Surgery time!

[cerebusPu]

i cant even look at the end of a knife or needle without squinting. Im also deathly afraid of losing vision, think about all the things you cant enjoy.

 

[rcpratt]

i cant even look at the end of a knife or needle without squinting. Im also deathly afraid of losing vision, think about all the things you cant enjoy.

My vision had gotten so bad in this eye that it was kind of a no-loss situation. My eye had also gotten a bit lazy because of that, wouldn't even open the whole way anymore.

My forehead is still a little numb, so that hasn't worn off yet. Just slept for two hours. Eye is really itchy, and kind of feels like...uh, there's a bunch of stitches in it. Pain is like 2/10.

 

[rcpratt]

Shaving in the dark, with sunglasses on, with one eye closed = a really good time.

Still doing well according to the Doc, but I have no idea how I'm going to drive to work tomorrow. Or actually work.

 

[adlep]

Shaving in the dark, with sunglasses on, with one eye closed = a really good time.

Still doing well according to the Doc, but I have no idea how I'm going to drive to work tomorrow. Or actually work.

I can drive you. I live in Ferndale. PM me if you need a lift.

 

[rcpratt]

I forgot to ever update this!

Five months later, everything has gone very well. Last Thursday I had the last of my stitches removed, which is way ahead of normal schedule. The average is apparently 10-12 months to remove the stitches, but being relatively young and completely healthy, it went fast. For those that didn't enjoy the needles/eyes combo, you'll enjoy how the stitches are removed. One "numbing" drop (yeah, okay) in the eye, a needle, and tweezers. Fun times.

I still have to put two antibiotic and four steroid drops in the eye each day, which is a slight annoyance, but whatever. Now that the stitches are removed, I can wear contacts or glasses; however, they are having me wait one month so that my vision can stabilize. I've been wearing some old lenses once in awhile (like golfing, I can actually see the ball now?), and though the prescription is outdated and quite wrong, it's awesome to be able to see at all out of my other eye.

Comfort without the stitches is fantastic. It gets a little dry sometimes, but nothing like the constant discomfort provided by the stitches. I only had one incident, about three months after surgery, where my eye became very irritated. I made an emergency stop to my surgeon, thinking that a stitch had broken or something, but apparently it was just a slight surface abrasion, or something. They gave me a specialty soft contact lens to wear 24/7 for a week and that fixed it up.

Anyways, for anyone else with keratoconus or any other issue requiring corneal transplant, I wouldn't hesitate. There's no doubt that I'll be having my left eye done within 5-10 years when my keratoconus worsens.

edit: Hardly related, but lol at this

 

[Anubis]

I don't think there are a lot of nerves in the eye so pain shouldn't be an issue?

as for OP,

good luck!

they eye has a fvck ton of nerves in it.

they use numbing drops

 

[rcpratt]

Wow, I really thought I had updated this at some point.

So, TLDR version of the past year: surgery, one week of pain, one month of annoying discomfort, one more month of mild discomfort, three more months of intermittent discomfort while the stitches loosened and were subsequently removed. 6 months of no discomfort but extreme annoyance at the fact that I still cannot see. Glasses don't help and I haven't found a contact that will work yet.

Main issue is a "ridge" of tissue on my lower cornea, which is causing difficulty fitting a contact.

Scheduled PRK corrective surgery today, which is an...interesting, I guess, development. The main goals are to correct my astigmatism (including the ridge as much as possible), and pretty much guess on the nearsightedness and get it as good as possible. Best case, I'll end up with decent enough vision with no correction that I can at least stumble to the bathroom without stepping on a dog, and then have a contact that I'll wear during the day. Worst case, it won't fix the ridge and I still won't be able to be fitted with a contact, and then we would have to progress to a laser surgery where we could really focus on the ridge.

Super frustrating, but it is what it is. At least something is going to happen soon.

 

[Platypus]

I have an astigmatism and have found very little in the way of toric lenses that help. I went back to glasses because I got fucking fed up having the contact float around my eye. Just curious why glasses don't work for you?

 

[Corporate Thug]

About to head to the hospital for my cornea transplant surgery. Long story short, I have keratoconus in both eyes, but much worse in my right. I haven't been able to wear a contact in my right eye for the better part of five years.

In a few hours my new cornea will be all stitched into my eye like this!

More details as they develop, not sure when I'll be able to post again. Wish me luck!

Good luck OP...I'm having this done at the end of the month:

 

[jagec]

That's a sweet-looking eye.

 

[rcpratt]

I have an astigmatism and have found very little in the way of toric lenses that help. I went back to glasses because I got fucking fed up having the contact float around my eye. Just curious why glasses don't work for you?

Cornea is still not shaped normally enough to allow for good vision. Keratoconus is much more severe than just astigmatism - what allows me to see in my left eye (and my right prior to it getting so severe that I couldn't be fit with a contact) is the fact that I put contact solution inside the hard contact prior to inserting it, which makes the surface of the lens effectively the surface of my eye. Can't do that with glasses.

 

[Perknose]

This. :thumbsup:

^^ That. :thumbsup:

 

[Platypus]

Cornea is still not shaped normally enough to allow for good vision. Keratoconus is much more severe than just astigmatism - what allows me to see in my left eye (and my right prior to it getting so severe that I couldn't be fit with a contact) is the fact that I put contact solution inside the hard contact prior to inserting it, which makes the surface of the lens effectively the surface of my eye. Can't do that with glasses.

ah gotcha, that sucks.

I'm sure you've tried, but the acuvue 1 (original) toric lens was the only one that fit my eye well.

 

[rcpratt]

ah gotcha, that sucks.

I'm sure you've tried, but the acuvue 1 (original) toric lens was the only one that fit my eye well.

Soft lenses don't give me decent enough vision even post-op, sadly.

edit: Sorry, OP updated so you all don't get confused.

 

[rcpratt]

Update!

I'm now almost 2 years post-op on the cornea transplant and 9-months post-op on the PRK. Many, many, many continued attempts at fitting a contact were futile. My doctor suggested a second transplant as the only remaining viable option. Then I went to UofM for a second opinion.

UofM's Kellogg Eye Center is one of the few places in the nation that fit PROSE lenses. Long story short, I've determined that PROSE is basically a miracle lens for anybody with kerataconus or any sort of cornea issues. I'm now on my fourth fitting session (wearing the lens right now while I wait to go back in the afternoon). The very first lens, which wasn't even tailored for me, was inifinitely more comfortable than any other lens that I've ever tried. Now that I'm on my third custom PROSE lens, I have 20/20 vision and more comfort than I've ever had. This thing is far more comfortable than the lens I use on my left eye (which is kerataconus-inflicted, but no surgeries).

It's not my dream solution (magical surgery for 20/20 without aid)...but it's damn close. For the first time in about five years I have something better than 20/500 vision out of my right eye. Thanks UofM (wow, that's painful to say) and Kellogg!!

 

[highland145]

Good deal.