UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi everybody,

I am an 18year old boy from Belgium (Genk). I have Keratoconus for almost 5years but I notice that I have really becomed dependant on my contacts. Without them I see every object twice etc...You must all know that I am a big lover of the football game. I play it since I was 5years old and it has becomed my life. The problem is that I can't wear my contacts during training or game because if there comes any sand in my eye(s) it is VERY painfull. In the past I didn't put them on but now I've becomed to dependant on it. Does anyone of you knows how I can solve this? My eye docter proposes glasses like the Tottenham Hotspur player Edgar Davids but I can not find them anywhere...Now I'm looking desperate for a solution but I'm standing at a point of view where I see no solution...Is it really game over for me? I hope you can give me good ideas...

Greetz Jorgo

sorry to hear about your problem, im sure there will be infomation on the internet regarding getting the things edgar davids uses. Im sure there are players out there in the world who have KC and still manage to play football

keep us posted

Jorgo

Welcome to the forum.

As BigAndy suggests there are contact lenses that are suitable for wear during sports and there are others that are not.

What sort of lenses do you wear? If they are Rigid Gas Permeable Corneal lenses, you may find that Haptic lenses (made of the same material) are more stable on your eye during football.

All the best

Andrew

Jargo,

Welcome to the forum.

I know for Squash it is possible to get protective goggles as a squash ball in the eye is no fun!

Some of the more specialised sports outlets in the UK do these. These would mean no more sand in the eyes and if a lens were to pop out, it wuold be captured in the goggles.

Jargo, next time I drive to Germany and go past Genk I'll be asking for more detailed directions as I find the signs and motorways merging a complete nightmare between 5 - 6pm

First of all, thank you for replying. I wear a specific sort of contacts. I really don't know the word in English but my contacts are very little and hard. They were specially designed for my eye (with the correct sizes and measures). I asked my eye doctor for other contacts during training / playing but he replied this isn't possible. Than I replied if it was possible to put other contacts (soft contacts above my hard contacts but this also is impossible). I think glasses like Davids is the best solution...So I can wear them without any chance of hurting my eye by getting any sand in it...

Gareth your idea is what I'm looking for. Protective goggles for ==>( These would mean no more sand in the eyes and if a lens were to pop out, it wuold be captured in the goggles )

Where can I find them? In Belgium I did not found them. And I don't know Edgar Davids personally

Jorgo

Have a look at these links

Eye Protection in Racket Sports

Sepecting Protective Eye Wear in Sport

Top Gun Glasses

Millennia Sport

These last pair look similar to my safety glasses at work, not goggles, but good wrapround protection. I have worn my tinted works safety glasses on the beach on a windy day and been relativly OK.

Astroturf has a lot less sand than a beach so I think they are worth a go.

Let us know how you get on.

Regards

Gareth

Jorgo

How did you get on with the goggles?