cell growth after transplant

[Legy de feral]

I have or did have KC and pellucid marginal degeneration. I had a corneal graft done in one eye 15 months ago and the other eye was grafted nearly 3 months ago.

I have had two rejection episodes in the first eye. On Friday I went for a check up for my second eye but the docfound a problm with my first eye. Apparently I 'have cells at the back of my eye'. I presume he means an abnormal growth of cells. I had two 'massive' injections of anti-inflamitories: dexamethasone and I can't remember the other one. And I am back on hourly pred forte.

Has any experienced anything like this? Does any one know why I have the 'cells' Or what effect they may have on my eye

So far I have only a very small amount of vision improvment. I was and still am legally blind

[Anne Klepacz]

Hi Legy and welcome to the forum, though I'm sorry you're having such a bad time with your grafts. I wonder if the doctor meant the back of the cornea rather than the back of the eye? Certainly the treatment you describe sounds like standard treatment for a bad rejection episode (my first rejection episode when I was slow to go to A&E involved a steroid injection into the eye plus hourly drops. And it happened in my 'first' graft 3 months after I'd had a graft in the other eye). Maybe someone else will have more information for you. And I presume you've got another follow up appointment at the hospital soon to check how things are going so do ask more questions then.
As for vision, I didn't get any benefit from my first graft until I could be fitted with a contact lens on it almost 2 years later, although with the graft in the other eye I could see an improvement after a few months. So it does vary a lot as to how soon the vision improves and that's not something you need to worry about too much at this stage.
Wishing you all the very best for getting whatever is going on under control.
Anne

[Andrew MacLean]

Hi Legy

Welcome to the forum. I remained legally blind for some months after my grafts; in fact I think it pretty nearly two years before I cam off the register. Don't be too impatient with yourself.

Like Anne, I am vexed to learn of the difficulties you have been having. I think Anne may be right that your ophthalmologist may have been speaking of cells at the back of the cornea (these are called endothelial cells, and they look a bit like oange peel when viewed through a microscope.)

I hope that things will settle down for you now.

All the best.

Andrew

[Legy de feral]

Cool Thanks for the super quick responses
And thanks too for the welcome I have been reading here for a while and find the forum really supportive.

Very interesting responses too! I hadn't realised he was thinking rejection. My eye felt good. A bit of pain but that is normal and its always photopbobic. But the doc is talking about keeping me on steriods long term so it makes sense.

I am pretty chilled about the whole thing really. My eye was extremely bad and he had to take a massive amount off the front of the eye over a wider area than normal. From my research this increases the risk of rejection.

I have only been able to see light and dark and broken up blurs of colour with that eye until the graft and now I can read and see shapes so I am better off than I was. I approached the op with a nothing to lose attitude because my sight was so bad so I am pretty pleased with the results so far despite everything

[Legy de feral]

I gotta add, the poor sight gives me and my friends lots of laughs!

Justthis week I tried to get in someone else's car after I very carefully negoiated the edge of the footpath and walking along the side of the car. Then I ended up even more confused 'cos when I did find the right car the driver had taken her bright red jumper off so I was sure that was the wrong car! This was in the main street of town and my friend was in fits of laughter when she realised what was hapening

Also this week I broke a nail twice 'cos I misjudged distances and slammed my fingertips into solid objects; I tried to sign a script in the chemist with an upside down pen; I almost squashed my cat as she slept on the floor and I walked into a restaurant and promptly stumbled over a guide dog My kind and concerned friends love it!

And my daughter plays hide and seek by positioning herself in the a room with the lights off. I have to guess where she is by the noise she makes. She thinks its hilarious because sometimes I can be extremely close to her but I still don't find her

[Legy de feral]

Venegence is sweet though! I bought a pair of heart-shaped, very bright, multi-coloured sunnies to wear which the same friends hate

[Andrew MacLean]

My children discovered that all they had to do was to stand still and I would not see them!

Andrew

[Legy de feral]

Even better!

Imagine being in trouble with Dad-'just stand still and he won't be able to see you to smack you'!!!



*Legy laughs so hard at that image she forgets to concentrate on where she is and walks straight into a wall

[Andrew MacLean]

*Legy laughs so hard at that image she forgets to concentrate on where she is and walks straight into a wall

I've done that, too!