Quicktopic posts: Feb 2002

[John Smith]

I also agree (and who of us wouldn't?) about paying for lenses that we don't use; and I'd be happy to do this if the standard NHS prescription fee applied.

I'm obviously very lucky, but my optician now sources lenses for me on a "sale or return" basis... I actually went for six months seeing the optician every 3 weeks and getting a new lens every 6. And I only paid the £50 for a new lens once.

Thinking back a few years now, when I still used Boots opticians, they had an A5 notice that they showed you which listed those exempt from paying the NHS sight test fee; this list included the elderly, those with glaucoma etc. and THOSE PRESCRIBED CONTACT LENSES BECAUSE OF A MEDICAL CONDITION!

Of course, that only ever applied to me once before they removed that one, and it only saved me from the GLASSES sight test fee, not the aftercare fee for the contacts; but at least it was something!

I'm wondering though what the situation is for similarly disabled people - those who need a hearing aid. Are they charged "private prices" like us, or do they come prescribed?

[Ian - Oxfordshire]

Anyone just see BBC1 - Best Inventions programme ?

They featured a contact lens cleaner that Moorfields seem to be happy with from a hygiene point of view!

For more information be sure to check out
http://www.bbc.co.uk/factsheets/bestinv ... 2095.shtml
and http://www.optometry.co.uk/articles/19990730/Port.pdf

Looks good and since he won with 68% of the vote, Boots Opticians are wishing to talk with him. The product (if successful) is expected to sell for £29.95.

Now I've seen ultrasonic cleaners before but this one seems to work differently.

Any thoughts ?

[Ian - Oxfordshire]

Want to get technical with KC ?

I found this site which if you search for Keratoconus you will find some interesting results.

http://bjo.bmjjournals.com/search.dtl

Regards
Ian

[Mark Bennister]

Keep up the discussion everyone. If there's anyone not on the mailing list for the group please email info@keratoconus-group.org.uk with your name and address to ensure you get copies of our newsletters and info regarding conferences and fundraising events. Anyone who came from a different route to this site check out our website at http://www.keratoconus-group.org.uk This year's AGM will take place at Moorfield's Eye Hospital on Saturday 16 March from 10.30 All welcome.
Regards
Mark

[Ian - Oxfordshire]

More info on the Thames walk can be found at:

http://www.nationaltrails.gov.uk/thamespathframeset.htm

Sorry - I've been a bit "talkative" on the discussion group this evening...

[Peter]

Hi all

Just found this web site surfing the internet at home, i found out that i had KC when i was 10 years old i am now 15years old i have had a graft in my right eye but there has been no improvement :(.

when i look out my eyes most things i can not see :( i can just to see to use a computer so i spend my most time on it designing web sites and computer programming and it school i am classed as a GEEK!! and so are my friend.

Peter

[John Smith]

Hello Peter,

Sorry to hear that you're finding it difficult to see through your graft. When did you have it done? Are you wearing contacts over it yet?

Never mind about being called a geek. Think of it as jealousy on the name caller's part - after all, if you can program these beasts, the odds are you'll be earning a lot more than they will! (But my advice if you want to become a professional IT person - get the degree or at least an HND first).

Best of luck,

John

[Alice Caudle]

Wow, isn't it the weirdest thing when you find a site with people all suffering the same problem as you.

I was diagnosed with KC in 1994 and have unfortunately had no luck with any of the lenses tried so far........ I first tried hard lenses, but you know the story, they just kept popping out all the time. I'm now trying sclerals, but I'm only on about the third fitting.

The strange thing is is that despite the popping out, painfulness etc. problems, I've never actually been able to see properly out of any of them. My vision outside is okay, but as soon as I go inside everything is all blurry. Does anyone else have this problem?

I try to wear them and experiment as much as possible, but it is difficult to find time in the day when you can get away without being able to see to try them out. This has been going on for about eight years now with no real progress and it seems such a long time between appointments.

Any advice would be much appreciated!
Alice xx

[Paul Conway]

Hi Everyone. I had a corneal graft 4 weeks ago. Before the operation, like Robert, I couldn't even see the chart! Since having the operation, for the past three weeks, I have been able to read the top 2/3 lines of the chart but having done some experiments myself, it seems to me that it is not a focus problem that is preventing me from reading small print it seems to be a sort of granulation problem - as if the cornea is not passing fine detail to my retina.

The operation has created a very significant improvement to my eyesight and I appreciate that these are still early days - and I'm still taking steroid and antibiotic drops - but it would be very comforting to hear from anyone who had a cornea graft earlier than me, who has experienced the same problems at the 3/4 week stage and who may be able to give me some encouragement that the resolution 'may' increase as time goes on. In other words - is there any hope og my eyesight improving? Does the 'smoothness' of the cornea improve further after the 4 week post operative state?

Any comments would be appreciated.

[John Smith]

Hi Paul,

I had my graft the day after Robert - 4 weeks ago today; and my response is not optically as good. On the day after the op, I could see three lines on the chart, but everything was very "grainy". I likened it to looking through a steamed up windscreen. I was told by my consultant that was normal.

Unfortunately, subsequently, I've only really been seeing the top line. A big improvement to before as I couldn't even see the chart before the op.

What drops are you on? The Chloramphenicol antibiotic I'm on does have a stated side effect of blurred vision (!), so I'm hoping when I come off those drops after tomorrow that things will improve.

Someone did suggest that the steroid (dexamethosone) has a similar side effect. D'oh!

Oh, and I've been advised not to get new glasses yet as improvements continue over a 4 month period, then more slowly until the stiches are removed in a year or so.

Does anyone else have anything to add?