Help Needed

[alteclancing]

My eyesight has not been good ever at 17 my eyesight was just over driving standerd for a car. I am now 31 and over the last 6 mnths my eyesight has been varied i.e sometimes it's clear and other times it;s blurred but mainly now it's blurred. I went to have an eyetest to see if I could have eye surgery i.e lasak or something for my short sightedness. And this is when they done alot of tests to see if it was possible at my local Optical Express. They said that because they use more sophisticated equipment when people sak for laser surgery they suspect from the eye graph they have done I have KC and write me a letter for my GP for me to give to him. They explained my Eyesight was borderline at best and the GP could send me to Morpheilds to help me out but because the eyesight is very borderline he might have to imform the DVLA so I never handed the letter in because my job involves driving and I can not afford to lose it. I want to get my eyesight sorted and want to now if a normall opticians if told about my KC could give me Contact Lenses to help me out ?. I have tried glasses but they sometimes correct my eyesight to driving standerds and sometimes have no affect.

Please Help I can't risk my license but want my eyesight sorted as best as possible.

[Michael P]

Hi alterclancing and welcome.

Imho you should definitely get a referral to Moorfields.

Most KC sufferers obtain improved vision with lenses. I have worn them for 30+ years giving me virtually normal vision until recently.

I am sure you will get similar advice from others. Go for it and let us know how you get on.

If the wait is too long you may want to seek a private consultation. i guess you can also see local optomotrists and others on the forum will no doubt comment on this.

[GarethB]

Welcome to the forum.

You can go to a local optomotrist but they too will refer you to the hospital to see an opthalmologist who will make a formal diagnoses as they are the only ones that can say for definite.

If your sight is borderline for driving with glasses and never picked up be preveous eye tests it is probable your KC (if you have it) is quite mild and may still be corrected with glasses or contact lenses which when purchased privatly are very expensive. Through the NHS they are no more tha £50 per lens.

Without lenses I can not see the wall the eye chart is on, with lenses I can see 6/5 which is pretty much as good as you can get.

If your sight is borderline you have a duty of care to inform your employers as if the worst happend and you had an accident, regardless of fault, if your sight was found to be substanded, your insurance or employers would be void.

I appreciate you are in a very difficult position, with agreement with my employers I went on 3 months sick leave while I waited for the hospital appointment and got fitted with lenses. this allowed me to build up the wear time so I could do a normal days work.

There are people on this site with KC and who are pilots so there is no reason KC will mean your job is at risk.

Hope this is of some help.

Please let us know how you get on.

Regards

Gareth

[John Smith]

Hello Alteclancing, and welcome to the forum.

I'd certainly agree with the others. Give the letter to your GP. You really have nothing to lose. If the DVLA were to be contacted I think that would be more likely be from the optician rather than the GP. (Although be aware that you have a legal duty to report sub-standard vision to the DVLA).

Once referred to Moorfields (or elsewhere, depending on where in London you live), you'll generally find yourself prescribed with contact lenses which will restore your vision, and you'll be amazed at the change.

If you can't legally drive now, it's possible that you could be on sick leave until the lenses arrive, or the disability discrimination act will kick in, and you'll be given a non-driving job in the meantime.

I hope you get everything sorted out soon. Do let us know how you get on.