Help! Off Work and Desperately Need to Get Back!

[AlexAlex]

Have you tried glasses again.
I have bad KC in my right eye and a mild KC in my left.
Glasses work really well for my left eye but with only a slight improvement from a heavy presciption for my bad right eye.

It might be just enough for you to get by though until you can ware your contacts again!

[sweetieoftwo]

Hi all,

As always, thanks for the useful posts. To answer the last, no I haven't and to be honest I can't afford to keep trying them as the cost is a lot as well as my RGP's which have cost me over £300 between this and last year, as well as contact solution, etc etc...My glasses have very limited success when using within hours of taking my contacts out...I am not hopeful of gaining anything now, 3 weeks down the line.

Anyway, I really need some advice. I am supposed to be back at work tomorrow. Meeting went well, will let you know in another post but now I am worried. I've left my contacts out for 3 weeks now in total and put them in yesterday...for 15 mins They were absolutely burning and stinging and I simply couldn't leave them in any longer! I put drops in before and during to try and make them more comfortable, but nothing worked. I was expecting some discomfort...I did get that prickly sensation, but I was expecting that as had left them out for so long, but I wasn't expecting them to be so sore

That feeling lasted for a couple of hours even after I had taken them out, like I had been swimming in a highly chlorinated pool with my eyes open and underwater I'm really worried about putting them in today, as my eyes still feel really sore and painful, as though I have been up all night (which I wasn't by the way!) They were also difficult to open this morning. Surely this can't be right??

Em x

[Michael P]

Hi Em.

Just a thought, have you tried other lens solutions; it is possible to develop an allergic reaction to a solution.

[sweetieoftwo]

HI Michael,

Thanks, but yes I regularly change solution, normally because I can never get the same one twice! I have tried a different one over the last 3 weeks in case that could have been the problem and I went back to the usual last night in case, but couldn't put lens in again today

[Anne Klepacz]

Hi Em,
Another possibility is that after 3 wks of no lenses, your corneas have changed shape a bit. Rgps tend to 'mould' the shape of the cornea a bit while they're in so leaving them out for a few weeks can affect the shape. You'd really need to go back to your optom to check whether that's happened. Good luck - I hope you find an answer soon.
Anne

[dweezil1968]

my advice, get a graft (one eye at a time- worst one first) Lens stopped workng for me I can't wear glasses ( 5years now they couldnt make the prescription) demand your GP refers you for a graft. INtacs may be an option but my surgeon was against them and only a few people are suitable for them.
no need to carry on suffering indefinitely. Seek the best advice, get action from your GP, do your research on line. I went private in the end to get a proper opinion I could use in front of a local 'specialist' to demand answers and action- that I wanted- not their solutions (cheapest options etc)
as for work, if you've only been there a short time you don't have many options- but what price sight and comfort? better to get well- can you temp ie work when able instead of p*ssing off an employer? can anyone help you out?
I sold lots of stuff on ebay to pay for my private appointment- but it gave me the ammo I needed back in the NHS
good luck

[dweezil1968]

oh and stop putting your lens in- you clearly have some major problem and you inflame it each time the lens go in- this is not right. Don't damage yr eyes anymore than needs be. turn up at your local casualty dept or if you have one Eye A&E and get tests/ answers. what do you have to lose? only you can get the action you require. perhaps lens are a bad fit? my eyes/ cornea shape changed so rapidly the lens couldnt keep up.
you owe it to yourself not to give in.
I sat in the eye hospital A&E for 7 hours once until they saw me- I couldnt wear a lens in either eye- I had to get help. I sat there until someone took me seriously. bug your GP re referrals until it works, it is your right to see experts whereever they are. Use the internet, looks at recommendations for surgeons and specialists.

[John Smith]

Hi Emma,

How did it go at the opticians yesterday? Please tell all!

J.

[sweetieoftwo]

Hi all,

Slight delay...eyes have been too sore to spend time in front of the pc!! Thanks for all the posts though.

In the end I didn't manage to get an appointment in Windsor. I tried all Monday and Tuesday to phone them and sort it and also kept trying the triage nurse to go to A&E and just couldn't get through. Mad! I therefore decided to go to Moorfields as I had to drop into work anyway, so went to their A&E, chapperoned again by a friend and explained that I still can't get my lens back in.

Saw a very nice guy there who thinks it is allergic conjuntivitis, which would really explain a lot! Hes given me opatanol drops and said to persevere trying the lens and see how it goes. Managed 5 mins today

He did mention that I should not keep going to Moorfields though unless I was being seen there regularly, so after a lot of thought I have decided to transfer from Windsor to Moorfields. It is not that I don't like my consultant in Windsor, quite the opposite, but I have been off for 4 weeks now and 2 weeks before Christmas and still no answers or solutions. I really need to get this sorted, whether it is via surgery or different contacts or something else, but I can't keep going on like this, it isn't fair on work and I'm bored stiff! Feels like my life is on hold Have also resumed my course this week which is 14 hours + of intense work around my job...I am barely managing to see the study material at the moment, let alone study

I have another appointment imminently in Windsor, but my GP dictated a letter today while I was there, so I am hopeful to move to Moorfields a.s.a.p. and start the process all over again

The person I saw in A&E also mentioned that I could have built up an intolerance to RGP's, which I really hope not as my vision is 20/20 with them in As he said though, when was the last time I actually wore them for any length of time, which is very true Also, even if it all settles down, I am going to have to only wear them for the recommended 8 hours a day...so what on earth do I do for the rest of the time?

Rather depressing all round, been signed off for another week so really cheesing off work and still no end in sight...

Thank God it is Friday

[sweetieoftwo]

Hi all,

Still off work

Just wanted a moment to feel sad

Em x