UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi all
(I'll post the short version in a minute!)

First of all, a huge thanks to all of you who responded to my need for a group hug (and my earlier post about what to ask at my first lens fitting/education sesion). You all gave me a bit more confidence and I think it has paid off!

Hubby and I set off this morning not knowing if we were going to even get there! A friend phoned at 9am & said there were no trains due to the weather! More Panic! Fortunately he was referring to some strange time of day (0630hrs!) I've not experienced since I've been off work (except when I've been trying to get to sleep but let's not go there...). Anyway, we erred on the side of caution and decided to leave earlier than planned (about 2 hours!) in case we got delayed . As the trains were running, we arrived VERY early and although hubby suggested a pub lunch I declined - stomach in knots and I thought I'd better stay stone cold sober! So an expensive but very niice Pret a Manger sarnie and a coffee it was!

Landed in Moorfields half an hour early (PS. The nice laminated Poster is back up on the wall!) and tried to relax by doing the super fiendish Sudoku in the Times. To my amazement I was seen spot on time so only manged to fill in about 2 numbers! (That's probably only one less than usual!!)

Extremely helpful lady put my lens in and answered my barrage of questions whilst I sat there, tears streaming down my face. But....I could read the bottom line of the snellen chart, even through the tears and there was only ONE bottom line! Wow! She then sent me back outside (lens still in) and explained that the "teach in " lady would call me in a few minutes. Half an hour later... she called for me and I was crawling up the walls! "Get this lens out please" I begged. She told me (nicely!) I'd have to get it out myself! She explained how, method 1, and I succeeded in getting the lens stuck under my eyelid! Panic (again!) But she was really good and made me work at it to manipulate the lens back into place. Tried another method of removal which worked fine. The relief was undescribable! And then immediately, the fire alarms went off................! (I have photos to prove it!)

45 or so freezing cold minutes later, we resumed the lesson, and I was putting the lens in, out, in, out, with ease. It still hurt when in but at least I could get it in - and more importantly out all by myself! Then, lesson on cleaning over , confidence rising and wobbliness all but subsided and I was on my way to the pharmacy to get my solutions. Estimated wait time for solutions - 45 mins. S*d that I said - I'll get them somewhere else tomorrow. (And in fact I found them in Boots at Liverpool Street, and cheaper than Moorfields).

So, I am now home, after a long and tiring day (emotionally and physically - hubby said it was good for the diet to walk there and back from Liverpool St station - he is right of course but my high heeled boots protested a bit!) wondering why I got in such a tiz. Yes they are uncomfortable (the lenses as well as the boots!), but hopefully that will pass. Optom says they look a really good fit, so that's good news too.

But most importantly of all, with my new lenses in I can see - so much better than I have done in years! It's got to be worth it. All I have got to do now is persevere with increasing the wear time, get my confidence back, and get back to work...............
Pat

I am so happy for you Pat !
I have thought about you all day!
Excellent news .

Excellent news, Pat.

Now just remember not to over-wear them! The vision improvement is so fantastic, you'll soon learn to hate to take them out. But remember what you were told, and you will hopefully have many years of trouble-free vision ahead of you.

Can't do anything about the painful feet though .

I will echo what John says, it is very tempting because you can see to perservere with the lens discomfort so see. That is when we pay the rpice and end up days or weeks without lenses.

You survived 45 minutes and what you describe I am afraid is perfectly normal. I will say don't be too eager to put your lenses in tomorrow as soon as you get up, many of us find our eyes take longer to wake up than the rest of us! I need to be up and about for at least 30 minutes before my eyes will take a lens.

Start at 30 - 45 minutes no more than 60 if they are comfortable and remember to slowly build the time. You will hat the going from perfect vision to naff all, but you will soon get to the 8 hour mark and the gentle build up will be well worth it.

Afraid the building of lens comfort will probably have no effect whatsovere on the kink boot comfort

Foot massage from hubby is probably best for that.

Castle Combe in July if you can make it for a few laps of the blind leading the blind

With my driving you may prefer going without lenses

Keep us posted on how you get on. I know many people ask waht it is like getting new lenses and building up. If you could keep a diary here, I know it will be very useful to many people waiting to get their lenses too.

Congratulations on a well deserved result.

Will take heed of not overwearing - and certainly a daily diary is intended. It'll be a useful log for me as well as others! Even now at 21.20 hrs my eye is starting to feel sore & dry - and it's many hours since I last had the lens in. But it's not red ( as far as I can see) so I'll just stick some systane in and have an early night.

Forgot to mention that my constantly watering eye was diagnosed today as dry eye - although I'd mentioned it when I went to Moorfields in November, no-one except me seemed bothered - and certainly no explanation was given (I got that from you guys on this forum) but it seems it WAS diagnosed and written up in my notes at the time.....shame they didn't share that with me & give me advice on how to treat it at the time!

Castle Coombe is in my diary Gareth! Can I drive too? Last time I drove round a racing circuit was at Brands in my "home made" special Mini Cooper, (finished in London Transport Red) in......er.....can't remember now, but 70's sometime! Absolutely brill!

Pat

"A new pair of shoes can change your life" - Cinderella

....and a foot massage is heaven too!

Great news Pat.

Wow, the last line on the Snellen chart eh.

Michael
Hey - you never know - you might be reading it too when you've had your cataract op! That cured my short sight of course - but I do now need strong reading glasses on top of my RGP's - or I can't read a thing!

Pat

Pat,

Rather than reply to your answer on another post, thought I should bring it back here

50 minutes in the first session is good going. I know many optoms who recomend 1 hour the first time rather than 2 because it is a lot less stress on the ye when you first wear a lens.

Careful not to over do it when you try again to night.

My lenses are tinted, without a tint I need sunglasses. Even in doors with the untinted Kerasoft I need sunglasses on!

I am so please the lenses are making a difference already, even if it is only briefly!

Pat, sorry if I am stating the obvious but if you take your lenses out near the wash basin, put the plug in!

If you drop a lens on the floor, don't panic, Stay still so you don't tread on it. When I drop my lens, I try to get help if anyone is home before taking a big step backwards. Make sure it is not caught up in your clothing before you do this.

A torch can be helpful as it often shows up when I use one.

It is amazing how often my lens is found in the least expected place. My wife lost her lens once and we looked everywhere and my wife had given it up. In desperation I emptied her handbag and found it at the bottom!

I have never lost a lens although sometimes I am about to give up and hey presto it is found, admittedly not usually by me because I can't see without the damn things!

In a nutshell, what I am trying to say is you will probably have some near misses but with a little care, it will always turn up and whatever you do don't panic.

Pat

I think you win some sort of chanpion status here for being able to read so much of the Snellen Chart.

Great news.

All the best

Andrew