Damaged RGP lens

[mikkey3023]

Hello there im an advanced KC patient who relies on my left eye and a tinted blue Rgp Rose K2 lens , right eye too bad for a lens , last night my lens popped out over the toilet and flew down the pan into the water which was blue due to a toilet blue , funny i know , but had to shout at my partner to find it which she did thanfully , i totally cleaned and disenfected the lens left it overnight , i put it in this morning and was very painful , took it out got the magnifying glass on it and noticed the edge missing , all rough and jagged , i need to wear this lens at present as cannot see without it and havent got an appointment until monday now , can any expert give my advice on what damage this will do to my eye if i continue to wear this lens ?

Many thanks

[harker]

I'm not an expert, but this is a bad idea. You're running a risk of a scratched cornea - which in turn has a risk of infection.

[mikkey3023]

Thanks Harker i thought that myself . common sense really .

[Anna Mason]

I am really sorry because I know how it feels and it means you will be stuck but no dont wear it I dont blame you when it is your only source of vision the thought will cross your mind.
I ALWAYS try and have a spare even if its an old prescription but only put my spare in after 24 hours recleaning and disinfecting just in case.

[Lynn White]

I hope your comment that you "knew that really" means you are NOT wearing that lens!!!

I do fully understand the temptation to wear such a lens but as someone who has seen the consequences of doing this, I want to make it fully clear why this is such a bad idea.

1) If a lens has fallen into the toilet, then your "full disinfection" method is most probably not going to kill off all the bacteria on the lens, as propriety contact lens solutions are not strong enough to do deal with this level of contamination.

2) A jagged contact lens edge can cause significant damage to a cornea and if there is still bacteria present on the lens, this could result in a devastating infection.

3) Even if the lens was by some miracle properly clean, solutions such as toilet blue can damage the lens material and warp the shape, meaning even if you had not damaged the edge, the lens itself could damage your eye.

If you are risking your eye health because you can't do without your lens for a few days.... think how you would feel if you had to leave your lens out for weeks due to an infection or a damaged cornea. Think how you would feel if your actions led to permanent damage.

Do what Anna says and get a spare lens!!!

This may seem a little over the top. I can hear people saying - "Well I did that once and nothing happened to me..." but there are many others where the worst did happen from a very minor event. Trouble is, you can't predict which group you will be in beforehand!

Lynn

[mikkey3023]

To Lynn and Anna , thanks for your comments , i do know you are both correct and yes i have an old lens that enables me to get about , vision is cloudy and not great but like you both say it isnt worth the consequences , had hydrops previously and that wasnt down to dropping a lens in a toilet, thanks everybody for the good advice , very sensible and correct , i really do hate this disease sometimes cant hide that , but i know there are people worse off on here and in life.

Thanks again.

Michael

[Lynn White]

Michael,

Get a spare lens that works as well as your normal one, I meant!

And don't apologise for for getting angry about this condition, people who are worse off than you don't help your situation, I know. I was just simply anxious to make sure you didn't try your luck with this lens - you have now made me rest easy!

Lynn

[mikkey3023]

Lynn thank you very much for your advice , this is a great forum and i wish i was on here when i was in my teens when i really struggled , everybody is brilliant on here , you and KC sufferers and people who are experts on here truelly understand how frustrating and disabillitating this condition can be from time to time, You give out the best advice for the health of everybodys sight on here , keep up the good work , you and others do make a difference to us KC members i wish this was the case throughout society.

Thanks again Lynn

[chris1972as]

hi there, a little while ago my right lens broke and due to the poor sight in my left even with a contact lens in i was unable to work, practically do anything for 2 days, until my new lens arrived and fortunately i was having new ones and was on the way to me, those two days were hell on earth, my advise to you just like been said before always have 2 pairs of contact lens, i know they can be expensive but not too expensive when it comes to losing money and part of your life