I had high hopes to come home seeing perfectly through a new scleral lens, but I have to be a bit more patient. The lens felt fine upon initial insertion and my vision seemed clear, but by the time the doctor checked my vision, it was blurrier and I was seeing ghost images of the letters. The doctor looked at my eye under the microscope and determined that the lens was a little too loose. This allows the saline to slowly drain out of the lens pocket, leaving air bubbles that distort vision.
He then fitted me for the next tighter lens and determined the level of correction for that one. The doctor had discussed my situation with the lens manufacturer and this time they are going to try to design a multifocal lens so that I won't need reading glasses.
He sent the original lens home with me so that I can practice insertion and removal. (BTW there is a good video about this at
http://www.sclerallens.org/how-use-scleral-lenses) I can wear it for an hour a day.
We also discussed the lens in my right eye. I told him that my vision was not nearly as sharp with the soft multifocal lens as with glasses, which is exactly opposite of my experiences before LASIK. I did not know if that is because of the change in prescription or the fact that I am 13 years older. The doctor said neither, it's due to the change in eyes post-LASIK. The lenses are designed for naturally curved corneas, whereas post-LASIK corneas are flattened. He said that I could order a second scleral lens for the right eye once we are finished up with the left one. Last appointment he had also brought up corneal refractive therapy, a specially shaped lens worn at night to reshape the cornea so that no correction is needed during the daytime. Either way I think it will need to wait until next year when we can shore up our cafeteria plan for medical expenses.
Hopefully the next lens will do the trick. June 2 will mark five years since my microvascular decompression surgery and I would love to be able to celebrate with clear vision.
