UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

hi guys
i am haivng my first cornea transplant on 14 oct. i have done lots of research and checked message boards and its seems that everyone who has had this operation works in an office or at a computer. i am worried about my op as i am a manual labourer in a saw mill. if i get saw dust in my eye will it muck it up? the stories im hearing seems to make me think it will never be a clean enough or safe enough environment to go back into. safety goggles will just steam up with heat generated while im working.
is there any other manual labourers who have had the op?

After my graft, I worked with coal! Not large lumps, but pulverised coal for powerstations, I also worked with sewage to see how best to make it suitable to burn in power stations. I found that as long as I wore box gogles instead of normal safety glasses which I gues you use already in a saw mill, you should be OK.

Only once did I get grit in my eye, but a good wash with the saline eye wash solution that was in the first aid kit was fine. That was back in the early 90's, I now work with even finer powders in the drug industry, as long as you look at what eye protection there is and get the best that covers as much of the eye as possible, you will be fine. As the stitches come out, you will be able to go back to safety glasses if you wish.

Good luck.

thanks mate

As a violinmaker I work in fine and coarse wood dust. After my graft I'll let you know how it does in my line of work.

Piper

Nawty

I think you will find that your consultant will stress what you can and cannot do (or he should!). If I was in your shoes, Id tell him what you do as a job, what potential threats exist which could expose your eye to negative issues; and see what he says.

J

Piper,

I find the safety glasses from North Ridge Safety, the Tornado range or 3M's 2750 Safety Glasses which are clear or the 2751 Safety Glasses tinted.

all these cover the face well and are a wrap round style and I find them good at keeping dust out when working under cars or in the laboratory where we have fine powders sometimes floating around.

North Ridge Safety and 3M are all based in the US.