The end of a long road

[Mark Baker]

Hi Everybody.New member here.
Just discovered the forum. Wish i had found it years ago, have felt very alone for years. People with good eyesight just dont understand what we go through.
Anyway the story is long, but I hope you dont get bored.
I was diagnosed with keratoconus at 21 Iam now 46, with the left eye being the worst eye.
I had RGPs for many years , but the vision was only ever just driving standard.In 1999 I had a graft in the left eye, and after a year or so of recovery I was given another lens.
Again I was only ever just about driving standard, and had given up hope of ever having decent vision.
In May 2006 I went to a golf exhibition where there was a stand offering laser eye treatment. I approached one of the opticians and confidently advised him that there was nothing you could do for me.Wrong! he claimed that it was possible to laser a corneal graft.
I went for a consultation and was given the shock news that my left eye had a cataract and the right eye could possibly need a graft.
I booked for treatment and in August I had a new Toric lens placed in my left eye and a week later I had an intac in my right eye.
After letting both eyes heal and having a succession of cheap glasses as the prescription changed I had Epi lasik laser tretament on the left eye in December.
Everything was going great and then disaster! On christmas day I noticed several large floaters in my left eye and I went to my GP. Within an hour I was being seen at my local eye hospital and the next morning I was in Morefields having emergency surgery for a detached retina! I will never complain about the NHS.
Anyway things have now moved on and my prescription is now

May 2006
R -1.25 -4.25 @90
L -9.75 -4.75 @95


Now
R -0.75 -3.00 @102
L -0.50 -0.50 @90

I cant believe the improvement and Iam now wearing a soft lens in the left eye and am trying different types of lenses in the right. Even with glasses the vision is amazing and iam driving my friends and family mad by continually pointing out things like car number plates and birds in trees.

Sorry for going on for so long, but I now feel that my life is starting again and feel extremely grateful that I have been giving this chance.

[GarethB]

Welcome to the forum.

Personally I think you are brave having laser eye treatment on a graft. The only other person I know is from Norway who occasionally visits the forum.

Many of our members find this sight after going for laser surgery and being told they have KC.

Are any further vision changes expected?

[Mark Baker]

Hi gareth

I have been told that the vision should
stabilise in the left eye, without any further change of prescription I have been offered laser on the right eye , but I have decided that I have pushed my luck so far and will make the most of what I have.

cheers

Mark

[GarethB]

Mark

That is good news.

With KC, one of the the hardest things for us to do is to know when to quit and be content with what we have.