A Shooter's Eye Doctor in NOVA

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Folks, if anyone needs to see an optometrist, I highly recommend Dr. M. Stanley Lanway in the Springfield Mall just beside Lenscrafters and here's why:

Today I was OC'ingin the malland needed to get new contacts so Iwalked into the doc's office. Nobody batted an eye that I was carrying and when I got in to the doc, he was professional and just a short time into the examheasked in a very friendly and curious mannerwhy I was carrying.Itold him for self-defense and the protection of my family and thankfully the State of Virginia recognizes my right to NOT be a victim. Then I told him laughinglyit's actuallybecause I can't carry a cop! He laughed at that and we started a nice conversation about OC, and guns in general.

Doc Lanway is a retired Army Major and during the exam he quickly identified mydominant right eye and made sure that my prescription would allow me to keep a good front sight focus!He recommendednew 30 day DAY and NIGHTlenses that would give me immediate clear vision and focus in the middle of the night, in case I needed that.

We spoke for a bit more and I told him about OCDO and VCDL and I had a few VCDL membership flyers with me and gave him one with the OCDO web address as well. He was ready to write me a check for the VCDL membership right there! I told him to just mail itto the address and that I'd be in touch with him soon. He liked that and told his whole staff that soon he'll be OC'ing around the office and you know, I think he was serious!

Hopefully we'll see Doc here soon and if you folks need an eye exam, go seeDoc Lanway! Thanks Doc!

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BobCav wrote:

Doc Lanway is a retired Army Major and during the exam he quickly identified mydominant right eye and made sure that my prescription would allow me to keep a good front sight focus!He recommendednew 30 day DAY and NIGHTlenses that would give me immediate clear vision and focus in the middle of the night, in case I needed that.

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Glad you had such a great experience with your eye doctor, and congrats on educating him so successfully about OC'ing and the VCDL.

I have worn the same lenses the doc gave to you -- and loved them. Being middle-aged, I require bi-focals, so my eye doc (in Southwestern VA) has me fitted me in mono-vision (with the DAY & NIGHT lenses). I have the close-up contact in the left eye, distance in the right, and love the convenience of not having to wear glasses.

Unfortunately, the mono-vision makes it difficult to focus properly at the range unless I close my right eye.

I would welcome any advice/input on this topic, since a 3-4 hr. drive to BobCav's doc is impractical.

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WOW!!

That would be great seeing a Doc OC'ing in his place of business. hmmmm, I am do for some new glasses.........

You carry VCDL flyers in your pocket?

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VAopencarry wrote:

WOW!!

That would be great seeing a Doc OC'ing in his place of business. hmmmm, I am do for some new glasses.........

You carry VCDL flyers in your pocket?

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Yeah, he was serious!! When I go back, I'll give him more info and invite him to the 19th VCDL meeting. That should be a big one anyway!

Yep, I actually have about 5 flyers and 2 copies of my Virginia Gun Rights handout on me when I OC. You never know when you'll need either! I gotta make up some cards with OCDO and VCDL info on them. Not every VCDL'er is an OC'er (yet ) and not every OC'er is in VCDL, but I'm workin on it!!!

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If you have older fliers, don't forget that the membership rates changed on April 1st.

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You carry VCDL flyers in your pocket?

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You DON'T? :lol::lol:

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zoom6zoom wrote:

If you have older fliers, don't forget that the membership rates changed on April 1st.

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I do and I reminded him of that.

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metg wrote:

Unfortunately, the mono-vision makes it difficult to focus properly at the range unless I close my right eye.

I would welcome any advice/input on this topic, since a 3-4 hr. drive to BobCav's doc is impractical.

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Apologies to allthat my question above did not pertain to OC'ing; however, if anyone has any input regarding shooting while wearing mono-vision contacts (do you use one eye open? both eyes open, which makes focusing extremely difficult?), please let me know. You can send me an e-mail if you prefer so this site will stay "on subject" of OC'ing. Thanks!

