UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi everyone,

Just to let you all know that Jarek had his Right graft done yesterday aft- we have just got home and the operation went very well- it took the surgeon 2 and a half hours but hes done a fantastic job- he can see 2 lines of the letters board all ready from a far distance. Hes very sleepy and in pain but he's happy!! Will post better tomorrow, im a full time nurse at the moment hehehe

Thanks to all advice

Rachel xxx

Rachael

thanks for the update. All the best to Jarek and you.

Now that's behind you both, I hope that the trajectory to recovery is a smooth upwards curve.

Andrew

Well done to Jarek - sounds like good news.
Hope the patient is soon on the road to full recovery.

But what's this about reading two lines on the chart? It's three weeks tomorrow since my op and no-one's yet even thought of asking me how much I can see! Is looking at a chart on the same day normal??
Rosemary

Rachael,
Great news that everything went well and fingers crossed for a speedy recovery.
Tell him to be patient regarding the sight and not to be too impatient or disappointed with regard to its progress, apparently its the norm for the quality of vision to fluctuate a lot during the early stages.
I could see 3 line the next day after the op (2 weeks ago) but a week on could not see anything, despite this my consultant told me that he is very very pleased with my progress and my quality of sight will change a lot to start with during healing.

From a positive point of view I could not see any letter unaided but with the pin holes glasses and positioned just right I could read nearly all the chart to the bottom.

best of luck
Chris

Hi there, sorry to the short post yesterday!! been very busy!!

Since having the op on Monday he has been so sleepy and is in bed at the mo!! He saw the two doctors yesterday that performed the operation, the one who assisted the main surgeon saw him yesterday morning and asked him if he could see any of the letter board he could see the 2 top lines but not clearly- he was still very wobbly and could not see anything because he refuses to put his contact lenses in his other eye- which is understandable- so I am his aid at the moment!! The surgeon that saw him first thing on tuesday morning said his eye looked perfect as to what they expected and he discharged him- only giving him 2 types of drops- is this normal??
Anyway- we came home and all he wanted was his bed and he finally started eating that afternoon- we had to go back to the hospital late afternoon because his main surgeon(Dr Van Der Hoek) wanted to see his progress- he said that there was a very tiny whole at the bottom of his graft in the stitching and it was seeping slightly which maybe causing the pain- he prescribed strong pain killers and told us to back and see him today if the pain was still severe- this morning jarek is still in pain but still so sleepy so I dont know if he's fit enought to manage a 25 mile journey in the car- thats another thing he cant stand it in the car- he is so dizzy and nearly puking with the pressure in his eye! The window is wide open!! He cant stand it too cold and cant stand it too hot- he said home is the right temperature!

He's managing the drops very well as I put them in- he said they slightly help the pain!

I think he's marvellous. He is Polish and has had a very major operation in a different country and he has been so brave!! All of his family are so appreciative to all the staff(nurses, consultants etc) for all there work and helping him in such as he has suffered for so long!!

The nurses were brilliant at the hospital- he even had his own room, own toilet and even the tv he could listen too!! All he was interested in though was sleep and apple juice!!hehehe. The nurses even let me stay the night and supplied me with a fold up bed and some sheets so I was his personal nurse all night- I could hardly sllep because I wanted to check he was breathing all the time!! Eventually in the middle of the night he managed to stand up while I lead him to toilet- which was a relief for him as there was no way he would have used one of those toliet paper holder things- sorry bad description!!!!

Anyway I better go and check on him and see how the pain is doing, it might be another trip to the hos today- I will let you know either way!! Also, his bosses are coming to visit him tonight aswell- they have been so supportive!!

Gotta go!! Love Rachel xxxx

I too was given 2 sets of drops, one is a steroid and the other is a antibiotic.
i started on 6 drops of steroids and 4 lots of antibiotic daily which was reduced to 4 + 4 after a week.
Hope this helps
Chris

Hi- Just to let you all know that we did go back to the hospital this morning(post op 2 days!)and his surgeon has given him local anaesthetic drops to put in twice a day to kill the pain and drops that make his pupil small so the bright light isnt as bad!! Also upped his steroid drop to every 2 hours.

I saw his stitching tonight and it looks amazing- so tidy and neat and his eye does not look severley sore either!! He hasnt had the zig zag stitching hes had the other sort!!

Will keep you all poseted with his progress!!!!
xxx

I was given two types of eye drops - an antibiotic 4 times a day, and a steroid, first of all every hour durig the day time (ie. while awake - in the circumstances, ha!!), later reduced to every two hours.
I think this is normal.
I was also given, on the evening of the op just before I went home, some tablets to keep the intra-ocular pressure down. Tablets, not eye frops.
I don't thin this is normal - it is probably because I was lying face-down onthe floor, and trying to get everyone away from me while I was hallucinating from the effects of the anaesthetic, and crying floods of tears on the anaesthetist's shoulder. I hasten to add, I don't this any of this is "usual" at all.
I'm glad Jarek is being able to get plenty of sleep, at least, and hope the pain sorts itself out soon. It sounds rather unpleasant. (They told me to take "my normal painkiller" - and in fact, I was taking so much neurofen for a raging headache for the first three days, and then for a twisted ankle, I don't really know how much the eye would have hurt without them.)
Rosemary

Thanks for all the replies!

Im back at work today and Jarek is still in bed been looked after by his sister- I have been able to concentrate all day with worrying about him!

I thought to myself at least when he's in best he's resting his eye and not trying to look at the laptop or tv and straining his other eye!

He has a shield over his eye but he wants me to stick something dark on top of it to block the light- any suggestions?? tried a black patch but he didnt like that!

I had candles lit all over last night and the curtains shut all day- god know what our neighbours think!! hehehe

We are going back tomorrow to hos to see the consultant so I will let you know whats said

Rach xxx