Quicktopic posts: Jan 2003

[Tony Stigle]

Test after error report..

[Tony Stigle]

<b>Hydrops and keratoconus.

NEW NEW NEW! from Ken Pullum
on the Web site http://www.keratoconus-group.org.uk</b>. from Ken Pullum

[ali cooper]

Hi Laura,

I was diagnosed with KC after about a year in my new post so the issue of whether or not to tell on application was not an issue. However, I felt that with the job I have (nursing) I felt it was important to tell my ward manager about my condition. She has been very supportive and trusts me to inform occupational health when my eyesight is begining to cause me problems.

If I was to go for another job though I think because of the nature of my work i would have to tell my future employers about my KC. I think your decision to tell you very much depend on the type of job and how comfortable you are about your KC.

Best of Luck,

Ally






>From: QT - Laura <qtopic+6-A46Jzt4sJAXLTWnJNHsx@quicktopic.com>
>Reply-To: QT topic <qtopic+6-A46Jzt4sJAXLTWnJNHsx@quicktopic.com>
>To: alicooperuk@hotmail.com
>Subject: Keratoconus
>Date: 23 Jan 2003 21:32:44 -0000
>


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< replied-to message removed by QT >

[ali cooper]

Hi Janet,

Thanks for the advice. I hadn't really thought of an income protection policy but I do have other policies too. I will look more seriously into the protection plan though, thanks very much.

Ali






>From: QT - Janet Manning <qtopic+6-A46Jzt4sJAXLTWnJNHsx@quicktopic.com>
>Reply-To: QT topic <qtopic+6-A46Jzt4sJAXLTWnJNHsx@quicktopic.com>
>To: alicooperuk@hotmail.com
>Subject: Keratoconus
>Date: 23 Jan 2003 23:07:43 -0000
>


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[Caroline Dyer]

Just to say thank you to Ken Pullum for taking the trouble to explain hydrops!. I think it is often not knowing what is happening that causes most concern. I had it last year and although awaiting a graft in my left eye, my eyes have settled with a manageable level of vision.

[Andrew MacLean]

I have lived with KC for over 20 years, having had the condition diagnosed when I lived in Aberdeen during the 1980's.

I recently bought a new house, and was refused mortgage protection cover for risks associated with eyesight. In all other respects the insurance company was happy to offer me cover.

This is the first time I have encountered any such difficulty. Am I alone?

[umbilica@umbilical.demon.]

Laura asks:
when I start a new job is it
best to put it on your CV about KC or just tell them sfter.

Sorry to hear you're being made redundant - good luck with the
job huhnting.

It can be tricky to know what to do about KC and job
applications - under the Disability Discrimination Act an
employer has a duty to make "reasonable adjustments" for someone who fits the DDA's description of "disabled" - but you have to
tell them that before they can be expected to know to make the
adjustments, and if you do tell them too soon, they may decide
it's too complicated!

Above all else - do not lie. If they found you've lied, they
can sack you. If they ask you at interview, or send a medical
questionaire, answer honestly - even if the honest answer is "I
don't know yet".

If they ask you to send in a CV, then make sure your CV stresses all the things you *can* do and are good at - I don't put on my
CV about my KC. A CV is a "selling point", after all, and there will be stages yet to come.

You may like to pop in for a chat with your local Disability
Employment Advisor about the sorts of "reasonable adjustment"
that are possible, and the sources of funding available - just
in case someone asks what would help you, or "Where do you think we're going to find all the money for that, then?"

If they ask you to say whether or not you consider yourself to
be disabled - eg. on a health questionnaire or an "equal opps"
monitoring form with the applicaton form - they should write out the DDA definition of "disabled". I forget the precise wording
- it is something about having a condition which significantly
affects your ability to carry out day-to-day tasks and which has lasted, or is likely to last, for at leat 12 months. There are
some employers who operate a guaranteed interview scheme, so
anyone who is disabled and meets the minimum conditions for the
job gets an interview.

Rosemary
--
Rosemary F. Johnson

[umbilica@umbilical.demon.]

Susan said:
with
the left one most of the time it was easy to forget it was in.
Because of this when I went back to the hospital and they said
that the right lens was causing problems I was not surprised.
Several weeks later with a second lens for the right eye (having had the wearing time in the left eye reduced to 4 hours a day 5 days a week ... they had advised that I would only get 5 days
wear anyway so bang go the weekends as I need to see at work for 5 days!) again it took about 2/3 weeks to get the wearing time
up to around 8/9 hours, just long enough to see at work (again
still only 5 days a week)At this point I was very comfortble
with the lenses, very often I could not even tell they were in
(apart from being able to see well)so when the hospital said at the second check up appointment of the fit of the lenses that
again the right was no good and the left was only just
accecptable no one was more surprised/depressed than me.


Errrr, Susan, sorry if I've misunderstood this - but are you
being told by the hospital to reduce the wearing time when you
find the lenses are perfectly comfortable for you when you wear
them for longer than they tell you to?

If so - that sounds to me very strange, and not at all
satisfactory! I've been wearing lenses for years which everyone says - all the "experts" I mean - should not be a good fit in
theory, but seem to be in practice. Well, comfortable, even if
not perfect vision.

Have they said *why* you should *not* be wearing the lenses when to you they feel quite comfortable? Or, indeed, asked them what they think will happen if you wear them for as long as they feel comfortable because you need to be able to see, thanks?!

(As a possible answer to this question: some people get blood
veins growing across their corneas as a result of wearing
lenses, and thus having reduced air supply to the eye surface.
It may be that they think this is likely, or possibly even
starting to happen, in your case, and they want to prevent the
blood veins growing further. So maybe there is a sensible
answer to why they want you to reduce wearing time. But if so - let them explain themselves!)

Rosemary
--
Rosemary F. Johnson

[Minos Christodoulou]

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< replied-to message removed by QT >

[Minos Christodoulou]

Dear Rosemary,

I suffer from KC for the last 30 yrs. I am 43 (self employed). To your knowledge, can we be considered "disabled" from the view point of eligibility to "disabled badges" in cars?

I travel a lot to town centres and wind, dust etc. bothers both eyes.
I look forward to any info you might have.

Thanks

Minos
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< replied-to message removed by QT >