Keratoconus

Peter Crowe

The surgeon said it was no problem at all ! I just emailed him a copy of my scans and he said no problem at all. I havnt been happier since I went, it will take 4-6 months before my eyes fully recover but I can see the improvement day by day ! It wouldn't cost you anything to email the guy with your up to date scans and he will tell you if it's possible or not ! He even done an extra procedure on me where a part or my cornea was very shallow and he raised it back to almost normal, that too will also improve !

Finnymurph

Great to hear your good news Peter. Sent you a message.

Peter Crowe

Hi Finnymurph, I was just wondering if you got my pm with my phone number ?

Finnymurph

Hi Peter, great talking this morning and just to let you know Dr. Cummings has just got back to me and intacs looking good for Ryan's right eye.

Peter Crowe

Excellent did you manage to get the scans emailed off ?

Finnymurph

Hopefully it will sort out the right eye. Going with Dr on this one at moment, will be seeing him very shortly.

glineli

Hows everyone getting on?

I recently collected a So2Clear contact from Claire in the Wellington. While its a lot larlger than my previous rgp, its far more comfortable. Getting used to it. I only need one for my left eye so its not too bad.

tashiusclay

glineli wrote: »

Hows everyone getting on?

I recently collected a So2Clear contact from Claire in the Wellington. While its a lot larlger than my previous rgp, its far more comfortable. Getting used to it. I only need one for my left eye so its not too bad.

I actually find it easier to wear the pair of lenses rather than just the one, less lens awareness that way, but each to their own

glineli

tashiusclay wrote: »

I actually find it easier to wear the pair of lenses rather than just the one, less lens awareness that way, but each to their own

I know what you are saying, but when i was getting fitted i didnt get any improvement from a lens in my right eye so just didnt go ahead with it.

Do you have any drops you could advise me on? i do find it seems to dry out a little after a few hours. just wondering is there any drops i could get to get rid of the dryness

bootybouncer

glineli wrote: »

Hows everyone getting on?

I recently collected a So2Clear contact from Claire in the Wellington. While its a lot larlger than my previous rgp, its far more comfortable. Getting used to it. I only need one for my left eye so its not too bad.

I got 2 so2clear off claire, waiting on 2 more to come in the post as the other ones kept dropping down the eye .....................any day now

glineli

bootybouncer wrote: »

I got 2 so2clear off claire, waiting on 2 more to come in the post as the other ones kept dropping down the eye .....................any day now

Did Claire mention any type of drops you could use with them? i forgot to ask!!!

tashiusclay

glineli wrote: »

I know what you are saying, but when i was getting fitted i didnt get any improvement from a lens in my right eye so just didnt go ahead with it.

Do you have any drops you could advise me on? i do find it seems to dry out a little after a few hours. just wondering is there any drops i could get to get rid of the dryness

Hylo Forte is what I use, Clare recommended them and I find them quite good, it's around €12-13 for a bottle and its available from Specsavers, Boots and most good opticians, its also listed on the medical card if you have one.

Keep your caffeine intake to a minimum, and water intake at a generous level too which will all help somewhat with the dryness.

glineli

tashiusclay wrote: »

Hylo Forte is what I use, Clare recommended them and I find them quite good, it's around €12-13 for a bottle and its available from Specsavers, Boots and most good opticians, its also listed on the medical card if you have one.

Those drops are great, thanks a million

glineli

tashiusclay wrote: »

Hylo Forte is what I use, Clare recommended them and I find them quite good, it's around €12-13 for a bottle and its available from Specsavers, Boots and most good opticians, its also listed on the medical card if you have one.

Keep your caffeine intake to a minimum, and water intake at a generous level too which will all help somewhat with the dryness.

btw, where do you buy the quattro for cleaning them? i store them in teh quattro but a lot of places stay store dry.

back up to see clare mext week but so far so good.

tashiusclay

glineli wrote: »

btw, where do you buy the quattro for cleaning them? i store them in teh quattro but a lot of places stay store dry.

back up to see clare mext week but so far so good.

http://www.getlenses.ie/quattro.html

Thats where I get my Quattro from, must actually reorder some, getting low, last minute reorder as usual!
I'd imagine an rgp is always to be stored wet overnight in the disinfectant, e.g. Quattro etc, that's what I always do with mine anyway. A dry store is usually only when you're planning on storing the lens for an extended period, i.e. longer than a month etc.

Also, the cleaner that Clare recommends, the stuff in the red bottle, I actually use this http://www.getlenses.ie/boston-advance-cleaner.html anymore instead of it, the main downside to the red bottle (can't remember the name of it) is that there's no protein remover in it, after a while protein deposits tend to build up on the lens, causing a dry gritty feeling. Usually you have to soak the lens once a week with dissolvable protein removal tablets, which can be a bit of an annoyance from time to time, the Boston Advance cleaner has protein remover in it, saves having to deal with that extra weekly hassle.
But you'll find what work's and doesn't work for you as time and experience build up.

glineli

Any advise on taking the So2Clear out? i am going back up to see Clare tomorrow but i find the longer i have them in, the harder it is to get them out, so i need the sucker thingy, which she advised against.

bootybouncer

glineli wrote: »

Any advise on taking the So2Clear out? i am going back up to see Clare tomorrow but i find the longer i have them in, the harder it is to get them out, so i need the sucker thingy, which she advised against.

the sucker things are great, you have more control if u place it on the corner of lense and gently gently remove it..........................using your fingers is all hit and miss and I found you can really hurt your eye, plus with the sucker the lense stays on it as opposed to just falling anywhere with fingers

tashiusclay

As bootybouncer said, the sucker is the most effective and safest way of inserting them and removing them, but I'd say the reason Clare advised against it is simply because its better to learn and get good with your fingers first, because if you end up losing the sucker some night you're potentially screwed if you haven't learnt to get it out with your fingers, which I certainly haven't!

