UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

It has been too long since I posted anything here. sorry for that. I always enjoyed reading your questions and gathering your accumulated knowledge. Gareth and Andrew and Sweet.....you and many others got me through the last year.

Things have been a bit complex here and I have not had a moment even to check in. My second graft was done in April 2007 and instead of 16 stitches I had a 16-corner running stitch. No explaination offered from the doctors...and that eye has not really settled yet.

I have contacts, RGPs, in both eyes and on a normal day I can keep the right lens in most all day, but the left eye gives me serious pain after just two hours. When in place my vision is incredible. For example, there is a Post Office about 300 meters away from my shop and I can see INDIVIDUAL BRICKS in the walls.....right up till the pain puts me on my knees. And, when it comes, it comes on FAST.

I am awaiting a new, hopefully, better-fitting left lens, as soon as the manufacuture gets more of the proper material.....been waiting over a month now.

Anyway, it is good to be back. Hopefully my schedule will let me check in a b it more often now.

cheers, Piper

Piper

Welcome back! The forum is here so that we can keep each other going, and you should not underestimate your own contribution to the courage of others.

I'd say that in the UK there seems to be a pretty even distribution between surgeons who favour individual sutures against those who favour the running suture. My surgeon is an individual suture man!

Your sight, as improved by lenses, sounds phenomenal. Is it possible for you to take your lenses out at times of the day when you do not need distance vision, so that your eyes are perfectly happy with your RGP's when you do. For example: when you set out to sandpaper the wood for a new violin, could you manage without lenses for a bit?

I know that I am revealing my ignorance of the building process of a new violin, but if you could 'rest' your eyes from lenses at times of the day, then you might find that they are more comfortable when you really do need to wear them.

Anyhow, it is good to welcome you back. We did miss you.

Andrew

Welcome back Piper,

Good luck with the new material/lenses. I know from personal experience that lenses vary widly in their comfort and i'm sure you'll end up with a lens that doesnt pull you to the ground in pain. Lenses that i've been fitted with by optometrists who go 'woooo, wonderful fit' have me scratching to get them out a few hours later.

Have you been watching Heroes? Are you sure that when you're looking at the bricks you're not infact using a super power? and then the pain is after effects of using that superpower?

Hope things improve and again, welcome back.

Ed

Piper,

Welcome back and thanks for the kind words.

I too been away for a while but mainly down to helping a lens company with developing a new soft lens for KC.

It is reading the problems like you have that helps be tolerate lens after lens being tried in my eyes. Hopefully the results will benefit others such as yourself as well as just me.

Going to try some more on Saturday.

Greetings from me too Piper. Good to see you back.

It sounds like things are on the up and I hope you find a more comfortable lens very soon. You have had more than your fair share of problems and I am glad to hear that you are at least now enjoying some good vision.