A few questions

[Louise Pembroke]

Last time I was at Moorfields the optometrist told me I should still see a high street optician every two years for the usual battery tests as Moorfields didn't have time to do those. I was taken aback as I didn't realise I needed to do that, did anyone else?
So I went to a local place and he told me I needed glasses [on top of my RGP] for reading and using the computer, this being the typical middle ages long sighted stuff. I am confused because this RGP does give me 20/20 vision [about 1/36 without it, I think]. So given my vision is really good with it, how come I need glasses as well and how can I be long and short sighted at the same time? Maybe I'm not understanding this properly. I have noticed in dance class that I can't see myself in the mirror clearly.The glasses do seem to improve the computer screen and small print, I just don't understand how I can have 20/20 but still need more.

Does anyone keep their RGP in for 16 hours?
I was told to try and take them out a bit earlier in the evening but I told her it's difficult because without it I can't read/use the computer/tv and navigate street/transport signs. I feel useless without my lens, it's hard to take it out because there's little I can do without it. The other day I was having a bad lens day and had to remove it and I was shopping. It just got too miserable looking at labels 2 inches away from my eyes and even distance viewing, I couldn't see enough detail, I just went home, I hate shopping without my lens in, I would never choose to go out without it.

[Andrew MacLean]

Presbyopia!

The first time I went to an optician for reading glasses (with my contact lenses on) he told me that with my lenses in I would need reading glasses to see books etc.

I asked exactly the question you asked: how can I need reading glasses AND contact lenses.

He said "What do you expect at your age?" I was only 36

"A bit of civility from an optician!" I replied as I pulled out my credit card and asked, "How much?"

Andrew

[pepepepe]

Louise,

Have "they" ruled out a mulit focal contact lens for you ? or will you have to go out of your way to go private, if you wish to go that route, to be able to not having to wear reading glasses and get round your eyes lack of its "zoom" function.

It may be hard to achieve long and short vision for KCers with contacts, but for some "rightly" placed cones it may work.

Best of luck

Pepe

[Louise Pembroke]

I haven't heard of those, but I can't do lenses bigger than RGP's, sceleral size is the stuff of nightmares to me [sorry Ken]

[Andrew MacLean]

I am not sure that they can fit multi-focal contact lenses to people with KC; but I'd be interested to hear if they can.

Louise, there is not problem in growing older. At least you are not prone to the sorts of indignity that await Gareth ... hair growing from his nose and ears and disappearing from his head. (I know about these things beause I have passed across those thresholds).

Andrew

[Louise Pembroke]

*offers garden strimmer to Gareth*

[Andrew MacLean]

[rosemary johnson]

Louise,
No-one at the hospital has ever told me I should go to a high street optician too.
I've occasionally had reading glasses suggested, but having a got a pair for my grafted eye, I've tried them in my non-grafted eye with the scleral in and they don't actually help at all.
I'm not sure what the other things that a high st optician might do are - I've asked for my eye pressure to be tested (in my ungrafted eye recently, and a few years ago when I'd been in Africa and on malaria tablets) and been told the readings weren't very useful because of the KC.
Have recently had various neurologists looking at the backs of my eyes, and the glaucoma clinic doing so in my grafted eye - again, never been recommended to go to an optician.
As regards reading glasses - the reason people end up needing correction for both distance and near vision is that the muscles that change the shape of your lens (the one that's part of your eye, I mean, not a contact lens) lose their flecibility with age and you can't change from distance setting to near setting so well as you once could.
When you get your vision tested for a contact lens prescription it's normally how well you can read the Snellen chart on the far wall - which is correcting your distance vision.
If you go round to the refraction department (rather than contact lens) they may check out both and give you the distance and the reading prescriptions - and computer screen if that's different.
The advantage of having the contacts for distance vision and getting reading glasses is that reading glasses are generally cheaper and simpler and easier to work out the right ones.
If you have an ASDA anywhere near you, you can probably get reading glasses at a fiver for two pairs. If you've got the prescription (eg. +1.50) you can select them on the shelf; otherwise just take a book, newspaper or whatever and try out various pairs at different strengths to you find the most comfortable. THey are really only magnifying glasses and no reason why that approach won't work.
It would be possible to have contacts powered for reading and/or computer screen use, and get a pair of distance vision specs to go over them for when you go out. SOme people who mainly do close work may prefer that, I suppose. But distance-vision specs are typically more expensive - and if you try wolking up the road in your reading glasses you'll see why that approach may be a problem if you lose your specs!
Rosemary

[Louise Pembroke]

Crikey, I wonder whether anyone else has been told to?
Well I've got these reading/computer glasses now although I keep forgetting to put them on lol.
I wonder if I could see myself better in the mirror in dance class with them cos I can't see myself at a distance but can't really wear glasses in class.

[Lizb]

I was recommended to continue to have normal eye check ups as well as my annual check up with the hospital eye clinic but saying that my hospital dont prescribe/fit contact lenses i go to an independant opticians (refferred by the hospital) for this and it was the optician there who stated that i should continue to have normal check ups as well. I dont have KC in my right on though.