Keratoconus Question PC

[shoebp12]

Hi all, I have had krtcns for about a year now i received my lenses couple a weeks ago, they dont feel very comfortable, alot of glare and ghosting, the clarity isnt their same as glasses.

I work in a call centre taking phone calls selling products, 8 hours a day with a break an hour 5mins, because of the slight pain and blurryiness in my eye. ive been taken off the computer and do general admin duties photocopying etc.

My company thinks that becasue i have my lenses its solved the problem, abit of advise from everyone, do you think its worth me going back to working with computers, becuase i think that was the cause of my kertcns. i feel much better not lokking at a screen whole day gone, what does everyone think Thanks

[rosemary johnson]

Hallo, shoebp12, and welcome to the forum.
What sort of lenses do you have? - are they corneal ones? - hard material and about 8mm diameter.
If you have never worn lenses before, it'll probably take a while to get used to them, and they may feel more uncomfortable now than they will after you've done more getting used to them.
On the other hand, if you are still getting a lot of ghosting and generally poor vision, that doesn't sound as if you're gettingas good vision as you'd like. Have you a review appointment soon, and if not, is it possible to make one, todiscuss with the fitter how you are getting on and if the vision could be improved?
It's unlikely that using a PC and looking at computer screens would cause keratoconus. But it's possible that trying to read fine print on a computer screen, and the glare of looking at a lit-up computer screen, would make the developing KC apparent.
It's always a good idea to make sure you get regular breaks away from the screen.
Rosemary

[dazzabee]

I had this problem (and still do sometimes) when wearing my scleral lenses. I find that days when I am tired or have had little sleep the night before then I have increased "ghost" like vision. However, a big help for me is making sure my body is well hydrated so I try to drink a lot of water throughout the day which seems to cure both the tiredness and the vision problems as well as the comfort of the lens.

I do not know of drinking a lot of water is linked in anyway but at a guess it makes sense and it certainly helps for me. Today I have had little to drink so as I am typing this my eyes seem blurry! I really should practice what I preach!

Jay

[GarethB]

First thing is your work situation has changed so youu need a fresh Display Screen Equipment assessment which looks at the whole wrokstation. Secondly the regs are vague regarding breaks and state regular frequent breaks and that is something the assessor needs to discuss with you. 5 minutes every hour might be fine for normal eyes, but you no longer have that so 5 minutes every 30 minutes might be more appropriate, that works fine for me. You also need to consider the office environment, lighting, air conditioning, software being used, screen brightness and so on. If the assessor feels your situation is too extreme from what they are used to, contact Action for the Blind, they are there to help you and the employer. By helping you undersatnd what you need, they are helping your employer maintain productivity and can help with funding for any equipment you might need through Access to Work so your employer doesn't pay too much, in fact they will recoup the costs from you as you become productive again.

Getting used to lenses can take a coupe of weeks and it is also very common to have the lens prescription tweaked so you get the best vision and comfort.

Contact Ann (her details are on the contact page of this site) and get our info on KC, we have information that you employer should find beneficial too in helping you make adjustments such as increased monitor size and the ability to change the colour setting on the monitor. It will aslo demonstrate to your employer that lenses are by no means a cure, just a management startegy they are going to have to accept liek the rest of us.

Dazzabe mentions being well hydrated, that is something I bang on about too and it really does help. For me a glass of water lasts between 30 and 60 minutes so going for a quick top us is all the break I need, so thinking about it I do have 5 minutes every hour, just I take 2.5 minutes every 30 minutes Technically I would not be breaking your company rules.

For most of us, once we have found a startegy that works life continues pretty much as normal, we might have the odd hick up but then we change the strategy and life goes on.

Hope this helps.

[Susan Mason]

Hi shoebp12

Some of your post seems very familiar to me. The advice you have received so far is all very good and most of which I would repeat.

If you want some more info on the aspect of "My company thinks that becasue i have my lenses its solved the problem" please private message me.

Things will settle down and you will find ways to cope although you may find at times others will not always understand.

best wishes

Susan

[GarethB]

People not understanding

Doesn't that just make you want to poke them in the eye so they see a bit like us and feel the pain soemtimes associated with contact lenses

[Andrew MacLean]

Gareth

I have always managed to suppress the urge to prod people in the eye when they say something crass about KC, or when they used to accuse me of being vain because I wore contact lenses .

Still the urge does return from time to time (actually, several times a day), but still I resist. I think it is good for me to manage to overcome this strong temptation; instead of yielding I just tell them that it is my sincerest wish that they never have to live with the sort of experience that is our everyday routine!

Andrew

[Susan Mason]

A few weeks ago I actually got:- "Oh Susan is it really that bad you are sat so close to the screen, we always thought you were making more of it so we had to pick up the bits you didn't fancy doing" - 'Welcome to my world I replied' 'Sit next to me more often and get used to just how much of a struggle it is with one eye'
Only to be passed a document in size 8 font two minutes later and be told "Oh you cant see that can you? - Never mind you always manage



....... what more can be said?