Contact Lens Journey (Part I)

All about the Lenses

Keratoconus & Contact Lenses Experience (Part 1)

There are a few types of lenses that are made for Keratoconus so that people could continue to live a semi-normal life. My first pair of lenses I tried were RGP; they’re these tiny hard contact lenses that only cover the colored surface of the eye. Oh my goodness! These little shit were the most uncomfortable thing I wore.

Continuing from my previous post, my mother and I flew to Barbados to see the doctor#3 that knew more about the condition. The doctor didn’t really tell me a lot about it, it was played off as just a minor condition, nothing to worry about so I chose not to worry about it. Then she fitted me for the RGP, 

“These will feel a bit uncomfortable at first since they’re the tester,” the doctor #3 said.

It took everything in me to get through that fitting, couldn’t wait for it to be over. A couple of weeks after the fitting, my mother and I returned to Barbados to collect my new lenses. I was excited, but a bit nervous. 

When I received and inserted the contact lenses into my eyes, I came to the realization that my expectations were too high. Every time I blinked I felt the edges of the contacts.

The doctor further explained that it will take me a week to get used to it. Again, I tolerated the discomfort and went trying to build-up on the hours.

Honestly, I gave the lenses a solid month, and the only amazing moment during my experience with RGP contacts was taking them out. My eyes jumped joy after removal and pleaded with me to never put them through that pain again. It didn’t take a week for me to adjust. Those little shits never adjusted, and wearing them outdoors was the worst. 

I’m unsure as to why they never worked out. There could be a dozen reasons; it could be they weren’t fitted properly, or my eyes just couldn’t cope with them, or the cleaning routine probably had a lot. 

Looking back at the cleaning routine the doctor recommended, I’m still shocked that it never caused an infection. I was using the Bausch and Lomb Boston cleaning and conditioning solution - most of you were aware of this brand. This is where things get a little strange, I was told nothing about using a saline solution. After cleaning the lenses the doctor told me that I had to rinse it with tap water, then store it in the conditioning solution for at least for hours. Before insertion, I had to again rinse it off using tap water then fill the bowl with the condition solution.

Reminiscing about this moment makes me nauseous. The funny thing is there are doctors that are still advising patients to rinse with tap water. I know this because before I met my current doctor in 2019 (who is God sent), I met with a doctor that rinsed the lenses with tap water.

My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw him rinsing it. I will get into that story later on. 

My message to contact lens wearer and specialist, please don’t ever rinse your lenses with tap water. Stop it! Right Now! Turn that damn tap water off, don’t you dare put those expensive lenses under that tap water. It ends now!

Look! I get it Keratoconus is expensive. Oh my goodness is it expensive, but at the same time you have to try your best to prevent another problem from occurring. Keratoconus is one thing, and sadly there are more things that can happen like an infection which can cause the disease to progress even faster which will cost additional expenses and trauma to a person.

So, if you see a doctor getting ready to put your brand new RGP lenses under the tap to rinse, get your ass up and say,

“Nah uh! Aunty Shaki said don’t do that crap!” You can snap your finger and twirl your neck, just don’t break it, please.

On a serious note, the cleaning and storing process of your contact lenses is absolutely important. If you’ll like me too, I will do a post showing you how I clean and store my contact lenses on a daily basis.  Just e-mail or comment below and I’ll do it.

Back to my contact lens journey, after that dreadful month, I decided to complete college with my bare sight. It wasn’t until I moved to Barbados and began university which was a year after, that I realized that the disease was bigger than everyone played it out to be.

It was my first lecture, the first time being in an auditorium. I remember sitting in the center third row from the stage. My notebook was out, my pens were lined up and I was ready to learn - I must admit, I was a bit of a nerd. Fifteen minutes later, the lecturer waltzes in, I was able to see him quite well.  After his introduction, he began to write and I saw nothing. 

At first, I thought he was playing a prank or pretending to write until I glanced around the lecture hall and everyone was writing. I tried squinting, still nothing. I become uneasy, uncomfortable, out of place. The tears began filling up in the corners of my eyes, the voice in my head was telling me to get up and run out of there, but how could I? It was packed, and I disliked when the attention was placed on me. The next thought was to pretend, which I did. I scribbled random crap in my notebook; it was the longest two hours ever. 

I didn’t know how to handle the situation, for the remainder of the day I was out of it completely. The next day, I went to a different lecture in another auditorium but the same results. This time I sat next to a young lady who asked me why I wasn’t writing. I don’t know if you get the same feeling, but with me I felt ashamed to tell someone that I was unable to see. 

She could tell that I was embarrassed when I told her. Her response was “ don’t worry you’ll get the notes from me.” Back then it was shocking for someone to be that kind… well to me. I had never experienced such kindness, especially from a stranger. 

After that class, I booked another appointment with doctor #4 who told me that since the RGP lenses didn’t work in my favor I’ll have to do a transplant. I was appalled. How was it that every doctor I  met kept saying

“it’s a minor condition,”

“it’s not that serious,” 

Yet, I was being told that the only way to fix it is by replacing my cornea with a donor. Sorry, but something in the Koolaid wasn’t mixing right.

Being told that information at the age of nineteen made me nervous, and confused. I felt lost. I longed for answers about keratoconus. Google hardly had any information; the more I searched the more emotional I became. It seemed like hardly anyone had keratoconus. 

Luckily, my father was close to the Governor-General of St.Vincent and he recommended Bascom Palmer for me to get another opinion. Unfortunately, I had to wait six months for an appointment. Don’t forget, it’s my first year at university, I couldn’t see in any of my classes. This made me worry about how I was going to get through the remainder of the first semester and the second. 

Shortly after the young lady who was giving me notes had asked how everything was going and I gave her an update. Her name’s Derika. She effortlessly said, “Okay, I’ll help you.” Her help was going to the classes with me while she wrote the notes and then she taught me all of the courses. Up to this day, I am still convinced, she is the reason I got all A’s in my first year. She’s a keeper and the best friend anyone could pray for.

Flashforward to six months, my parents and I flew to Miami to visit doctor #5 who knew the most about the disease. Apparently I was still in the mild category and had a lot of options available, and there was a better contact lens available called “Synergy Lens.” The was an RGP lens surrounded by a soft lens. 

This lens was what crack meant to a crackhead. It became my drug.

Stay safe Luvs! x

Up Next is “Contact Lens Journey (Part II)”