce the risk of `ringing` effect) the only frame small enough was in the childrens range and they were thick plastic and looked terrible on me.

So cadged a lift to another town this afternoon where I knew there were 2 opticians. I went in optic2000 again (I bought my daughters glasses there only 2 weeks ago) very helpfull, looked in all the drawers and then went to the kids section et voila as they say in France! but these frames are slightly smaller and needed a bit of cutting down to my lenses, he said they would be ready at the end of the afternoon, when I explained that I had only untill 4 pm as I had a friend fetching and carrying me he looked at the clock (then quarter to 3) and said OK.

45 euros and a fuille de soins for rembousement, but I know I will probably get about 10 euros back.

Next job when other half returns is an eye test and a spare pair!

[opas]

[quote user="Judith"] Now all I need is to find the equivalent of Moorfields in SW France in case my retina goes suddenly - as did my husband's (only -10) and my sister's (something comparable to me). Immediate entry to the best eye hospital (Moorfields) (husband) and a brilliant specialist (Addenbrookes) (sister - who nearly lost her sight) saved the day for both of them. So - who can help with that one - please? Meanwhile - if you are now able to read again Opas, hope all goes well - suggest you get a second pair to ensure this won't happen again, and hang the cost. As you say, anything is better than not being able to see. From one myopic to another - good luck[/quote]

The only suggestions I can come up with are a) explain to your specialist in the UK what you are looking for, He may know of a Specialist/Clinic in the area you want. It is suprising what a small world it is, (now off subject entirely)  we have a daughter who has a very rare Syndrome, during one of our visits to Montpellier hospital she was examined by a German doctor, who upon reading her (our daughters) notes, was pleased to see that she had been operated on by Mr Bianchi at Pendlebury childrens hospital, as the conversation opened up it turned out that she had done some of her training under him.( he being one of the team that separated the Maltese Siamese twins)

My other sugestion, as I presume you are not living in france but make regular visits, why not go to a generaliste there and explain your needs/situation to them....they will then be able to advise you i`m sure.

[Judith]

Opas - thanks - and glad you can see again - isn't it such a relief!

As you surmise I am still working (and living) here in Central London, but hubby is already retired and thus living permanently in our house in France and I will join him when I retire. But yes, I am spending as much time as I can in France, so I wanted to be prepared - when retinas go, the faster you get to the right place for help the better the chance of a full repair. But you also want to know you are in the right place as the wrong treatment could be even worsel

I did ask at Moorfields when I went for a check up for my large floater (they think a large blood vessel burst in my eye, and it took weeks to settle to the stage it now has - still irritating but nothing more they can do) and the consultant was less than helpful - as though she did not understand the different system in France.

Since we are in the Aude, it may be that I should investigate Montpellier hospital (which is likely to be the main point for the region), but also ask around. Certainly if they deal with special syndromes such as that your daughter has - they should be able to deal with lesser eye problems one would think.

Cheers

[opas]

Toulouse (sp) was the other option, we left it to the doctor , she made enquiries on our behalf.  But another thought was to perhaps visit an Optician, not the specs selling one the eye exam one.

 

[Judith]

Thanks - I had forgotten Toulouse (how could I?) which could be as near. And a specs-selling optician may also be able to advise which is the best place for emergency treament, and I will ask some contacts when I am in France next. So I am prepared if the worst happens.