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Category Archives: Recovery

Graft Looks Great – 2 More Sutures Out (and they were stubborn.)

16 Nov

Well, 4 months elapsed since my last visit to Dr. Holland, so I had an appointment today.  I had the usual check ups and topology.  Their office was a *zoo* … I waited 2 hours.  Thank goodness their office has Wi-Fi and I was able to do some email and watch a bit of YouTube.  Not an empty seat in the waiting rooms – and I had asked for “first appointment of the day.”

My eye pressure was 18, totally normal.  The graft was crystal clear.  No problems.  I complained about my dry eye at night and he suggested I change to a gel based lubricant and gave me some samples.  I’ve used them before and not liked their goopiness.

The topology (right) showed that it was time to remove two more sutures, so I was numbed up and Dr. Holland started the process.  It seemed to take longer than usual to cut and pull them out.  I was stone-still during this process.  Anyway, after the numbing drops wore off, it was pretty sore – yowch!  The sutures seemed to be a bit stubborn.  I think that the longer they’re in, the more they integrate into the tissue of your eye.  I took some Tylenol and started my weekend a bit early

Anyway, the usual Vigamox antibiotic dose for 3 days and go back in 4 months.

Now I will make an appointment to get fit for contacts to match my new Rx (suture removal changed my astigmatism levels.)

postscript:  Eye was completely normal the next day.  No discomfort at all. And I think my vision has improved a bit, especially with my glasses.

 
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Posted by on November 16, 2012 in Dr. Visits, Recovery

 

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Quick Update: No News is Good News

07 Sep

Hello to everyone. I’ve been getting email asking how things are going so I thought I’d post a quick update and catch everyone up. The site is seeing quite a bit of traffic

First of all, I am still wearing the soft, custom lens on my grafted eye. I’m still very pleased with it. I went ahead and ordered a couple of pair of them which should keep me going until my next appointment with Dr. Holland. If he removes sutures, my prescription is likely to change some – so I don’t want to have expensive lenses I just throw away (these lenses last 3 months.)  My vision is about the same as it was in July.  Not pin-prick-perfect, but very close.   With my right eye working with the grafted one, I have great vision.

I’m so happy with the night driving. We took a trip to Atlanta last week and I did a lot of night driving then. It was wonderful to be able to just drive on and get the trip done while others snoozed in the car.  We were going to dragon*con, and while we were there I noticed that many of the attendees in costume were wearing those weird colored contact lenses.  I shuddered to think about the damage they could do being in there for 18+ hours a day.

My allergies have been a bit of an issue, but nothing like last year. I’m taking daily allergy meds and my eyes don’t get very itchy anymore.  I take a daily Zyrtec as I’ve mentioned before.

I’m still compulsive about protecting my graft and it’s paid off recently. The other day an extension cord in my garage came down and whacked me on my safety glasses covering the grafted eye! Anytime I’m doing yard, garage or basement work, I wear something.  I think it would have hit me in the eye directly!

I don’t have that much news beyond this.

Keep the comments and questions coming – I’m happy to try to answer them.

image by Tjerk Zweers used under creative commons CC:Attribution 2.0 Generic.

 
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Posted by on September 7, 2012 in Diary Entries, Recovery

 

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Tiny Update: Soft Lenses Rock

30 Jul

photo (CC) Kate Ter Haar

My newest set of soft lenses are amazing.  Comfortable (16 hours+) and I can see pretty well.  Not quite as crisp as the RGP, but the comfort trade-off is worth it.  My overall vision is amazing.

I’ve ordered a few of these lenses ($50 per pair) which are custom crafted for my topography.  I’m not wanting to order too many because the shape of my eye will probably change a bit more if sutures come out, etc.

 
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Posted by on July 30, 2012 in Recovery, Vision Improvements

 

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DALK Transplant – Stellar Follow Up + New Soft Lens Trial

08 Jun

photo: Logan Ingalls

Well, it’s been a good week for my DALK recovery.  I went back to Dr. Holland for my graft checkup and he said it was perfect.  I also corrected to 20/20 on their refraction gear.  I had already ordered a new, special soft contact (see last post) and was not able to take it with me to Dr. Holland.  He wasn’t bothered by that and said that if the soft lens worked for me, it would be fine for my eye.

