Diagnosed Yesterday

[ElCap]

Hi all, I went to see my optician yesterday. My eye sight has gradually been getting worse for a few months now. Especially in my left eye.

I was told I have KC and I have been referred to a specialist.

During the eye test he got my right eye pretty much spot on with lenses but my left eye was a struggle. I can't remember if he said I have it in both eyes, I think he did and it is more advanced in my left eye.

I am a bit worried that he didn't get my vision in my left eye to improve that much, if it is quite advanced is it still possible to get good vision in that eye using lenses?

Having read about symptoms on the internet, I now realise i have had this since I was 14/15 years old. I am 30 this year.

If I close my right eye all I can see is a blur.

I knew something was wrong with my left eye and I am glad I now know what it is but I am not sure how I feel about having KC. Probably hasn't sunk in yet.

What questions should I ask the specialist and what should I expect, will he do the same tests as the optician or will there be others also.

Thanks for reading and any replies will be great. Thanks again

[Andrew MacLean]

ElCap

Welcome to the forum!

I am sorry to hear that you were given such worrying news, but please don't panic! It may very well be that your will have good corrected vision in both eyes with contact lenses. the ophthalmologist will be able to see if you are likely to benefit from lenses and will probably refer you either to a contact lens clinic in the hospital or to the high street optometrist that has the hospital contract.

Every good wish

Andrew

[Lynn White]

Hi Elcap

If I understand this right, when you refer to "lenses", you mean spectacle lenses, not contact lenses? You are probably quite right in thinking you have had this for around 15 years and if so, it has probably now stabilised.

Keratoconus means that the front of the eye becomes distorted and in this situation, glasses simply don't work. However, contact lenses DO work as they by and large eliminate this distortion by providing a new front surface for you eye. Therefore it is highly likely you will get good vision in that left eye.

Lynn

[ElCap]

Hi and thanks for the replies.

Yes Lynn, I meant spectacle lenses. He got my right eye pretty much perfect with them but hardly any improvement at all in my left. It is encouraging that you say contact lenses will work. I just hope I will be able to wear them with no problems. It is getting quite annoying now that I have to almost always squint my left eye or shut it all together on bright days or when I am reading.

The optician was surprised to see me leading with my left eye, which I didn't realise I did until he mentioned it. Could there be a reason for this? Why would I lead with my poor eye?

[Lynn White]

Hi there...

well it may well that for developmental reasons, your left eye is your dominant eye. Most people have one eye that is dominant just like you have a dominant hand.

If you are right handed and damage that hand, swapping to the left hand is not easy. The same applies to your eyes, it is not easy to swap dominance! The brain pathways have been set years ago and are not easily ignored.

Lynn

[ElCap]

Thanks Lynn.

Hopefully it wont be too long of a wait to see the specialist. I will keep everyone updated.

Its been great to find this forum, some very helpful information on here and helps me understand KC a bit more

[grayt1]

Hi,

I'm a little further through the process of getting sorted after diagnosis than yourself. so thought I would post a reply for you. I did some research before seeing the specialist so I knew what to ask and understood what they were saying (this site was a great help). I was fitted for rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses and the vision was amazing but I struggled with them. Approx 4 weeks ago I collected my Scleral lenses and am getting used to them. There are so many good options with regards to contacts and the vision compared with glasses is great, I have found there are days when I feel a bit down (if i'm having a bad eye day) but in general my vision is so much better with lenses and that makes the slight odd issues seem not too bad. I hope (but am sure) you will find a solution with the help of the right people and although i'm new here also there seems to be so many helpful people and posts there is an answer to most questions already and if not then a post seems to bring some great help.

All the best

Grahame

[ElCap]

Hi grayt1, good to hear from you and your experiences.

Today the letter came through the post. I am going to see specialist on the 29th June. 7 weeks wait.

Can anybody give me some advice about intaks. I'm very interested in this. Is this procedure normally used in mild or advanced stages. The reason I ask about Intaks is because I am looking into joining the police but I think my vision uncorrected in my left eye could be a stumbling block. It is something I really need to look in to regarding the police force and vision requirements.

[ElCap]

Well, I went to see a specialist today. Good news, he says I do not have Keratoconus.

Kind of confused, I get the ring of lights etc at night. Do you get these with just normal poor vision?

He did the map thing of my eye and said I didn't have it. Glad I don't but slightly confused.

My right eye unaided is 6/9, my left eye 6/36.

[GarethB]

My wife has high astigmatism in one eye and without glasses can get these rings, plus people I know who suffer severe dry eye also get these rings. I have read a training module for optometrists and it does say that extermes of dry eye can be mis diagnosed as KC.

So you might just have bad eye sight with a touch of dry eye for example. This you really need to discuss further with your optometrist or ophthalmologists as without looking at your eyes, even the optoms here wouldn't rreally be able to say what the problem is.