To get them out easier, put a drop or two of saline into your eye first, then very gently massage the edge of the lens against your eye, not just massaging it inwards against your eye, but also upwards, across your eye. It only needs to move across your eye a fraction, and this will break the 'seal' that has formed from it partially drying onto your eye.
If you don't yet feel comfortable rubbing or moving the lens across your eye, just put two drops of saline in, then both blink and move your eye around vigorously, this will also help break the seal and let the lens come off the eye a bit easier.

glineli

Went to see Clare last Thursday, she is very happy with the fit. It is catching a little but she said to address that you might need to tighten the fit which would make it worse.

She said about the protein drops, so did that at the weekend. Bought the box but will move over to the cleaner you have recommended.

About taking it out, she said no problem with the sucker, she said just good to do ti yourself, but that might come with time.

So overall, all going well. I have to go back up in July.

glineli

Just a quick update, not sure how many people it impacts, but rang the Wellington today to make a booking to see Clare and was informed that she is leaving in the next few weeks. So if you need to see her soon get in there quick.

tashiusclay

Thanks for that. Any idea where she's going?

glineli

No idea, going up in 2 weeks to see her so will ask her then

numbskull20

I have Keratoconus in both of my eyes. My left eye is the worst. I don't know what stage it is at but I cannot read the first line of a chart without a lens.

I was at the Royal Eye & Ear a few weeks ago and a consultant told me that I should consider getting a corneal graft done in my left eye.

After reading this whole thread, it seems that the corneal graft and transplant should only be considered as a last resort when it is no longer possible to wear a lens.

The thing is, I can wear an RGP lens no problem with no real discomfort. And I can see very well through it (except for some ghosting issues which will hopefully be fixed with a larger lens).

My main question is, why is the corneal graft or transplant considered as a last resort?

And why would this consultant tell me that I should get it done?

irishproduce

I got it done as my first option straight off in 2005. Was only diagnosed that year.
Its fine, certainly not super vision but about the same if not better than it was but crucially, combined soft/ hard lens fits on it now when I play sports.

The good thing is it is permanent, doesn't need you putting lenses on every morning etc but I suppose the negative is there is no going back, once you are grafted, you are grafted. I am not sure how long a grafted cornea lasts either...actually does anyone know that? I never asked the consultants at the time.

Peter Crowe

Blah blah blah, can no body see that it's completely backward here in Ireland ! I got so sick and tired of waitin and not knowing here in Ireland that I went to America and got it all sorted in one weekend and spent my recovery in Vegas ! Everyone is always moaning about the same thing here, it's too slow, the doctors don't know how to procede. Just make the decision if you want it done right or not !!! They are useless here, if anyone wants to discuss what I done cAll me on 0860202330 otherwise just keep pricking around and get nowhere !

irishproduce

Hi Peter, what did you have done in America?

Peter Crowe

irishproduce wrote: »

Hi Peter, what did you have done in America?

Hi irishproduce I went to California and had surgery done to both my eyes. It was over In one day with a two day rest period after and them off to Vegas to celebrate !!! If the surgeon here In Ireland were to do the same procedure it would have taken nearly two years to do and I would of been clinically blind by then !!!! The surgeons and eye specialists here are too far behind the times. Even when I was telling them what I was going to get done they nearly laughed at me saying no one would do that surgery in one day ! I now never wear glasses and I laugh every time I go to my specialist here for my 6 month checkup and he sees the shape of my eye

irishproduce

Thanks Peter. I'm going to hazard that you went entirely private yes? Or did health insurance cover it?

glineli

Sounds interesting Peter, were you over there for long or all done and dusted in a few days?

I have to say my experience with the Wellington Clinic has been excellent. From day 1 Dr Cummings explained everything and also put the course of treatment on the table. Clare has been great getting the lens fit perfect. I am very happy with them.

Met with Clare yesterday. She is taking a leave of absence but might be back in January or so. Lens still fitting perfect so all good

Dodo bear

Hi
I have had kerataconas in both my eyes for 15 years now. I'm 30 now. My right eye deteriorated more and I had little or no vision in it. My last option was a corneal transplant. I had it in February of this year and so far every thing has gone great. My consultant is very pleased with how the stitches look and I am now down to one steroid drop per day. I can't play contact sports or swim for now but that's ok. I should be getting some stitches out at my next appointment does anyone who has had this surgery know is this sore and does it leave you with side effects? I also find on some occasions my eye is gritty and tired feeling and begins to look very sleepy and is hard to open, also I think it maybe more sensitive to make up. Does anyone else feel this? I have felt this a lot since my transplant, but my consultant says my eye looks great.