The downside to the soft lens (at least the first one I tried) is it corrected me only slightly better than 20/30.  This means there is room for improvement.  But the comfort is … amazing!   The fitter (Tamra at Dr. Koffler’s office here in Lexington) seems to think that I should wear it for a week and then we may want to correct the power to hit near 20/20.

Other questions answered:

  • Sutures:  We’ll take them out if they degrade.  Otherwise, he said, leave them in for now.
  • Graft Fragility:  I had lots of anxiety about the graft’s fragility, but Dr. Holland told me to quit worrying.  It would take a severe trauma to disturb the graft now that it’s healed up.
  • Rejection Period:  I’m exiting the prime rejection period for DALK.
  • Glasses:  Dr. Holland said to go ahead and make the lenses for glasses.
  • PRK/Lasik is still an option if we cannot make contacts work.   Insurance won’t pay for that in KY (or OH.)
  • If we run into suture issues (e.g. one breaks) we will remove them all at once.
  • He said it was right to stop wearing the RGPs if they were hurting.  He said I should be pain free and use whatever gives that to me.

Exciting!

 
8 Comments

Posted by on June 8, 2012 in Dr. Visits, Recovery, Surgery-Story

 

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Trying Different RGPs – My lens tolerance is only a few hours.

24 May

Well, as usual, this is going to take some trial and error!

I have tried three different RGPs (Essilor Perimeter Lens) and cannot tolerate any of them – the mini-scleral was pushing a “grove” into my sclera – apparently my eye was swelling around it?

I can wear them 7-8 hours, but my eye is very sore afterward.    I am now going to be trying a custom-profiled soft lens.  The manufacturer apparently uses my topography to construct them.  I was hoping I could use a soft lens, so we’ll soon know.

Koffler Vision Group is doing a great job.

photo:  Lee J Haywood

 
2 Comments

Posted by on May 24, 2012 in Diary Entries, Recovery, Vision Improvements

 

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New Lens In!!!! Binocular Vision! The World is in 3D Now!

24 Apr

Everthing was in 3-d today!

A very big day on this long journey.  Today, I inserted the mini-scleral lenses in my grafted eye at Dr. Koffler’s office…and, for the first time in 15+ years, I had clear vision in my left eye.  My brain and eye muscles are not sure what to do with the new information so the crispness came and went, but here are my unfiltered first impressions:

  • Wow.  I can read the doctor’s diploma across the room.
  • The world is sparkly!
  • Everything’s in 3D!
  • Look at the birds!
  • Look at the clouds!!!
  • I don’t want to take this out!

I was only at a 3-hour wear limit today, so pulled them out mid-morning.  I’m looking forward to inserting them again tomorrow.

The removal was touch and go because I’m out of practice, and the eye is just slighly “dry-sore” tonight.  Nothing bad at all.  Totally expected.

I got a ‘care package’ with new plungers and other solutions, etc from the office.

NEXT UP!!!

  • 3-D Movie!
  • Stargazing!

 

Postscript:  Day 2, 3 of lens were tricky.  Eye was a bit sore from lens and insertion / removal was difficult.  I’m clearly out of practice on this.  Still feel a lot of anxiety about damaging my graft with lens effort.

 
9 Comments

Posted by on April 24, 2012 in Recovery, Surgery-Story, Vision Improvements

 

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Contact Lens after Corneal Transplant – Trying a Mini-Scleral

12 Apr

Well, after a fair bit of anxiety and dread, I found my visit to Koffler Vision Group* for the fitting of a new mini-scleral RGP contact lens on my grafted eye to be quite uneventful.  We tried several diameters and shapes until one felt, well, like it wasn’t there.  (*My choice for contact fitting in Lexington.  I’m still Dr. Holland’s patient.  I would link to their site but it is not great and crashed my browser twice.  I will link to their Google Place page though)

Turns out the one with most comfort was a mini-scleral.

I hadn’t considered mini-scleral for my grafted eye, but it makes sense.  It forms a “helmet” over the graft and rests well outside my cornea.  It keeps the corneal hydrated and provides good vision.  I think I had put mini-sclerals out of my head after my less-than-stellar experience with them before my graft.  But that was not due to the lens, it was due to the cone and abrasiveness.

