UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi all,
hope everyone is ok... im just having a bit of a moan which is errrmm all i ever seem to do. ive been off work on sick leave for 2 months now as there is nothing i can do there as everything irritates my eyes so much GRRR. My graft is on the 17 of this month so a week friday YAY. i still have no idea what type of graft im having, never had a GA before but family says its lovely ... my hubby has taken the day off work for my op and 2 weeks after so he can help me which is nice (i think ).. can you please tell me how often i will need drops and what other stuff will i need to do . how long will i have a patch on for etc.. any help and info and advice would really help me please..
thanks
all
kindest regards
nicola

Hi Nicola,

Todays trend appears to be using eye drops every couple of hours for the first couple of weeks or so. You will probably be advised about washing such as not getting watre in or near the eye, but I found a damp flanell was fine and a bath instead of a shower helped.

Washing hair was most cumbersome so I was glad my hair was very short then.

Eye shield will nee to be worn at night or a few week to prevent you rubbing the graft against your pillow. It is recomended to wear the shield if you are near young children.

After anaesthetic you might feel a bit hungover and then find you get tierd easily over the next few days as it works out of your system.

Your eye will probably feel sore for a couple of days and be sensitive to light so take your sunglasses. Soreness for me went after a couple of days and after a couple of weeks the light sensitivity went for me.

To be honest I like most people who have had a graft have thought afterwards; why was I so worried?

Good luck and keep asking questions.

Hi Nicola,

Just to add to Gareth's comments on the drops; how many you have seems to be dependant on the graft type. A full (penetrating) graft is more likely to suffer a rejection, so will have more drops. I was on a steroid drop every hour for the first week, plus a drop of antibiotic four times a day.

The antibiotics then stopped, but the steriods took 6 months to wean off completely.

For my DALK eye, I was only on an ointment four times a day initially, now down to an eye drop twice a day after three months.

Hope this helps. Good luck for the 17th! Let us know how you get on, even if it is just to have a moan

Wishing you the best of luck!

Gee i had forgotten all about wearing an eye shield! LOL!! Wow those were the days!! Hehe oh what fun!!!

I completely panicked about surgery which as a nurse was really bad! But i can honestly say that it really really wasn't that bad!! I don't even remember counting down!

Everything will be fine i'm sure! Take care ... Sweet X x X

Hi Nic,
I was off for six weeks before my graft 13 Jul 2006 as I had reached a point that I really couldnt see well enough for work, and to be honest I hadnt for some time.

Best of luck for the graft,Just remember that its the big picture you have to think of its no quick fix as I myself am finding out.Finding this website was a real plus for me I just wish I had done so earlier,All the questions that kept me up most nights are quickly answered here by people living through the same ordeal.