Post graft contact lenses

[Sweet]

This is kinda the reason why i'm not that interested to try lenses for the minute as i know that it can all change and as i have found lately not always for the better!

I know that most optometrists have us in mind no matter how many fittings we have, but as with hospitals in general practice there are always some doctors who dislike the regular attenders. It must be frustrating to fit a lens only for things to change through no fault of our own and it needs changing, but it must be said that it is more dam frustrating for us!

I've been seen by many optometrists and come across a couple who got completely annoyed with me in the early stages when my vision changed and i needed new lenses every few months.

Then i was a lot younger and didn't know how to react thinking that they obviously knew best! But now i have come to learn that this is MY eyesight and i have a right to take an active role in how i see and what treatment i need. Am just hoping that others here have the confidence to do the same thing as while practioners can get annoyed with us for needing a new lens they aren't the ones who have to go home with such poor vision. Just as i have to remain calm with patients i see every week with the same problem, knowing that they are only representing because it is important to them. What my personal views are mean nothing if the patient feels differently.

Maybe we just need to be a lot more understanding of each others roles in this as things do change and with KC it normally does.

Sweet X x X

[GarethB]

To add to your post Sweet, however frustarted we and the optom must get, we must still keep a level head and be calm and patient which is difficult at times.

The optom is doing their best and we are trying to get the best vision we can. Sometimes perhaps we are very pick about the slightest change in vision, but we perhaps appreciate more than some what it is like to live life a litteral blur.

[Andrew MacLean]

My optometrist has never seemed annoyed with me: she has endless patience, tells me things like "you are one of my most interesting clients", varies the standard test so that instead of asking me questions I tell her when the O is most round and the letters seem sharper.

This gives her a good starting point. Then she goes on to fine tune the reading, but as I need new specs every eight weeks or so she sees rather a lot of me.

Maybe it is my good fortune that she has an interest in the Keratoconic eye, and is particularly interested in post graft people. But I am sure that there have to be others like her.

When I used to go to the contact lens clinic in the hospital, they would arrange double or even treble sessions for me at the end of the working day, so that they were not rushed by the needs of others waiting in reception. Quite commonly I'd have two optometrists working with me trying to find a lens that would stay put and not give me too much pain.

I have never found an optometrist either impatient or short tempered with me. Is this unusual?

Andrew

[GarethB]

Nice lady optician reminds me of one of my visist that resulted in all of us having a fit of the giggles. Fortunatly the lady optom concenrned found it quite funny too.

The optom I usualy see was trying to find the dot on my right lens and so to ensure he was not going of his trolly he asked another optom to have a look.

Well she came in sat down and I kid you not she rested her ample chest on the table the slit lamp was on. My optom started to giggle, I tried to keep a staright face and the lady optom told me to look up and then down to the left. At this point the male optom lost it completely

I think you can gues where my line of vision was when i looked where she told me too

Well I was laughing at the male optom who was laughing at the whole situation. The the lady optom joined in, she knew I had sever KC, but was not aware of how good my corrected sight was and where she asked me to look

Her parting coment was that she would perhaps have to refrain from wearing the tight lacy tops

Once we gatherd our selves again, I was asked to look at the O if I could even see it through all the tears of laughter.

Still see the lady optom who tells me questions are still asked to waht was happening that day in the small consulting room

[Ali Akay]

Hi Janet
As Lyn said we dont feel "fed up" because lens fit will change with the removal of sutures. Afterall, some teenage keratoconics need refitting every few months and we try to keep up with the rapidly advancing cones to minimise the risk of scarring. The point I was trying to make is that, if possible , it's better to wait until the sutures are out, not just because the fit will change, but the surgeon could have reservations about fitting very early on. In my experience a lot of patients are very apprehensive about having a post- graft lens.They get very protective of the graft and dont want to take any risks by putting a foreign body on it, especially if the sutures are still in.They are usually more relaxed after the sutures are out.Obviously if the vision is poor in both eyes we'll always try to fit it provided the surgeon gives the go ahead.