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metg, not off topic at all! OC, guns, shooting....it all counts!

It's about how your eyes affect your shooting and what might help you. Sorry I dont know the answer to your original question though. My doc said I don't need bifocals yet, perhaps in a couple years, andthere normally is a slight difference in my eyes, but he kept the prescription equal in both to give my right dominant eye a little betterFront Sight focus.

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Thanks BobCav! You must not be as old as I am, so be glad you don't need bi-focals yet!!

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So I guess that OC is ok in Springfield Mall?? Kinda different from all other malls in NOVA huh??

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Yep, I OC there a lot. There's a lot of kids and punks there and I won't let my wife go there unless I'm with her and OC'ing.

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Monovision contact lenses are a good option for correcting presbyopia, however, there are many other options.

Primarily, there are bifocal contact lenses that can provide EXCELLENT vision for shooting sports.

Simply put, monovision is "old school" and carries with it a success rate of about 80%. The trouble actually comes from the brain, not the eyes. The human body has two eyes for a reason, one of which is by using the two eyes as a "team" (i.e. both looking at the same object, distance or near), the brain can deliver a sharper image with greater detail.

Monovision requires that the brain chooses between the eyes, based upon the task the individual is performing. For most, this is unnatural, akin to writing left-handed. Some adapt after a few minutes, some after a few days/weeks, and some (about 20%), just cannot do it.

Bifocal contact lenses work through a process called "simultaneous vision". Essentially, the lenses are designed in a "bulls-eye" pattern, with some having distance in the center, and some having near power. Then alternating rings (not visible to the wearer) of distance-near-distance provide BOTH eyes with two images, distance and near).

Therefore, the brain now must choose between 2 IMAGES, typically a much easier task than choosing between the two EYES. Additionally, intermediate distances are usually sharper with the bifocal lenses than they are with monovision.

Bifocal lenses are more expensive, and in the past have only been available for people with little to no astigmatism. However, there are some newer designs that are also correcting for astigmatism as well... they are too new to offer a definitive opinion on now.

There is no right or wrong answer... typically, the doctor and the patient must work together with realistic goals. Sometimes, the first lens the patient tries is a homerun, however, many times it may require several visits to tweak (as the patient reports back to the doctor about any problems they may have).

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My post came across as a negative to monovision, and I did not intend it to... just that there are other alternatives, and if your doctor tries monovision and it fails, you may have additional recourse!

I am glad it is working so well for you BobCav!

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VAopencarry wrote:

WOW!!

That would be great seeing a Doc OC'ing in his place of business. hmmmm, I am do for some new glasses.........

You carry VCDL flyers in your pocket?

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I do regularly... though my labcoat does obscure the firearm for the most part, it is OWB and not necessarily painstakenly hidden.. in between patients, the lab coat is usually off.

Though, I must say, I also carried concealed... just depends on the mood that strikes me.

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hyaloid, welcome to OCDO! My monovisionis so small it's not noticeable and could barely be called monovision. Only a .25 difference between eyes.And the doc said that if for any reason I'm not happy or the lenses aren't comfortable...they get changed! Excellent description on the bifocal contacts,thanks!

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Thanks, BobCav... as you can see, I am a long time lurker for the most part... you know... you have two ears and one mouth for a reason

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Hah...yep, I only noticed the number of posts, not the date. Welcome anyway!

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Hyaloid wrote:

Bifocal lenses are more expensive, and in the past have only been available for people with little to no astigmatism. However, there are some newer designs that are also correcting for astigmatism as well... they are too new to offer a definitive opinion on now.

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Thanks so much for your response, Hyaloid. I was very fortunate that my brain adapted to mono-vision contacts so easily and I began wearing them quite a number of years ago (before becoming as passionate about shooting as I am currently). I do also have astigmatism, so based on what you said above, should I ask my eye doctor about bifocal lenses yet or should I wait until they are perfected a bit more? I am very encouraged to know they work well for shooting purposes .

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I don't need good vision...I shoot by sound!:shock: