My initial impressions of my new Sclerals lens.

[Jill Marie]

Hi Jim,

Please don't give up, if the doctor doesn't think he/she can help you then try another doctor.  There's got to be something that will work for you.  Hang in there, Jill

[badyellowvette]

There is just no other Doctors around here that fit the Scleral lens. Next Closest I found is 3 hours and I can't drive that anymore with my eye this way and I don't have anybody to help me with that. And how many trips would it take? I am on my sixth visit this Wednesday for this one.
I have been trying and trying this one but after wearing for 4-6 hours my eye seems worse after taking it out then it would have been if I hadn't wore it at all. So it's not helping my situation at all. I will see on Wednesday.

[Jill Marie]

Jim,  The lens shouldn't be giving you that much trouble.  I would try lenses that weren't working in hopes that things would get better but they didn't, 5 days later I would quit and the eye doctor told me I should have said something sooner.  If it doesn't work right away it's not going to.  Learning how to put the lens in and out takes some time but wearing it shouldn't be a problem. 

What size lens do you have?  Mine is a 15, do you have an 18, it's bigger and harder to work with.

My lens came from Valley Contax, you can check it out online, it's the 15 lens.  You can also check out Visionary Optics they have the Jupiter Lens which is I believe where Valley Contax gets my lens. 

Where do you live, perhaps you mentioned it before and I don't recall. 

My lens wasn't really fitted, no special measuring, just tried a couple different lenses tell we found the one that fit the best.  Seems like there has to be a better way for you.  So very sorry it's not working out, hope that changes. 

Hang in there, Jill

[badyellowvette]

Jill,   My lens is a 15. Getting it in and out isn't a problem anymore but it shouldn't be irritating my eye so bad. How long can others wear their lens?
I live in north central PA about an hour from the NY border. Everything is about 3 hours away, Eire, Buffalo, Pittsburgh.
 Thanks for the encouragement.

[Jill Marie]

Hi Jim, 

I was hoping that the lens was bigger and that was why it was bothering you.  I sure wish I knew why you're having so much trouble with the lens. 

When I first started wearing my lens I had it in for 2 hours then increased it by 2 hours a day tell I was wearing it from the moment I put it in first thing in the morning tell I went to bed.  I can even take a 2 hour nap with it in. 

Do you have a prescription in the lens?  My doctor put one in and I couldn't wear the lens without it bothering me.  They changed the lens a bit and tried it again, no luck.  I told her I didn't care about having a prescription in it, I just didn't want to hurt anymore so we went back to the first lens.  We tried a couple of different sizes, think there was a 16 and a 17 but they didn't work, felt like my eyelid was catching on the lens.

When I broke my first lens they gave me a temporary replacement while they ordered a new one.  They said the lens was exactly the same as the one I had but it was to loose and irritated my eye severely.  I was really worried because I thought the lens I broke was the only one that would ever work since the temporary one didn't work for me.  Thankfully when I got the new lens it worked great once my eye healed from the irritation from the temporary lens. 

Sure hope some of what I just said helps you.  Take Care, Jill

[saralynn143]

The more I hear the more I think you might benefit from a hybrid lens (gas permeable center, soft lens edge). Go to http://www.synergeyes.com/ - there is a place right on the home page to enter your zip code and find the nearest doctor in your area.

Also, I can't find the article again right now, but I read that actually the larger the lens the more comfortable it can be since the eye is more sensitive closer to the cornea than further away.

[badyellowvette]

 I wore the lens for 5 hours when it all went bad driving home from work. Had to pull over and take it out. Lens was working good today outside and after taking it out eye isn't hurting too bad, about like normal.
My eye gets red in a area through the middle maybe a little more the 1/8" wide all they way across my eye. Seems like the area that is not covered by my blink. My eye shuts when I close them but when I normally blink it doesn't shut far enough. That is some of my problem.
Found a doctor that carries the SynergEyes lens not too far away. I will call them tomorrow to see if they carry the one I need.

[Jill Marie]

Jim,  Sure hope the SynergEyes lens work for you, glad to hear you found one not to far away.  I have a spot just on the edge of my cornea that gets irritated when I don't get enough rest/over work my eye, it usually clears up when I treat it nicer.  Good luck, you deserve a break!  Jill

[badyellowvette]

I called the new Doctor today and they never started using the Synergeyes lens. They inquired about it for a someone but never went any further. There is no other Doctors listed.

[saralynn143]

Darn darn and double darn. I am running out of ideas. But here is one more - ask your doctor about piggybacking a soft lens under the scleral. See the section about piggybacking here: http://www.revoptom.com/continuing_education/tabviewtest/lessonid/108308/

[badyellowvette]

Doctor took my lens back, she said it was stuck to my cornea and would cause damage if I continue using it. She said they did everything she could do for me, there was no more changing the Scleral lens to fit. They were going to check if a bigger lens would work but I have not heard back about that.

I asked if a regular contact would help and she said another Doctor that works there has had luck fitting some soft contact for dry eye so she ordered one of those.

They do carry the Synergeye hybrid lens but she said that would not work at all for the problem I am having. Going to be two week before I can get back there.

Working in the wind was hell without the Scleral today.

[badyellowvette]

Piggybacking sounds interesting, going to ask about it next time.

[saralynn143]

Do you have some moisture chamber goggles to wear outside? See here: http://www.dryeyeshop.com/all-eyewear-c104.aspx

I have a pair of onion goggles, Dustbusters and WileyX glasses. They all help to some extent in conjunction with Theratears Gel drops. Be sure to check the discount page.

I have to say I'm not liking your doctor's attitude. Just because that scleral lens did not fit does not mean they have done everything they can for you. I'm not an eye doctor and maybe she is right that the SynergEyes won't work, but I'm sure curious why not. Also a bigger lenses will fully vault the cornea, so keep pressing for an answer.

[badyellowvette]

Thanks Saralynn, The Doctor explained why the Synergeyes lens would not work, I forget why, something about it would stick to my eye even worst because they are made not to move.
I have all kinds of glasses and goggles for the motorcycle and work, I spray chemicals all the time. They do help but are not for all situations, they sure fog up easy.

[badyellowvette]

Well....I got a soft lens yesterday, Acuvue Oasys one month disposable. It seems to work better then the Scleral lens. Still not perfect eye gets blurry and I have to use drops quite often about the same as the Scleral lens. Difference is I can't feel this at all and it is easy to get in and out. Like the Scleral it protects my eye from wind and anything else that irritates it so my eye doesn't bother me at all while wearing it.

Doctor says that the daily disposable would even work better because of the moisture content so she ordered me a sample pack of them. I like that idea, wear it and throw it away at the end of the day. They are kind of pricey $180 for 6 months but that might be for two lens so that might last me a year.

Sure hope others find this thread that are seeking help for a dry eye and it gives them help in deciding how to deal with it.