Too advanced for specs - I dont think so!

[Libby]

For twenty years I have been told that my KC is too advanced for me to wear spectacles. For the last 10 years I have had problems getting a comfortable left lens fit, therefore leaving me completely reliant on my right eye. When a few years ago I had problems with that eye I was totally lost. I had to give up work (my decision) became depressed withdrawn etc. Anyway a couple of years ago I broached the subject of having some glasses made. I understood that I wouldnt get good enough vision to go to work in them and possibly not even to be able to read, but I wanted to try. Moorfields made me a pair. They are extremely strong, when I first wore them made me feel like I was drunk and make everything smaller and look further away - but to me they are wonderful. I can now see my childrens faces, I can read the clock, I can watch television and at a push read a book. They have given me a sense of security. We take advice from people who dont realise that a small improvement to us is absolutely priceless
Wondered if any of you agreed. Perhaps to them the improvement was minimal but they dont have to live with poor eyesight and any improvement is better that none
Libby

[Janet Manning]

Libby, I've had exactly the same experience. Was told after my grafts that I would not cope with glasses because of the prescription - astigmatism in oppposite planes in each eye. Now a wonderful optom in Oxford has made me both long distance and reading glasses with correction in the best eye only. At least outside lens time, I can now make a cup of tea with the cup the right way up and I break fewer glasses on the draining board. I can also read a little and watch TV from 6 ft away instead of 3ft - much better for other viewers!!!

[GarethB]

Material science has come a long way it may well be that materials can now be made that are clear and yet have a very high refractive index so can now be made to even more advanced prescriptions such as KC.

The same is true for contact lenses. 20 years ago wehn I had my grafts was down to contact lenses could not be made for my KC. Now KC is back in the right eye, the KC is far worse than it was pre graft, but with lens technology 2 yeasr ago, I was on the limits for even an RGP lens. Materials have moved on in that time that if my KC gets worse RGP lenses can be made to cope. I now have the option although pushing that technology to use the Kerasoft lenses which I am wearing now.

So 10 years ago what you were told may have been correct then but after developemnts is no longer the case.

[K Reading]

Libby
I share your thoughts on how much even the slightest improvement can affect what you can and can't do. I have only been able to wear a lens in one eye for the last couple of years as my right eye decided after 30 years of hard lenses enough was enough. Fortunately my left eye is still game and I get good vision with it when wearing my RGP lens but not so good with glasses. Last week I saw my optician for the annual full eye exam and he actually asked me for the first time what I could do when wearing my glasses. He seemed to have a list in front of him. Can you read? No. Can you see the T.V.? No etc . I couldn't do any of the things on his list. He seemed slightly taken aback. He is a great guy and I am not having a go at him but he had never seemed to bother very much about my glasses prescription because my myopia hasn't really changed much.Anyway the result was he did some different things and suddenly I could see better through my glasses. Not as well as through the lens but enough for me to do things I couldn't do before once I had taken my lens out. I wonder how long my left eye will hold out. Cross that bridge later I think.For now I am eagerly awaiting my new glasses.
K

[IH]

Libby - I had the exact experience you did as well and think that was the subject of my first ever posting here. I was told that my KC was too advanced for specs, and for years I never even questioned it.

Until one day I became so frustrated I begged an eye doctor to make me anything, didn't matter how thick or what they looked like, just so I could read a newspaper at night or watch tv in bed or something (without fear of falling asleep with lenses in!)

I was told then that there was no reason that I couldn't have specs (this was about 18 months ago), and that he often prescribed specs for people with my level of vision!

They even give me good enough vision to drive legally, in fact just above. Even though I don't trust them for night driving or reading from long distances they are more than I ever hoped for.

I guess the message is don't stop asking because technology will advance and/or you'll find the right optician/doctor who will have the solutions for you.

[JoeK]

Hi Libby,

Ive had a similar experience. When I was first diagnosed with KC I was told that glasses would be useless and I shouldnt bother. A few months back after joining this forum and learning from others experiences I went to a High Street optician and managed to get a prescription which gave me vision good enough to drive legally. Although the vision is far from what I would get with RGPs, it does allow me to rest my eyes on the evenings and weekends

[Pat A]

This is interesting stuff. So what type of lenses are these optoms putting in your specs? Are they special prism lenses - or what? It would perhaps be really helpful to have an idea what does help - if I could get a pair of specs that I could legally use for driving (even if nothing else) that would be great. I've got a good optician but he has never actually treated a KC patient before - although he was the one to recognise I had a problem with my cornea and refer me to Moorfields.
What should I be asking him to try?

Pat

[jayuk]

Id agree that if you persevere and find a good optometrist a number of the complex lenses can be made

Post graft, I had a somewhat complex prescription....and my Optometrist had to ring around 3-4 of his suppliers or lens makers to get them to make the prescription!...

But it was worth it for me!

J

[IH]

Pat,

I don't think the ones I got were anything special to be honest.

I think the difference between me not being able to get glasses a few years ago but can now, is the fact they can 'grind' (i think that's the term) the plastics down a lot more than they once could.

So what would have been impossible to fit into a frame before can now be done. They cost about $A500 (200 pounds) to get them grinded down to the minimal thickness so it didn't look like I was wearing really thick lenses.

[Lia Williams]

I had a full eye test yesterday. And the good news was that my eye sight is so bad I didn't have to pay for the eye test and I got a voucher for £12-70 towards the cost of glasses!

And the bad news - the recommended lenses cost £185 plus another £100 for the frames! Not sure what to do. The glasses will only be worn for an hour a day max.

But the other good news is that I even reached driving standard on the chart. Although I doubt if I would use glasses for driving as I suspect some ghosting will be present.

Think I will probably go back and ask if the cheapest option - just to see what the glasses are like in practice. I don't really want to spend £250+ as I will probably have to buy new contact lenses as well.

Lia