I really wanted everything to be okay.
I wanted to be well again. Everyone wanted me to be well. I remember my optometrist when I had left her office just days before, smiling and waving me off, seeming finally satisfied that she had found a solution to this problem that had plagued us both for over a year.
But now days later, as I sat at the kitchen table, I was hopelessly discouraged and my children were confused.
“But you see well with them,” they said.
My experience with my new scleral lenses had deteriorated within the first few days of wearing them. First, I noticed that when I took the tiny plunger and gently plucked them for my eyes, there was a deep, circular indentation. That was after only one hour of wear-time.
I initially thought that my eyes needed to get used to the new lenses. But eventually wearing them became painful and I noticed some discharge - after only four hours of wear-time. That was a clear sign of an impending infection.
The scleral lenses were too tight, sucking unto my eyes and probably cutting off vital oxygen and blood flow.
I didn’t know what to do because my next appointment was not for another two months.
I decided to contact John Thatcher from the support group, describing the problem along with pictures of my eyes. I was hoping he would give me some advice, or just reassure me that this was normal, because he had worn a scleral lens from many years. Thankfully, he responded immediately, insisting that I stop wearing these lenses and contact my optometrist straightaway.
I put away my package of hope – the lenses, the plungers and the solutions and dashed off a quick email (including the pictures of my eyes) to my optometrist.
I didn't receive any response from my optometrist. Not then.
But enough was enough. And that’s when I booked in another appointment for my GP, deciding that come hell or high water, I was going to get a referral to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.
I wanted to be well again. Everyone wanted me to be well. I remember my optometrist when I had left her office just days before, smiling and waving me off, seeming finally satisfied that she had found a solution to this problem that had plagued us both for over a year.
But now days later, as I sat at the kitchen table, I was hopelessly discouraged and my children were confused.
“But you see well with them,” they said.
My experience with my new scleral lenses had deteriorated within the first few days of wearing them. First, I noticed that when I took the tiny plunger and gently plucked them for my eyes, there was a deep, circular indentation. That was after only one hour of wear-time.
I initially thought that my eyes needed to get used to the new lenses. But eventually wearing them became painful and I noticed some discharge - after only four hours of wear-time. That was a clear sign of an impending infection.
The scleral lenses were too tight, sucking unto my eyes and probably cutting off vital oxygen and blood flow.
I didn’t know what to do because my next appointment was not for another two months.
I decided to contact John Thatcher from the support group, describing the problem along with pictures of my eyes. I was hoping he would give me some advice, or just reassure me that this was normal, because he had worn a scleral lens from many years. Thankfully, he responded immediately, insisting that I stop wearing these lenses and contact my optometrist straightaway.
I put away my package of hope – the lenses, the plungers and the solutions and dashed off a quick email (including the pictures of my eyes) to my optometrist.
I didn't receive any response from my optometrist. Not then.
But enough was enough. And that’s when I booked in another appointment for my GP, deciding that come hell or high water, I was going to get a referral to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.
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