On waiting list for transplant...couple of questions

[chris7197]

Hi all,
I had a confirmed dx of Keratoconus just over 2 years ago, due to severe astigmatism in my right eye, and the vision in my right eye has progressed to the point that I can't even read words on my screen up close with my left eye covered. I'm very lucky in that my left eye is my dominant eye, and it has no signs of keratoconus in at all yet, so my day to day vision is barely affected.
I was given an RGP lens for my right eye, but it's extremely uncomfortable and I find it hard to wear often. It also doesn't really make too much difference! Because my left eye does all the work, it doesn't make a change to my vision either - just makes things a bit more...3D!
Anyway, after a check up at the hospital today my right eye is still showing no signs which is fine, but I was asked if I wanted to go on the list for a cornea transplant in my right eye due to the severe progression in that eye.
This seems like a lifeline for me, because I feel like as soon as my left eye degrades (I'm 27 now, I hear the disease progresses til you're about 40) then the disease is going to hit me hard. I have a 1 year old son and the thought of not seeing him grow up properly is devastating. It would also severely effect my career as I'm a software developer and rely on my eyes a lot. My thought on this is if I get a transplant on my right eye while my left still has no signs of the disease, then my right eye will be healed to see fairly better (obviously not perfect, but correctable with glasses/contacts) by the time the disease takes hold of my left eye.
Does this sound like the sensible thing to do? I buried my head in the sand a bit previously, but now I'm facing up to it. Would I need to take much time off work? Bare in mind that if my right eye was covered, I could still work just as well as I do now!

[Anne Klepacz]

In your first post last year, you said there was a lot of scarring on your right eye, which might also explain why the contact lens doesn't help very much. With such a good left eye, you'd certainly be at an advantage after a transplant. As you've probably been told, it can take anything from a few months to more than a year before a transplant gives good vision, but as your left eye is already doing all the work, that wouldn't affect you much. People vary as to how much time they need off work - some have gone back after a week, others have needed 2 or 3 weeks off work or longer depending on the type of job they do.
It's great news that your left eye continues to show no signs of KC. So even if it does develop in that eye eventually, the chances are good that it would stay mild in the left.
All the best
Anne