UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

After reading about so many people's experiences of how long it takes them to get good or even useful vision after their grafts I'm a bit confused by how different my own experience has been. With both grafts I went from not being able to see the eye chart to being able to read three or four lines down it the day after my grafts. I haven't come across anyone else who has said the same happened to them. In hindsight I can understand more why my doctors were so stunned but at the time I just assumed it was like that for everyone. The same goes for the pain I experienced. For a while when people here spoke about the long recovery period I thought they meant how long it took the pain to die down, not how long it took to gain useful vision.

So there's me - instant good vision (twice) and lots of pain.
And there's everyone else - slow to improve vision and very little pain.
Surely I can't be the only one. With my experiences being so different from everyone else's it's making me hang back a little from posting (yeah, I know, dive in and get on with it Ali ). So, anyone out there have the same happen to them? Or can anyone give any kind of explanation why I'm so different? Politely of course.

Alison

Glad you posted that!

It is posts like yours that we need here, so as not to dilute the real results that people can get from treatments....dont feel that you shouldnt or feel bad....as examples like this really show what can be achieved!

My results were no way as good as yours....and Id say that your results and Pipers results and recovery are probably the best Ive ever read on the board!

Can I ask where you had the grafts done? And both times, were they performed by the same person?

J

Thanks Jay.

They were both done at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, and both by Mr Sandford Smith who has since retired.

I forgot to say that my sight didn't improve much in the months following the grafts. What I had on that first day is pretty much what I have without my glasses now. I'm due to see my optician soon. My one and only question for her this year will be what my x/6 sight is both with and without my glasses so I can compare my sight better with that of other members here.

Well..to do 2 CT and get those results...Id say Mr Sandford Smith def had the X Factor in his field!...

Alison,

After my first (PK) graft, I too went from "what chart" to about 3 lines the very next day. Unfortunately, those lines vanished again over the next month or so as I healed.

I agree with Jay: your Mr. Smith was obviously VERY good at his job!

Get that man out of retirement

It'll be interesting to see my recovery after my graft on the 1st.

I actually feel really optimistic about my graft and have a feeling I'll be sharing your experience Alison.

I'll be more than happy to take part in some form of forum comparison over the new few months. As results are so individual it would certainly be interesting to have a broad range of input.

John Smith wrote:After my first (PK) graft, I too went from "what chart" to about 3 lines the very next day. Unfortunately, those lines vanished again over the next month or so as I healed.

Do you know why that was John?

ChrisK wrote:Get that man out of retirement

I'll second that because I'd love other KC sufferers to get such good results from their grafts but I bet he wouldn't be too happy

I've just Googled John Sandford-Smith+kerataconus and got a bunch of hits. Definitely some X Factor-ing going on there.

ChrisK wrote:I actually feel really optimistic about my graft and have a feeling I'll be sharing your experience Alison.

Keep feeling that way Chris. My fingers will be tightly crossed for you that your graft goes exactly the same as mine, minus the pain of course.

Can not remember how many lines I got, but I do know the day after the was a Grand Prix and I could actually sit more than 4 inches away to see and the cars were not just coloured dots!

Need a TV conversion factor to translate to lines on eye chart

I saw my optician today and after having my prescription tweaked again I get 6/6 in both eyes. I feel incredibly blessed and lucky.

My daughters are both fine as well. Last year I was worried silly about them but after joining here and learning so much from you guys those worries have virtually disappeared. Thank you.

There is good news
There is excellent news
There is wonderful news

and then

There is your news.

Well done

Andrew