A Keratoconus Patient Struggles with Scleral Lenses

Whoever said patience is a virtue, never worked with bubbles in their eyes!

Almost a year ago I was fitted for and given my first pair of scleral lenses. I was so excited I could finally see clearer than I have ever seen before! However roughly 2 weeks after I got the contacts the trouble started.

The right lens after 2 hours would start to get foggy and there would be a yellow ring around lights. Every I'd blink I'd see little circles moving upwards across my line of vision. Taking it out and reinserting it fixed the issue for another 2 hours. Calling the contact doctor I told him the trouble with the lens. Went back down got fitted for the second lens.

Lens #2 lasted half an hour with the same results. Took it back got fitted for the third lens. That one suctioned to my eye, which is terrifying trying to get it out...

Took that one back and lenses #4 and #5 were just as bad. Lens #6 the lab sent the wrong one. It lasted 35 minutes. Finally lens 7 was a little better than the first one. However after 2-3 hours it was still getting bubbles and fogginess in.

What I was seeing withe the new
lenses in both eyes for 3 days until
I could go back and get the old pair.

Upon calling back and telling them again the same results were happening with the lenses I was told nothing more could be done with the lens. Clearly upset that the original problem was not being fixed I started looking for a new doctor for contact lens. After finally finding one I went to see her and found out that the contacts I've been wearing were not fitted correctly. I had got Keratoconjunctivitis from the contacts. Eye drop (which I have a new found hatred for ) were given to me to help the keratoconguntivitis. A right lens was fitted. Currently I am still waiting for the insurance company to say yes or no to the new contact. In the mean time the first contact doctor called saying they having a consultant coming in and she'd like to see me . I went in and got the new pair both contacts completely fogged up after 45 minutes, and now calling again I am wearing the old set until a new set can be remade.

This whole experience has been over the past year. It's been frustrating at work having to change the contacts every other hour. There's been a lot of comments and stares as I've inserted and taken them out. If I had a dollar for every time I heard "Why don't you just wear glasses?" Or don't you know how to put in your contacts like normal I would be rich by now. also the amount of saline I've been going through is insane about a box of 100 a week.

Hopefully the waiting game will be over soon and a new lens will actually work. It's hard to be optimistic but I'm learning to be patient and deal with it.

By Jennifer Newcamp