Can't decide if I should get Cross Linking. Advice?!?

[kieran19685]

34 and you havent tried Contacts yet, if i was you i would get booked in to try contacts and monitor the progression

But your decision, i am just uneasy with the long term affects which no one knows, however i am still considering CXL

[Pauly]

My good eye has shown signs on the topography machine of having it. As far as progression not really sure but I will say on Oct the 7th of this year I noticed my better eye has more ghosting and streaking then before so that must mean progression. Not sure.what to do. Under 2 weeks to go now

[KCrunner]

Are you going to have both eyes done on the same day? When I had x-linking done, my bad eye was done 3-4 months before the good eye. They were epi-off(all that was available at the time) so there was more recovery involved than epi-on.

[Pauly]

Yes they are doing both at the same time. I can't really see out my right eye anyway so I'm going to get both done at once. I just worry if my better eye gets worse from the cxl I will be screwed.

[KCrunner]

I understand, I was in a similar situation before I cross linking I was relying on one good eye. At the time RGP lenses were really the only option on offer and although I could get OK vision out them I had comfort, slipping issues and now what I know to be binocular vision issues so I didn't really wear them but I did know that my bad/unusable eye could become useable. The possibility of that usability from my bad eye really did help to elevate fears that in the exceptionally unlikely event that something went wrong with my good eye there was another option.

[Pauly]

I see what you are saying. It would be really awesome if I even got a little vision back or be a little more correctable in glasses. I am 20/30 in my left and 20/70 in my right with glasses would love to get a bit better.

[CrippsCorner]

The worse your keratoconus is the more likely you are to get any improvement... so on your 'better' eye it's unfortunately unlikely. However on my 'worse' eye (which is still only moderate) my astigmatism did get reduced slightly as a result of CXL. What this means in the real world is yet to be seen as I'm still waiting for my new prescription; 5 months and counting!

[Pauly]

Cripps.. How has your eye sight been uncorrected since the CXL any better or worse? For epi on is it difficult for them to mess up? Seems pretty straight forward to me.

[CrippsCorner]

The first time it was fine and I was driving and back to work just a week after CXL... the second time unfortunately I've developed quite a serious case of corneal hazing therefore corrected or uncorrected I can barely see how many fingers are being held up in front of me, and this is with my 'good' eye!

I guess, if the CXL does it's job and stops progression and I return to how I was pre-op, it'll all be worth it, but I'm not having much fun right now, I can't actually cross the street by myself so as you can imagine it's limiting my life quite a bit.

My consultant says risk wise there's not a massive difference between epi-on and epi-off. With epi-off obviously the epithelium is removed, but with epi-on they have to 'scratch' or mark it etc. to make sure the riboflavin is absorbed... the only major issue you could get would be an infection within those first few days of it repairing itself.

[Pauly]

I hope you heal up soon. I can't see anything out of my right eye as of now and this is why this worries me with my left. Best of luck to you!