I got my new

I got my new eyeballs (contacts) yesterday. Wow, I can see at 20/35 (combined) now - which means I can drive for another 3 years (you should be scared - very scared). What is really bad is that I have to wear glasses with my contacts! I am extremely near sighted (which means I can only see things that are near - like about 2" away. My uncorrected vision is called "counting fingers" (worse than 20/800). Now I need glasses to see the near part too. So I wear reading glasses at times. My eyes are in really poor shape, I not only can't see but I have astigmatism and Keratoconus . I found out about this condition almost 2 years ago when I was being tested for eligibility for Lasik surgery. Unfortunatelly the keratoconus makes it impossible to have the vision correction surgery. However, My doctor has told me that it is extremely likely that within the next 10-15 years I will need a corneal transplant in at least one eye - so I will get some surgery anyway (I'll more than likely still have to wear glasses/contacts). Even if corneal replacement is never needed, the doc said that it is very likely I will experience detachment of the retina because of the severity of my near sightedness (elongnation of the eyeball). Nothing like all good news to make one's day!

What is it with people that try to out-do you on everything. When vision comes up in conversation, I describe what my eyes are like and (if they were glasses or contacts) all say the same thing, "well, I'm blind as a bat so I know what you mean." When I ask what their visual accuity is they usually respond with 20/80 or 20/100. People, I don't remember ever seeing that good. I was in glasses when I was 5 or 6 years old. I had 20/450 vision at 12 - and you are going to tell me how horrible your eyes are?

When I got contacts several years ago, I started out with semi-hard lenses. One of my friends told me her contacts were so thick that they might as well be hard. Well, that is plain stupid. Contacts are not like glasses, thickness has nothing (or very little) to do with correction of vision when contacts are involved. Then she said her vision was 20/80 and I just had to smile and nod. I let her believe that she had won the "contest" because she obviously couldn't fathom what my eyes are like (yes she knew that my vision at the time was about 20/650). Now I wear soft contacts because for some reason my eyes have rejected the use of rigid contacts. Soft contacts are more comfortable, but hard contacts are easier to take care of (and may help keep the cornea from changing shape). Additionally, soft contacts do not offer the visual accuity that rigid contacts do.

Comments

[Randy Eckwall]

Hi bogie,

I think we have spoken about my daughter on the CFK site. Just found this doing a search and I have enjoyed reading it. Hope you are well.

Randy

[bogie]

You are right, we have spoken about your daughter on the KC forum. I've read that your daughter is doing better since she got her contact.

Wishing good things for her and you!

[LUIZ CARLOS BARROS]

I am from São Paulo,Brazil. I had just be submeted to a corneal transplant here in São Paulo with good results. Its the third corneal transplant I ever made. I am 54 years old and my two transplants before I did when I was very young.
And now I need to make another one in my right eye. I did the surgery just two weeks ago, on september, 27th.
I am ok , I am getting better, but its a very difficult recuperation, I have to be so much careful, but I am optimist that thing will run well.
I would like to correspond with KC people to change informations about that disease...
I will be waiting any answer....
bye bye
good luck for all
Luiz Barros