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Cautious Optimism!!

Posted: Mon 26 Mar 2007 3:07 pm
by Pat A
Hi Guys
Those kind souls who have been following my RGP saga with interest (or boredom!) may be interested to hear the outcome of my visit to Moorfields Contact lens clinic today.

Well I turned up without my lenses in and did I get a ticking off! But I did explain there was a reason for that - that they were so b***y painful and I couldn't face the thought of travelling on public transport and then a 20 min walk up a windy City Road with my eyes and nose streaming not to mention being in agony.

After a mountain of questions including "are you sure you are persevering enough" and "are you cleaning them properly" I think i managed to convince her that I simply was NOT getting on with them. She talked about trying a different fit for another month and then coming back. I'm afraid I said no to that and asked about other options as I have to find a way of getting back to work. When there was a suggestion that there weren't any I'm afraid I dug my heels in and asked about Kerasoft, Softperm etc and piggy-backing. It turns out that MEH don't do the soft lens options - she implied that the reason I was at Moorfields was because those options had been exhausted by local opticians.....!!! (Help - we do need to educate some of these optoms at the hospitals don't we?)

Anyway, I managed to persuade them to try piggy backing for me - and I am now still wearing my "piggy-back" set up after 5 hours, including a long walk back to the station, and I can see pretty well, not perfect admittedly but better, and it doesn't hurt!!

So, I am cautiously optimistic 8) that we have at last found a solution for me which gives the right balance between comfort and vision, and hopefully will facilitate my return to work. But it was a hard struggle - Moorfields did not seem overly enthusiastic and at the end of the day I guess it's down to money. RGP's are the cheapest option. (Hope I'm not straying into political incorrectness here!)

So, the list of "KC Friendly optoms" will surely grow in importance for people - if what I was told is correct that soft lenses (eg kerasoft, softperm) are not available on the NHS. I'm going to get mine (hopefully) to let me try Kerasoft in my right eye, which, to date, Moorfields have not yet treated, as they seem so keen to get my left eye sorted first.

Thanks for everyone's help and support so far - hopefully I will now have some respite from my struggle!

Posted: Mon 26 Mar 2007 3:34 pm
by Andrew MacLean
Way to go, Pat!

Well done.

I am sorry that your experience of Moorfields was so unsatisfactory. In Scotland the full range of lenses seems to be available, at least from the hospital I visit (Gartnavel in Glasgow).

Andrew

Posted: Mon 26 Mar 2007 4:35 pm
by Lesley Foster
Good for you Pat. I hope things improve from now on.

Lesley

Posted: Mon 26 Mar 2007 4:47 pm
by Michael P
Great news Pat.

Where would we be without the help provided by the members of this forum.

I should have asked you to ask the receptionist when I can expect to receive my right lens. I've been waiting almost 4 weeks! :x

Posted: Mon 26 Mar 2007 6:04 pm
by jayuk
Pat

Thats really great news!

In all fairness, alot of the those in C4 in MEH are newbies or getting experiences....so sometimes you do have to dig your heals......but it paid off for you!

J

Posted: Mon 26 Mar 2007 6:08 pm
by mike scott
hi pat
well done for "digging your heals in".
just goes to show that with the help of this forum and a joining of experiences how much knowledge we can learn about our options, and then to use that knowledge wisely so that we can help with our own treatment:D
hope your vision settles down for you
mike

Posted: Mon 26 Mar 2007 10:39 pm
by donna
Thats great news Pat :)

Posted: Mon 26 Mar 2007 11:00 pm
by Pat A
Thanks for all your messages - you are so right Mike & Michael - that without the help of all of you on this forum I dread to think where I would be now...

And on that note, I should also have mentioned in my original post that it also helped me, meeting and talking to many of you on Saturday at the AGM, to give me the final push & determination to ask about piggy backing, so a big public "Thank you" to all.

So if you get a chance to go to a social event, even if you don't know anyone else, do go! It helps!

Posted: Tue 27 Mar 2007 12:52 pm
by GarethB
Pat,

Thanks for the postive comments and I hope you will soon be back doing all the things you enjoy.

Posted: Tue 27 Mar 2007 9:16 pm
by Steven Williams
Good ews. Well done Pat. I also seem to have made a breakthrough in finding a suitable lens. More on that when i get time!

This website definitely empowers you and gives you KC knowledge to enable you to assert yourself.

I guess it's down to money. RGP's are the cheapest option. (Hope I'm not straying into political incorrectness here!)


So true!!!

Its false economy to prescribe the cheapest option. The selection of the lens should be based on best suited/"best value" to the patient as well as the public purse.