UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

hello everyone.i suffer a problem with the stairs.they look like a long ramp.i can't differentiate their ends from each other and i can't deal with this problem.have any of you experienced this problem before?please i wanna know your suggestions.

yes I have problems since graft with steps and curbs as judging a distance is a nightmare. i told my specialist and he said this is normal and should settle down, but I have now got a short white stick to show people awairness that I have a sight problem and it has helped in many ways,

With or without grafts......at my house I have blue tape on the white steps and at work I have black stripes on the natural wood steps, to give me a reference line. i think we all look a little like toe dancers, too, feeling our way onto stairways. If you speak with your employer he or she may like the idea of striping the top step as it may keep someone else from falling and getting hurt too.


I'd love to carry a white cane, but if you walk out to your car with a white can ( indicating blindness) and drive away you may never get to drive again. And, going off to prison in the USA as a blindman would be suicide. So, no white cane.

Cheers, Piper

to be fair you do need common sense with using a white stick as I do not drive yet its my best weapon to raise awarness of a sight problem. when crossing roads and the like.

For stairs that do not have a contrasting colour like Piper describes, I always use the handrail with my hand on the rail ahead of me so I know when the stairs end or turn.

A techneque I learnt when I did need a white stick. I make a noise going up stairs ensuring my toes touch the riser of the next step, do this gently as you get bruised shins if the steps have gaps in, for these you have your shin just touching the edge of the next step.

Coming down is the same, I ensure the nack of my heel touches the riser or my calf is touching the preveous step.

I use a similar aproach to a a ramp, I know I am on a ramp by the angle of my ankle so I know not to treat it as stairs.

With lenses in I am fine.

I think lots of us have experienced this problem. When my eyesight was at its worst, I developed the technique of feeling for the edge of each step with the back of my heel. I did it quite unconsciously and it was a while before I realised I was doing it! Still comes in useful on dark nights when trying to step off a curb.
Anne

Not I problem since I got the lenses last week, but basically I used similar techniques to those described. Must admit, wasn't really that aware I was doing it! Kicking into the vertical surface of the step with toes on the way up and heels on the way down seems to help. Kick gently in socks!
Haven't found a way of not hitting door frames with my shoulders yet, just can't seem to judge it right!

Matthew,

I find boozing less helps with avoiding shoulders hitting door frames

Any tips on avoiding bruises from the door handles Gareth? I've had some corkers from hitting my arms on those over the years.

On unfamiliar steps, or when lighting conditions are bad, I'm a 'foot feeler' as well.

To help avoid misjudging distances in doorways and the like I'll hold the fingers of the closest hand to the obstacle out so I get some warning when I'm too close. So if you see someone doing a penguin impression but with only one hand it's me trying to avoid making too much of a fool of myself.

After having Keratoconus since the age of 16 ten years in total I have just realised the depth of information I have been missing!

i'm shocked that no one at my Hopsital has mentioned this Self help and support group to me!

I'm obviously not an extreme case, but it's nice to know why I walk into door handles, door frames and the like, on a daily basis! perhaps i'm not as clumbsy as I thought and it's nice to know I'm not the only one!

thank you i'm glad I searched on the internet