UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

A brief history, I have had very mild KC in my left eye for years. In my right eye I had it worse, eventually hydrops, then a graft. Due to a subsequent accident I lost the lens part of the right eye, though the cornea was saved.

I have now had all the sutures removed and the eye itself feels fine but am struggling to tolerate a contact lens in it.

I am seeing my opthalmist on 18th March. He's told me there's a slim chance glasses might work. He said due to the difference in prescription between eyes then glasses don't usually work as a different sized image is formed on each retina and the brain can't join them together. But he said some patients surprise them and they do work.

I am wondering though if I need to be trying them out for a few days, not just a 1/2 hour appointment? I know after the initial graft I did not wear a contact lens for a good 8 months. When I first put it back in, I saw double for a few hours until my brain seemed to kick in and make the eyes work together!

I am REALLY hoping these work. Because of the accident my vision is so poor in the right eye and without a contact lens in I have binocular double vision.

I've also started getting mild double-vision in the left eye by itself. I went to Eye Casualty but they can't see anything wrong. Though at 39 I wouldn't expect it to be the KC suddenly progressing. They said glasses/contacts would correct it. My current left lens does the job!

At the minute, uncorrected, I have monocular double-vision in both eyes and binocular double-vision. No wonder I get fed up!!

If my experience is anything to go by then you're right - the brain does need time to adjust. After I'd had grafts in both eyes, I had a period when I couldn't wear lenses. At one point I had a big difference between the two eyes, and was given some glasses which I was told I probably wouldn't be able to cope with. For the first few days, I felt buildings were toppling over on me when I walked down the street - very unsettling! But within a week, the brain had somehow rewired itself to cope with this strange world, and the glasses were fine (until the next change in vision and a new prescription!) Very best of luck - I hope the glasses work for you too.
Anne

Thanks for the reply!

How were you "given glasses"? Presumably you didn't go round wearing the metal "test" frames where they put in and take out lenses! Do you get a plastic pair with some lenses inserted?

You're right, 'given' is hardly the right word! In fact I spent a fortune on glasses for a year or two post grafts until I could go back to lenses because the prescription kept changing every few months as the graft 'settled'. To cut down on the expense, I bought a cheap pair of NHS frames so it was 'just' the glasses I had to keep paying for.
Anne

I remember the cost of glasses in the time post graft while my vision was still not stable. Actually, it was my own fault. My ophthalmologist encouraged me to wait, but I was impatient.

Andrew