Diagnosed today

[clarabell]

Hi,

I had a routine eye check up with my optician today and was told that i have keratoconus in my left eye.

I'm 21 and had poor vision in that eye for a while,but my glasses corrected it but in the last 6 months my vision has gotten worse and today i could barely read the letters on the chart with that eye except the really big ones. My optician is ordering me some hard contact lens to improve my vision, but i'm a bit worried about it all to honest.

Can anyone tell me how much the lenses will help my vision and what to expect for this in the future.

[Andrew MacLean]

Clarabell

I am so sorry to learn of your dolorous news. I guess the knowledge that many people have heard the same words before they were spoken to you does not help to soften the harsh realization that you have an eye condition.

Did your optometrist give you a letter for your GP? That would be normal, and would normally be followed by a GP referral to your local hospital's Ophthalmology Department. Many hospitals have contact lens clinics 'in house' (mine does, I am a patient at Glasgow's Gartnavel General Hospital where I attend the Tennant Institute of Ophthalmology for both Ophthalmological services and Contact Lenses).

the NHS rate is £52 or thereabouts per lens, and you only pay for one lens each eye per year. Changes within the year are covered by the first payment. The only circumstance in which I have paid for a new lens within the twelve months covered by a payment has been when I have lost a lens.

I do not know what your high street optometrist will charge per lens.

If you have not had a referral letter, go anyway to your GP and ask for a referral to your local eye department. Explain that you have been told that you have KC. Once you have been to your hospital, even if they do not have an in house contact lens clinic, you will be referred to an optometrist who is skilled and experienced at fitting contact lenses to eyes with keratoconus. Your hospital referral will bring you into the orbit of the NHS charging scheme.

All the best.

Andrew

[clarabell]

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for your reply.

My optician said he would write to my GP and arrange the referal but i'm going back next week to have lenses fitted but they are going to cost £80 so i might give them a ring on Monday to find out if it will be cheaper if i wait on the referal. Do you know if you can use a perscription prepayment cetificate for your lenses?

I think i might get refered to Gartnavel as i stay just outside Glasgow (Helensburgh) otherwise probably the RAH in Paisley. I think i need to make an appointment with my GP this week to find out a bit more about this. Out of intrest how do you find the team at Gartnavel?

Its just a bit of a bombshell really as i've had a bit of bother reading things i really wasn't expecting anything other than a pair of glasses.

Thanks

[Andrew MacLean]

There is quite a community of people with keratoconus in Helensburgh. Gartnavel would be perfect for you; a single train journey to Hyndland and you're there. In your place Id ask for a referral to Gartnavel. I go there and have always going the service absolutely wonderful.

By the way, I am looking over the Clyde at Helensburgh. I live and work in Port Glasgow.

All the best.

Andrew

[clarabell]

Hi,

I managed to talk to my GP on the phone today as they have no appointments this week except emergancy ones and she said that she would arrange a referal to the hospital for me as the letter was faxed in today from the optician. I aksed her some questions about what to expect as the vision in my left eye is quiet poor i can't read and am really concerned that it will effect my right eye at some point as i would have very poor vision if my other eye went the same way.

She couldn't really give me any answers as it "isn't her field" but suggested waiting on the referal, which can take up to 18 weeks to come through before having lenses fitted as the specialist would be able to recommend the best kind of lens for my eyes which my optician may not.

I'm not sure what to do as i want to improve my vision as quickly as possible, but don't want to do more harm than good. Does anyone here have the lenses fitted by an optician or privately? I have healthcare through my work and they will arrange a private appointment for me and pay for it but i would still have to pay for my lenses as that isn't covered, but i know that this can sometimes be a shortcut into an NHS clinic if it is an NHS consultant you see privately.

Any ideas?

[Andrew MacLean]

It's hard, I know.

You could wait for the opthalmogical appointment and, as a holding position, see a KC experienced optometrist for lenses. That will make the lenses more exoensive but once you are into the nhs contact lens system you will have some history with lenses that they could use as a baseline.

If you want the name and business address of a KC experienced optom in Glasgow, pm me.

Andrew