UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Tomorrow my wife has the graft in her left eye replaced. I'm sorry to say that it was faulty from the start but she has persevered with it for 13 yrs, had it surgically tweaked twice and lasered all to no avail. It has been wildly unstable for the past few years and has ended up with the astigmatism at right angles to that in her right eye leaving her with very little useable vision at all because her brain can't 'unscramble' the two images it receives.

We are hoping that tomorrow will give her back some usable vision and allow her to regain some independence and the confidence to go out without having to take me along too. I am also hoping that the op will get rid of the blinding headaches she has every day that we are told are caused by her brain trying to straighten up the two images it receives. We are both very apprehensive about the op but once we get to the hospital at 07:30 tomorrow I think that will fade and we will be too busy with drops etc to worry overmuch.

The house is sparkling clean from top to bottom, the laundry bag is empty and our clothes drawers are full. The freezer and the fridge are bulging too so all we have to do is get tomorrow over then concentrate on the immediate post op period. As this is the third time round for us it is not a voyage into the unknown but if it is successful it will make an enormous difference in our quality of life.

Wish us luck and if you have a God thank them for the team at St James Hospital in Leeds who will be looking after my wife.

Every Blessing
Bob

Hi I just read this can I just wish you both Good Luck and I will keep my fingers crossed that you have a good day tomorrow.

Very best wishes for tomorrow and hoping all goes smoothly.
Anne

I shall send a catapult up the road to Jimmy's of good luck vibes to you both for tomorrow.

Lots of love n best wishes

Lea xox

Op over and Jackie home at tea time yestreday. Eye very sore but I soon had her tucked up in bed full of pain killers and several mugs of tea (Why don't hospitals realise that folks want a mug of tea after an op not a timble full?).

Eye stuck shut this morning but a warm flannel will soon fix that then it's drops every two hours plus another lot of drops four hourly until Tuesday when the contact lens split will be taken out to have a close look at the graft. Roll on Tuesday.

Bob

Bob

Thank you for the update. Please give you wife our very best wishes.

Andrew

best wishes to your wife for tuesday, n yeah I agree on teh tea comment, tea at st james is like dish water. I always take a bottle of fruit squash with me as is easier than saying "no strong tea with taste please"


Lea x

Day three post op.

Eye very bloodshot and sore but not as painful as day one.
Drops sting like mad but even they are being tolerated a bit better.
I am worried about the almost totalblood shot look (we never had any of this with the other two grafts) but being bank holiday there is no-one available to ask if this amout of blood is normal.
I guess we will have to wait till Tuesday and everyone is back at work.

Bob

I had an experience like the one you describe: lots of blood shot eye. I phoned the ward and was invited to pop up to see a doc; he told me that there was nothing to worry about. In you place now, I'd phone the ward and tell them what you can see; they may say 'pop over' and your mind may be put at rest. Alternatively they will have an opportunity to act if there is something in need of attention.

All the best

Andrew

Just cos it is blood shot and bank holiday

go to a/e at St James, ask the triage nurse to bleep duty optom, they will come down they will take a look, they will advise.

Please please get checked out.

Lea x