Own the disadvantage
 

http://www.bmezine.com/title/2003/occular.jpg

As some of you may have read in some other thread at some time... I lost my right eye a few years ago.

The prosthetic eye i have is, mmmyeh, _ok_ but its perfectly obvious that it's false.

I saw the above image on bmezine a few weeks ago and it has really burned itself into my thinking.

I want something similar - maybe the same polished finish but with a smoothly sculpted iris and pupil.

Its not for work and sunday lunch with granny (though knowing my granny she'd barely be put off her stride), but for some general wear... It's making a statement about being monoccular.

I am. Its me and, for my personal life at least, i see no reason why i should try to make others feel more comfortable about it.

What do you chaps reckon?

Bit much or, as i feel, a righteous re-taking of _my_ body?

I don't know, you might put people off with it. While I don't have such an obvious disability as you do, I'm certainly aware of how people can be ill at ease with it, and I feel it's my responsibility to address that on their behalf.

When it comes to disabilities, we're not supposed to celebrate them, we're supposed to be ashamed of them. People expect you to behave as if you don't have it, not draw attention to it.

I don't think that's a good thing at all, but it's the culture we have.

Sure, wear it if you feel like it, but be prepared for people to be a bit wary of you.

i think that would be fucking brilliant. what a great way to really throw people off. nobody flinches anymore when they see people with odd or plentiful piercings, but even i would have to do a doubletake on that. i say go for it. i wouldn't even get it sculpted to look like an eye, i'd just have the smooth polished steel ball.

Sweet. And, it'd be an icebreaker. With a realistic false eye, people might be looking at it funny, wondering if it is false or not, not sure if they should say anything. Shiny steel? Yeah, they'll know and they'll comment.

Heck, I'd be tempted to get a whole set for different functions.

Id say smooth and polished, with a hint of the iris and all like you are talking.

The normality of the eye-looking parts, will make the shiny steel that more odd.

I say give it a go! Probably put people off, but... Probably noit people you wanted to meet anyway!

I vote for shiny steel. Totally freak people out! I love it!

the only thing is, where the hell would i go to get one?

not like there's a steel occular prosthetic department at my local walmart... (asda in this here u of k)

who does one go to to get custom metal castings?

Hmm...

flamingdog:

Yeah, there will be people who will be put off by it.

thin, shallow people. it could work as a very effective arsehole warder offerer.

i reckon.

Wow that is awesome.

Go for it!!

good point, i guess.

i dunno, i suppose we have different outlooks on disability, but then we have totally different disabilities. i'm the kind of guy who plays his "problems" down, and although i don't shy away from questions like "why do you walk like a freak", i wouldn't exaggerate my walk intentionally to 'own the disadvantage' as you say. weird one this, have to think about it some more.

why don't you ask your prosthetic guy if he knows of any way to sort it out?

I think it's great - you should look the way you want to look, and if this turns you on, go for it! It might attract attention but what's wrong with that? I think it says a lot about your self-confidence and how comfortable you are with yourself, and that's as good a reason as any to go for it.

actually, now I think about i remember seeing a documentary slot on a guy who'd made himself a prosthetic eye with... I think it had a red LED in it. i remember thinking it was kind of cool, but the guy struck me as a bit of a dick regardless.

not because of his customised eye, I should add.

I suppose you could ask whoever would supply you with a normal prosthetic eye where you'd be able to get something like that. Or ask the folks at bmezine if they could get you in touch with that guy in the photo.
Like krwlz said, the kind of people that would be put off by it, probably aren't worth knowing anyways.

Go for it, a shiny steel ball is probably the best body mod I have seen to date. It would be rediculous cool and a real attention getter. :thumbsup:

flamedog: yeah, i think i've seen the same thing. he was going for some sort of terminator look wasn't he? anyway, yeah, from memory the chap seemed like a tool.

When i was getting my first prosthetic eye, in finland, the lady there showed me pictures of a custom job they did for some chap over there... a darth maul eye.

Pretty cool, for a star wars fanatic...

lurkette: I think that getting something so outrageous would nullify the ongoing inner debate that rages during every conversation i have, which would certainly boost my confidence (it needs it)...

"Are they looking at my eye? they are, i can see them. gah. they aren't even listening..."

ad infinitum.

An overactive self-critic is a terrible thing...

