Hello (original) (raw)

Sat, Feb. 2nd, 2008, 10:19 am

Hi everyone. I just joined and wanted to post. I'm 26, and have been officially diagnosed with keratoconous for a year, but looking back and reading about all the warning signs, it seems that it started about 4 years ago. I tried the RGP lenses, and they worked up to a point. Then my vision started slipping really badly, changing (at one point) from week to week - by the time i was fit for new lenses and they actually arrived, i would need new ones, so expensive contacts were not the way to go!

So far, what posts i've read mostly deal with corneal transplants (forgive me if other topics were covered, i was super-eager to post), but there are other options - especially ones that are not as intrusive! I'm trying a fairly new one out this week, it's called crosslinking; instead of removing parts of your cornea, the top layer is lifted, a riboflavin drop is put in, and UVA is shone on it to activate the drops. Then the top layer of cornea is placed back down, and a "bandage" contact is worn for 5-6 days - i'll let you know how it all turns out (if you don't mind reading about it, or hearing more from me). From what i've heard, crosslinking has been done in Europe for 5 years now, on kids as young as 14, all with really positive results, so while i'm a weensy bit afraid of it, i'm also really excited. :)

i just wanted to share this because i know when i was diagnosed, the first option i heard about was the transplant - and it was really scary to think that if i wanted to see, i'd eventually have to take this risk. Hopefully, this will help some people to relax and feel better and more hopeful; and even lead to stronger corneas for some.

http://www.usaeyes.org/lasik/faq/c3r-crosslinking.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12719068?dopt=Abstract

Thanks for listening!

Sat, Feb. 2nd, 2008 11:10 pm (UTC)

butterflysnf: Thank you for posting

I also want to know more about crosslinking
So far I have not been using anything for my eyes except dark glasses.
I am wishing you all the good luck in the world.

Sun, Feb. 3rd, 2008 02:24 am (UTC)

mystress_vatra

aww! thanks for the welcome!

i actually met someone who has had the Intac procedure done (go figure, i meet all these people now, when i'm all signed up for my own surgery!), and this woman really, really, loooves her Intac ring - she only had one eye done. the thing is, she's older, and i think her eye stopped changing a while ago. i haven't read/heard anything about the rings actually stopping deterioration - has anyone else? just wondering.