Hello i'm new

[Kevin Delaney]

Hi All

I'm Kevin in 37 and from just outside Cambridge. I have had a sharpening of the cornia for over 15 years, only ever had it checked once. Anyway to cut a long story short, I had a optician back in Wales who kept a check on me. But when I moved to cambridge 5 years ago, I made fatal mistake of going to a high street brand optician. After 2 tests there they said all was fine. Never mentioned the sharpening!

Recently (christmas time!) I noticed car lights were stretching in front of me, plus suffering lots of headaches over right eye. I went to a stand alone optician, who showed some concern said I may have Keratoconus and I needed to be referred.

I have a letter recently saying i would be seen in 3 months.

To my question (at last) if I do have the condition what treatment can I expect, I am particular nervous of the eyes, attempted lenses along time ago but could not get on with them. I currently wear specs, for driving etc. Is there any treatment you can have without trying Lenses.

Thankyou to you all for reading this.

Good luck to you all

Kev

[jayuk]

Kev

Welcome to the forum!

Its hard to say if you realy do have Keratconos or mild/moderate Astigmatism! You are correct as so far as your doubts of high street opticians! But I am glad that you have posted here as Id hope that you will get the information you need.

In terms of managing KC, if you do have mild KC I would suspect that you will be given the option of Hard Lenses (RGPs). However, you would also be a candidate for Soft Lenses (which are a god send and about x1000 more comfortable). However the succuess of soft lenses on KC depends on the severeity and advancement of your KC. But please do mention this option to the Eye Unit / Hospital....sadly this option is overlooked due to the legacy reputation of Soft Lenses and KC.....this is NO longer the case!

Could I ask how well you see currently with glasses? Either by visual acuity (eg 6/6, 6/12,etc) or in terms of distance (ie number place at x feet?)

With regards to your question, hard lenses and soft lenses do take some time in getting used to. Some adjust quicker than others!. But I would be inclined to say that it can take upto 6 weeks to get fully used to RGPs' and alot less for Soft lenses.

If you cant wait the three months are are keen to actually be seen sooner I would suggest that you look at another optometrist whom can actually diagnose you correctly and go through the treatment options.

Hope this helps and please keep us updated!

Jay

[Andrew MacLean]

Kevin

Welcome!

Jay has given a fair run around the treatment available for KC. If you are diagnosed as having the condition. the main thing at this stage is not to panic. It is easy to decide in advance that everything is lost, but if you do that it may come as a nice surprise to elarn that it is not necessarily so!

I was about your age when I needed to start wearing lenses and after a life time of phobia about them I managed to take to them quite quickly.

As to the sorts of lens that are available the answer is that there are more all the time.

RGP's (little rigid bits of plastic that float on the front of the eye and allow oxygen to pass between the air and the film of tear on the surface of your cornea.

Then there are various sorts of soft lens, lenses that are hard in the middle with a soft 'skirt', ther are scleral lenses (hard but much larger than the standard RGP;s so that they fit comfortably over the white bit of your eye ...

All the best. Stay in toudh. if you have any questions, however unimportant they may seem, post here. Your question will probbly be burdening othres, too.

All the best

Andrew

[Kevin Delaney]

Hello everyone,

I had my eye clinic appointment yesterday its for 4th May. Starting to get nervous already, as i'm very worried about someone touching my eye.

Also another question, I think i may need lenses, but i have a disability wihich affects my left side and I have very limited use of my left arm and hand, and it's my right eye thats the problem. I worried I will not be able to manage the lenses.

Sorry to bang on, as I know lots of people on here alot worse than me.

take care all

Kev

[GarethB]

Hi Kevin,

I think somene here still managed to put their lenses in and out after breaking an arm, soI am sure it is possible.

Depending on the dexterity you may have in your hand, I suppose it may be possible to use just one hand to pull the lids appart and put a lens in. You would have to develop your own technique.

Depending if you have KC or not, lets try and be positive here, it may not be well advanced in whitch case glasses would surfice. Lenses often give the best vision, but if you can live a fulfilled life with a fraction less vision with glasses, that too may be the way forward.

[Kevin Delaney]

Hi Gareth

thanks for that. Basically my dexterity is zero in my left hand/fingers. Buttons etc i can do with one hand.

I currently wear glasses and my option said that new perscription is no use as i'm on the top end apparently?

Role on may 4th

thanks again for the reply

Kevin

[fiona]

Hi Kevin,

I'm new to this also and am in much the same position as you although I have already been wearing lenses since I was 18 - I'm sure you will be fine with them - I know what you mean about 'eyes' but you have control when it comes to lenses (putting them in and out) its not like someone doing it for you - it is easy, honest!

Good luck with it all anyway.


Fiona

[Carol Vines]

hi kevin

i broke my left arm and leg in 2003 and i got very good at putting my lenses in with just my right hand, where theres a will theres a way with some things so please don't be put off trying lenses.

i know what you mean about eyes i still don't like other people touching my eyes and always insist on doing the lenses myself at the opticians.

good luck on the 4th

[GarethB]

I still have a fear of having things put in my eye, but I can manage most of the time and I at least trust my optician.

Also have upper limb disorder in both wrists and hands, so my main problem is being able to hold my hands steady enough to be able to balance an odd shaped lens on my finger tip.

Hand is easier to control than the finger for me, sometimes the more I try and hold my finger steady the more violently is shakes.

[Andrew MacLean]

Kevin

I know exactly what it feels like to be coneemplating a first visit to a clinic where somebody is going to want to touch your eye. Actually, it's not as if they poke your eye with their finger, but something will touch the surfact of your eye. In time you get used to this and able to handle it.

I am pretty sure thaty will be able to find some way of equipping you to insert and remove lenses that will take account of your left side handicap. Let us know what they do!

All the vest in May

Andrew