UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

A few days ago I had an appointment at Moorfields and was told to stop piggy backing I was warned that wearing two lenses would reduce the amount of oxygen getting to my eye and through a slit lamp they could see an extra blood vessel, where my eye is trying to get more blood and oxygen through.

This is really bad news as i see so well piggy backing lenses and I don't feel them. I also don't get a really red eye which I do just wearing a RGP. The optoms advice was to stop wearing the soft lens or to wear glasses :(:( This really doesn't help me and glasses????? You are kidding right?!!! Do people really think I would wear lenses if i could cope with some glasses days?!!! I have tried glasses before but can't see a thing with them, so didn't stay to get tested as I didn't want to waste an optoms time. Thanks to the lady who wrote in my notes that she was happy not to test me as after three hours in Moorfields I didn't need any worse news

Ken, thanks for the pep talk while I was waiting! Yes, I do understand that they do worry about these extra vessels in case I need a graft in the future. But to me there is no way I would need one on an eye that can see 6/6 with lenses!!! I know that I can't know what will happen in the future, but while I can see with lenses I am not going anywhere near surgery!!!! I only had a graft on my left eye as I have never had any vision with that eye and tried loads of lenses without any success.

But ... on a much better note ...

I got much better news going to visit Lynn and trying softperm lenses! I couldn't feel them and could see very very well!!! I am so looking forward to getting them in the post and trying them out!!! For once I am going to have a lens in my left eye that didn't give me so much pain trying it out! I also had 3D vision for the first time ever!!! Wow, that was so weird!!!! Everything seemed to jump out at me!!! LOL!!!

So things may not be so bad after all. Will just wait and see what happens with these new soft lenses.

Take care all, love Claire X x X

Hi Claire

Sorry to hear you have been advised to stop piggy backing.

Obviously I have not examined your cornea and cannot comment on the specifics. However with the availability of modern highly permeable silicone hydrogel lenses such a lack of oxygen neednt be a problem.Such lenses are available for the soft lens in single use,two weekly and monthly replacements so most cornea can be suitably fitted with a silicone lens. Again high permeable RGP lenses are available so the system can be used in most cases.

See this case history which has been published in poster form and also a full case history article.
http://www.siliconehydrogels.org/poster ... onnell.asp

Perhaps the Ultravision lens will do the trick?

Keep us informed.

Graeme

Graeme,

Thanks for your reply!

I am using night and day soft lenses and I have a new RGP lens on order. I was told that this is a better one, made of different material from the one I have now which should help. I did ask what it was made of but didn't get an answer! Hehe, those with KC ask too many questions I think!!

I will let you know how I get on, have a follow up in Moorfields in two months time. The article you added was really interesting!! Thanks for that, I do think that I can find a solution which keeps me away from a graft!!!

Love Claire X x X

Errmmm

I don't know... maybe it was the wedding that addled the brain? (Ducks as Claire throws heavy sharp objects!) Claire - I tried you with SiH KeraSoft NOT Soft perm! So Graeme.. thanks for your suggestion but we already did that! Claire got better VA with KeraSoft than with piggy backing and she finally started to see out of the grafted eye.

Claire.. I think I may have to write to you with everything I said on Wednesday?? Lovely to see you anyway!

Lynn

LOL!!!! When I posted I thought there was something wrong with it!!!! LOL!!! Of course it is kerasoft!!! Had a very busy few days in work and then got totally thrown with all the fuss in Moorfields about this blood vessel! Hehe, I only have one little brain cell and it is hard to remember everything all at once!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It would have hit me in the end!!! Or maybe that would be you throwing those sharp heavy objects back at me!!

Thanks for the reply!!! Can't wait to get these lenses in the post now!!!!

Loads of love Claire X x X

Another person enetring the carzy world of K3

Hope they work as well for you as they did for me and remember after piggybacking for a while you might need several changes in prescription of the piggybacking has had a moulding affect on the cornea.

Hopefully less of a problem for the left eye that has had nothing for so long.

Gareth,

Very true!!!

I went to see Lynn with the idea of just getting the left eye fitted as the lens I had from Moorfields I couldn't tolerate. My surgeon wants to see my again in August and would like to see me with a lens now!! Oopps!! Also I have paid so much money going to him that I want to get better vision and of course, with two eyes working for the first time ever, 3D vision would be really impressive!!!

On the morning before I saw Lynn I had a clinic appt in Moorfields and was told about this blood vessel, so we both agreed that it would be better to fit me for both lenses in the hope that this lens would work better than piggy backing. The comfort of piggy backing is great and if it wasn't for them worrying about this vessel I wouldn't be changing the lenses that I wear now.

I do understand where they are coming from, in saying that if I did need a graft in the future that it could be difficult if I have some of these blood vessels. But from where I am right now there is NO WAY I am going to be grafting this eye as well!!! On an eye I had no vision with fair enough, but on one I can get 6/6 with in lenses it seems really stupid to me to go for any surgery!!!!

I will let you know how I get on, but I take it that you are doing well with these lenses? Hoping to have good news to post here as well!!! Miss you at the meetings now Hehe, hoping to see you at a social soon!!!

Loads of love Claire X x X

Actually Gareth......

The demoulding effect seems to be more with you than usual, which is probably down to you having been grafted. There are more dynamics going on with a grafted cornea than a non grafted one. Most people manage the swap without too much hassle at all.

Lynn

Hehe, though they are so slippery and slide off my finger every time!!!! Argghhh!!!!

Off to practice again!!!! Gareth how do you manage to put them in? Do you use more fingers as Lynn has suggested which makes more sense though will take some practice!!!

Claire X x X

I just use my index finger, but my fingers may be chubbier than yours

Don't fill the lens too much with solution, I just use a single drop of Systane, any more and the lens wobbles all over the place.

You and John are welcome to come and visit and I'll give you a lesson in putting in the soft lenses