Anyway, I have my lens ordered and will post again when I get it in.  As usual, the Koffler staff were terrific.  By the way, Dr. Koffler was my second choice for my graft – but I just clicked better with Dr. Holland’s attitude about DALK options.  I feel confident either would do a great job, especially on a PK or other surgery.  I did apologize for being such a grump during my last visit to them 2 years ago (I was frustrated with trying to find a contact lens with a steep cone.)

Oh yes, they did a new topography.  Said it was “beautiful.”

 
7 Comments

Posted by on April 12, 2012 in Diary Entries, Dr. Visits, Keratoconus Technology, Recovery

 

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New – DALK Transplant Chronology

12 Mar

Quick post to let you know that I just made a new page which covers the chronology from my first Dr. appt to one year after the surgery.  Same posts, but in chronological order.

http://corneanews.com/about-kerataconus/chronology/

 
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Posted by on March 12, 2012 in Diary Entries, Dr. Visits, Interesting Stuff, Keratoconus Technology, Little Things That are Better, Pre Surgery, Recovery, Surgery-Story, Tips, Vision Improvements

 

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DALK Transplant – One Year On

04 Mar

photo by Celia Clark

March 9th is the anniversary of my DALK transplant in my left eye, the subject of this blog.  I’m posting a bit early as I have a few moments.  As of one year, I am thrilled that I had the surgery – and forever grateful to the donor and their family.  I’m certain that the posts will slow down now unless I have good reason to post – changes, vision, etc. but I want to thank you for being a part of my story.  I will still monitor for comments and do my best to offer a layperson’s response.  When reading the story – try to go back in time and read the older posts first.

I will be returning to Dr. Holland in a month or so, and I think he’ll be asking me if I was fitted for contacts.  Thus far, I have not built the courage to put anything on my grafted eye.  Soon I will.  I am going to get a new glasses prescription first from my regular eye doctor.  It will be amazing to be able to see with glasses, and I’m thinking that will prompt me to move forward with a RGP lens (Dr. Holland’s recommendation.)  I’m in the primary rejection period for DALK – so am extra vigilant for the RSVP symptoms.  So far, all’s well.

One little aside:

Sometimes we all just forget how precious life is.  How precious love is.  My DALK eye has not forgotten how to shed a tear.  I’m sure those tears are a combination of my own and the loved ones of the donor.  Take today and give someone in your life a hug or a thank you.  It’s easy.  Sign your donor card.  That’s easy, too.

I want to thank my wonderful wife Heather for all of her support, both before and after the surgery.  She was my crutch when I was in pain and always was there to give me the support that only a truly caring wife could give.  She was awake with me that night after surgery when I thought everything was going wrong.  We went on a date recently – at night – and I could see her clearly in the dim dinner light.  Candle fumes used to burn like fire.  Not this time.   I drove there and back – dark outside.  The eye didn’t even come into play.  It was just our date.  This is the combined gift of the donor and my good fortune for meeting her.

 
14 Comments

Posted by on March 4, 2012 in Diary Entries, Recovery, Surgery-Story

 

11 Month Checkup – Graft Clear, Pressure Down – “Go” for Contact Fitting

27 Jan

Had a good appointment with Dr. Holland today.  Especially amazing was the clarity I got on the vision test.  We went through the usual blur-blur-blur series as the technician flipped lenses and asked “now?”.. “now?”…”now?”   Here we go again… but then, almost startlingly, she flipped a lens and the eye chart snapped into focus.  ”Whoa!” I said.  ”Ah, we found the sweet spot” she said.  In 15 years I’ve never seen so clearly through that eye and any correction device.  It was almost overwhelming.

Dr. Holland examined the graft and said it was completely clear and that my eye pressure was down.  I’m reducing the pressure medicines to once daily, and staying off the steroids.  I’m reminded that I am at the peak rejection period for my graft (many, including me, thought that the rejection period peaks right after surgery, but it doesn’t.)

I have bad nearsightedness, even with the astigmatism getting resolved, so vision correction will be part of this plan.  It’s time you could get fitted for a RGP lens….   that scares me.  I have this graft which I have been treating like a delicate piece of crystal.. and now I’m to put a lens on it?   I’ll have to get over this.  Will schedule my fitting in the next couple of weeks.   There is still a possbility that I’ll go with PRK if recommended.

No sutures out this time – and the ones in there now may remain a while.

Next Appt, early Spring.

 
3 Comments

Posted by on January 27, 2012 in Diary Entries, Dr. Visits, Recovery, Vision Improvements

 
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