Contacts Question

[blurrylights]

Hi.

I have 'had' KC now for about 6 or 7 years. I went from having good eyesights, through glasses and on to contacts in about 2 years.

My problem is that i hate wearing contact lenses. I hate the feeling of them in my eye, dread the thought of having to put them in and hate the annoying ache that comes with taking them out.

I currently have the big contacts that sit on the white part of the eye rather than on the cornea. I got a bit annoyed at taking so much time off work to visit the optitian, as even though it's only a 30 minute appointment, due to the nature of work i have to take a whole day off, and it was becoming a monthly thing. I finally settled with it and told them that i was happy with these contacts and that i was having no more problems. I know i could go on and on and get soft 'piggy-back' lenses, but to be honest, even if they are a bit more comfortable, i'd rather not have them in my eye.

I manage fine, I can hide my KC well, as my surroundings are familiar - both at work and home - and most of the time predictable. People just pass me off as clumbsy, which is fine by me.

Basically my question is: Can the otptitian tell wether or not you have been wearing your lenses?

Sorry if i have gone on a bit :-s

Kind Regards.

[Andrew MacLean]

Hello blurrylights and welcome to the forum.

I was always daunted by the prospect of putting in lenses, but managed to overcome my own phobia. I have every sympathy for people who still struggle.

I see that you are now wearing scleral or 'haptic' lenses. My all time favourite was my scleral , but again I have no difficulty in understanding why you might find them difficult.

I am really not sure whether your optometrist will be able to tell if you have been wearing your lenses, but wonder, since you seem quite disabled without them, have you ever thought of seeking registration as a blind or partially sighted person? I was registered blind when I became unable to wear lenses, but after two grafts I now have very good sight again.

All the best

Andrew

[Lynn White]

Blurry vision

As an optom - the answer to your question is "Sometimes" and "It depends". But really, what I want to ask you is why do you want to lie to your practitioner? I presume you are asking because you really don't want to wear the lenses yet do not want the hassle of explaining this to your optom in case he suggests something else.

One danger for ANYONE doing this sort of thing is that if the lenses actually do cause abrasion or damage when worn for significant lengths of time and you swear up and down to your optom you are happily wearing them all day - then he/she will assume the current condition of your eyes corresponds with that wearing time.

I have had this happen so many times over the years that I have developed a sixth sense about it - I can usually tell when patients tell porkies - but some practitioners may not. When I am lecturing, I explain patients quite often lie to their practitioners. Some in the audience nod with a wry smile - others look shocked and say THEIR patients never do

I know some patients simply do not want to disappoint a practitioner who has worked very hard to help them - it can seem ungrateful to say , actually, you know, I would just prefer to get around without these damn things in my eyes. But to get the best out of your optician you have to work WITH them and not AGAINST them.

Go back and explain what you have explained here. There ARE other CL options such as soft lenses which do not feel anywhere near as bulky and often can be completely comfortable. Otherwise, ask what sort of spectacle correction your optom could give you - sometimes it is surprising how much you CAN see with specs. And as Andrew says, there are aids to help people with low vision.

Good luck !

Lynn

[blurrylights]

Thanks for the replies.

It's not that i want to lie to him as such. It's more that i don't want him to think bad of me, i mean after all, I am not the one paying for these expensive lenses every time he has to try something new, or for the time he is wasting on seeing me.

I have asked for specs again, on two occasions and on both he did a sight test and said that i would not get suitable vision with specs and that contacts are my best choice. I am sure there are other treatments, as i said like the soft 'piggy-back' lenses, but i know i wouldn't wear them, and again it would be a waste of someone elses money.

I'm sure it will sort itself out, maybe i just need to tell him that i am not wearing the lenses and will not wear any lenses he gives me.

Thanks again for the replies,

Regards.

[Lynn White]

The point is the optician is trying to give you the best vision he can and specs won't do that. What you need to do is ask him to let you look through the trial spec lenses outside and see for yourself what the vision will be like. That might even change your mind and motivate you to ask for other lenses.

I know you don't want him to think badly of you but there's no pint in keeping on pretending its alright either. The longer this goes on the worse the situaiton gets. Just tell him like it is and see what happens!

Lynn

[rosemary johnson]

Hallo blurryeyes and welcome to the forum. Glad you found us.
I started wearing lenses like yours when I was 14 - and they felt very odd, and as for putting them in!!! - they had to teach my mum to do it, as I just couldn't.
But the improvement in vision was huge, so I got used to them.
Do you mind if I ask this: is the probllem with wearing lenses that they are really painful? - or that you have an aversion to the odd feeling?
Either is perfectly valid - sometimes lenses just hurt, and sometimes we just don't like wearing them. Or else the hassle of messing withthe lenses and the fluids etc etc just isn't worth the improvement in vision.
Or is it simply that ou really can't be having the hassle of more appointments and more tyr-this-and-see and yet more time off work?
If it's the latter, I think you just have to come clean withthe guy - tell him "Look this isn't really comfy and it isn't really working, but I just can't keep coming back, the boss is getting shirty about time off."
SImilarly, if the hassle isn't worth the vision imporvement.
I think optoms - well, eye professionals in general - tend to think the best they can do for anyone is to try an deke out a few more letters on the eye chart.
But sometimes, that's not our priority. SOmetimes, our best option is not-so-great isiona nd more comfort. OR less hassle.
Or even to giv e up trying to get one ore line, acknowledge that even witht hatextra line, I couldn't go on with my previous job, and get me registered as partially sighted so I could get a place on training courses to use special talking-computer kit.
I think your best bet is to talk about this with your optom - and if you'd rather go with glasses that give vision a bit better, enough to help at work but far from perfect, and give less discomofrt and hassle, than explain this.
Good luck with it.
By the way,One exception I'd make: I don't know if you drive, but please don't try and drive without lenses if your vision isn't up to the standard without them. It's really not worth having an accident.
Rosemary

[rosemary johnson]

SOrry, blurrylights, welcome.
Addition to the above: beqare of setting off the "sixth sense" of any health care person about whether you're telling porkies.
Unfortunately, there are some out there whose "sixth sense" cuts in and labels as a porkie-teller or bullshitter anyone whose has any condition slightly off their beaten track.
All too easy to get a bad reputation and then you never get any proper healthcare again.
ANother thought: have you considered intacts? - info on the home page about these.
If you don't like the idea of CLs in your eyes, maybe these wouldn't be for you - but at least you don't have to eep getting them in and out.
Of course, if you're coping witht he vision you've got, and prefer to stay that way, that's your decision absolutely.
Good luck
Rosemary