UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi
Does anyone know whether you are allowed to sky dive or bungee jump if you have had a corneal graft and wear scleral lenses. Im off to New Zealand in June and would love to do both but i understand if i cant. Would there be to much pressure on the eye etc?. I would really appreciate it if someone could give me some advice!
thanks
sarah

Sarah

How long post graft are you?

The best person to answer this would be your consultant / eye unit.....as the pressure thats generated in the head when bungy jumping (more from being upside down than anything else) is quite high!

Jay

Scelrals protect the eye better than corneals. Unless your eyes are really wide open, I would imagine a scleral would stay in place. If it were to fall out, you may have a large area to cover to find it again

As for post graft, I used to race cars post graft and I could pull a couple of G on some of the corners and all was well and this was about 12 months post graft.

As J says, the doctor is thre best to advise on this, mine thought it was OK, but then he used to race motorbikes.

To be honest I would go without sight, ignorance is bliss

i had my graft over 3 years ago now and thankfully have had no problems with rejection or anything. Im going to ask my surgeon and hopefully he will say yes! i really dont want to miss out and have to watch my friend jump alone!
thanks for your advice

I would say three years popst op, go for it, I would.

Still think I would have my eyes shut.

At work i thinkw e ahve a picture of someone who got a bit too scared when it was too late. Bit of a brown trouser incident

When I worked in a University I used to go sky diving with the students. I had not, in those days, had a graft, but wore my ordinary RGP corneal lenses. I had towear goggles, mor eto catch the lens if it popped out of my eye!

I really do not think that there would be a prblem about extreme sports this long after your graft, but if you are in doubt, why not ask your consultant?

Andrew

How about extreme ironing?!!

I used to know a deaf-blind woman who had bungee jumping as one of her hobbies.
Sooner her than me!!!! I have to say.
I can't see a scleral falling out, and three years post op sounds hopeful (but agree with others about ask the consultant).
Two problems yu may have are:
1. the bungee-jumping company don't know anything about the condition and don't want to take risks (with their insurance, etc)
2. travel insurance companies who don't understand the condition and either don't want to cover you for "extreme sports" or want to charge you a fortune in extra premiums.
I went to NZ last year, got insurance (Boots gap year, as it happens) with no problems about the KC - but then I wasn't doing anything more extreme than pony trekking. [Well, Boots didn't officially class it as extreme, though the horse I was riding might have liked to try - he was very keen on going in the front of the group, and galloping faster and faster up the track!]
Have a wonderful time; it's a fastastic place.
Rosemary

Sarah

I am 10 years post graft and still a bit careful what I do. However something my opthalmologist said always worries me with bungee jumping. He sees a lot of detatched retinas from bungee jumping. Personally with my eye issues, I am not prepared to risk a detatched retina. This is purely your descision but it is wise to take to your opthalmologist.

I too won't risk dangerous or contact sports