UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

new to the forum so hi guys,

right, i was diagnosed about four years ago with keratoconus, been wearing hard lenses since and have recently been told no changes, i have applied for the police and am worried my sight will let me down, can anyone help with some options i have looked into intacs but it just looks to scary and also cr:3 that cross linking surgery just wondering if the cross linking help and for some sort of break down. ive been told that the police dont accept people who have had corneal transplants,
the other thing is that i didnt understand the seriousness of the disease im now really panicking that im going to go blind im only 22

Ste

Hi,

Also in need of advise, i was diganosd about 5 years ago now and have never been given any other alternatives other than hard contacts.I am on the NHS I dont feel like am getting all the information i should be. I was wondering if anyone knows of a good clinic in the west midlands? Its really getting me down at the minite, with my contacts being so uncomfortable and very poor at night due to light tails ect...

Anything anyone can suggest?

Thanks matty

Don't Panic

ste86, Welcome to the forum.

I don't know about the police, but I do know that keratoconus is an automatic disqualifier for the Armed Forces. I know it can be hard when you are intent on one career to then come upon a problem that may close the door to that future.

Contact the recruitment department of your local force and ask them what their position is. You may get a nice surprise, or you may get bad news; either way you will know where you stand. I'd do that before I went ahead with CXL; it may be that having had treatment for your eye condition would not change your status in relation to the Police.

As to losing your sight; it is true that keratoconus can lead to people becoming so disabled that they are registered blind, but this is very extreme. Most people with KC never need any more intervention that contact lenses; many can even get by perfectly well with glasses. Only a small proportion ever need surgery of any sort whatsoever.

Matty

I'm sorry I don't know the clinics in your part of the world, but you do have a right to ask for a referral to another centre. Why not ask your GP?

Andrew

Welcome Ste and Matty. If you're looking for more information on KC, we have a basic information booklet on the condition which I can post to you, plus the DVD of the 2007 KC Group conference which covered all the current options - crosslinking, intacs, all the different types of contact lenses available and a bit about grafts. Just e-mail me your postal address anne@keratoconus-group.org.uk and I'll send them to you.
Matty, if you're in the West Mids, why not come along to the meeting on Saturday if you're free? You'll meet others with KC and might get some useful tips (see the Events ticker at the top of this forum for details). Ste, I don't know whereabouts in the country you are, but there might be a meeting near you too.
Anne

Visual requirments for the police vision Standards

It does say some forces are using variations of this and the fact you have KC might be considered similar to Glaucoma which is unacceptable and the fact no-one can prdict the progression of KC. I had grafts in 1989 but in 2004 my vision deteriorated rapidly (within weeks) in one eye due to KC in the host cornea warping the graft but has been stable since then.

Matty, come along to the West Midlands meet and i can talk to you about the soft lenses I have for KC and how they have given so much more fredom over the RGP ones I had from the hospital which were (are) pretty good. Been in soft lenses now for about 3 months.