A KC and graft Veternan at your disposal

[crompo]

G'day all,

My name is Glen Crompton, I live in a little town in South Eastern Australian. I'm 41 and was diagnosed with KC in my late teens. At 24, my left cornea ruptured and a graft followed shortly thereafter. More than 20 years on, life is good, the graft is probably the healthiest part of my body and my sight - still fortified by GP hard lenses - is well above average.

I've just spent some time reading through this forum. There were so many individual posts and threads I wanted to reply to that I decided it might be better if I just threw this generic item out there and let those who wish to contact me, find me. Happy to help where I can.

And before I finish, a few words of hope. Just about every rotten and scary aspect of KC and grafts are back there in my past.

The horror of accepting my diagnosis. The medical inetpitude of my early treatment, the pain of adapting to rigid lenses, the subsequent horror of waking to find a very white and ruptured cornea, the disquieting passage of a corneal transplant in the days when it was considered experimental. All of that plus the frustration of 'popping' a lens out and trying to find the damn thing (have some great tips on that one after 25 years.). Been through it all and lived. It really isn't half as bad as you think!

Cheers
Crompo

[Frederica Bull]

Nice one Crompo,
I agree. It takes time, but thank God there are some clever solutions out there for most of us. You just have to persevere and find the right mix for yourself. I was also heartend to hear of your 20 year graft. I did hear of a 35 year old one, on an American website! My graft is much younger than me so I hope it will outlive me - thanks to a very kind and thoughtful family, who agreed to donate his cornear on their son's death.
Freddy