:P

yeah... if memory serves he had a green one too. i remember i was in my girlfriend at the time's bed when i saw it, so that might be why i don't remember.

Even though this wasn't aimed at me, you've pretty much answered my point. Kind of a "you don't like it, fuck you" thing.

It'd not really be a 'fuck you' thing, more of a get-it-out-of-the-way-so-its-no-longer-an-issue thing...

I think.

You know, when lurkette first dyed her hair purple, it definitely had this effect for her. She was always afraid people were looking at her and judging her--and it really gave her a LOT of freedom to just go ahead and know that they were looking at her and judging her. And that it's not such a big deal, as it turns out.

Yeah, what he said. :)

At first sight it would probably scare the living crap outta me. The picture sure did! At second glance I'd think "Wow, that's fuckin cool."

I like the steel-bearing look, myself. :)
You do what's best for you and let the other's wonder.

I did a google search for "prosthetic eye+manufacturers" and found this site that has a listing of different manufacturers around the U.S., and perhaps the World.
http://www.health-care-resources.com...osthetics.html

Here is one of the sites from the list.
It goes into their processing a little and the companys' history.
Seems the original founder of the company had a prosthetic eye himself.
http://www.legrandeyes.com/main.html
It's a pretty fascinating process they go through to make the prosthetics.

I didn't find a site that made one like in the picture, but I didn't look long either.
Maybe you'll have better luck, tisonlyi.

better luck with...? sorry, not sure what you're replying to.

I disagree, I think that this wouldn't put people off, but just the opposite, it would let people know that you have come to terms with this and would put them at ease. People are uneasy around people with disabilities because they don't know how to act or react. This would give them some idea that they needn't be so uneasy. I know a guy who has the same disability and he has a shirt with a smiley face with only one eye. I think it accomplishes the same thing. Also, like several others have said, it will weed out assholes and shallow people. Good luck, I applaud your character.

I dont think a standard eye prothetisiststststs will do the job, they work with plastics, not metal. very different.

I think a foundry could make a cast based on my current eye, modify it slightly and go from there.

maybe...

D'oh! My mistake. Wrong person. :D

So are you okay to just put a piece of metal in there? I guess there'd be obvious hygeine concerns with any prosthetic, and I suppose metal's easy enough to keep clean... I guess it would need to be finished to quite a high degree too.

Mmm.

I would think it'd have to be eithre high grade surgical steel or titanium.

probably titanium, like the chap in the picture, for weight reasons....

If it was made by a foundry, i suppose i'd just have to get the thing autoclaved before i stuck it into my socket... any decent piercing establishment will be good for that i think...

Sorry guys, I got confused there for a few minutes.

*more sleep, more sleep, more sleep*

That is great. I think I would do something like that were I ever in your situation. I wish you luck in finding someone to make one for you. That is so cool (just as long as you are sure you don't have an allergy or sensetivity to the metal if you get one made).

Go for it, if you decide you don't like it, then you can always use your old prostehtic. I love the idea though.

:) i'm sure everything i've said tonight has been dumb.

Go for it man!

Whoever mentioned earlier that one is to be ashamed of a disability, and to not make light of it. That is total bs in my view.

You have one eye, ok, I'm sure your not ashamed of it since you probably had little control over it happening. If having this makes you happy, then do it.

I dont know about other people, but if I saw somone wearing that I'd be more inclined to talk to them then w/out it. Since then apparently thier not trying to *hide* thier one eye which is always obviously fake.

get a bunch like that guy in last action hero!
http://www.photobucket.com/albums/09...image_11-2.jpg
not a joke i like that movie belive it or not!

Maybe you should read what I actually said.

I agree, looks cool.

* random show of support *

Go for it man, it's spiffy. Spiffy is a lot better than a fake looking normal eye prosthetic.

thats way cool... reminds me of riddick in pitch black.... always thought his eyes looked way cool...

... theres a lot of potential fun to be had with the different fake eyes...

Gives a whole new meaning to "steely blue" eyes. I like it, and really, if you like it, does it really matter what anyone else thinks?
Could be interesting for airport security. I imagine those people would definitely freak.

I vote...go for it! It's not like you can't change your mind later.

Go for it. :thumbsup:

Although platinum might be better(more expensive though) since it can be round and inside the body for a much longer time than steel or titanium