My initial impressions of my new Sclerals lens.

[saralynn143]

Tell me about your suction cup. Is it solid or does it have a hollow core? If it's solid look for the other type. That way you can control the level of suction and move it if you need to. Further up I refer to a couple of my blog posts. Look for the one about Dry Eye Triumph. It has pictures of what I mean.

It took me a while to find the sweet spot for removing my lens with the suction cup. Keep trying. I tried a different spot every night until I found the one that worked best. Make sure you place the suction cup close to the edge of the lens but not partially on the eye because that really hurts. One other trick is to gently move the lens in a very small arc to break the suction before trying to remove it. Like moving the clock hands from seven to eight and back.

I suppose worse case is that you will have to learn to use your fingers. I keep thinking I should learn to do that in case of emergency, but I haven't done it yet.

The only other thing that comes to mind is the possibility that your lens fits a bit too snug but I understand they aren't very comfortable in that case so probably not.

Best,
Sara

[ginsue]

Jim,
I have read  this whole thread. I am glad that you sent me an email. A lot of this is a repeat but I know that we are not the only ones that have this problem.   I think that the cloudiness will clear once you quit with the ointment for a few days.  The cloudiness is actually under the lens so forcing a blink will not help. This is a common problem with scleral lenses, so I was told by my doctor.  A mucus also builds up on the outside of the lens and sticks on to it pretty hard.  Once this happens you will have to take the lens out and clean it then reinsert it. Instead of two hours like it use to be I get 8hrs  when I stopped using ointment all together.  I use Opti-Free multi purpose and rub the film off inside and outside with my fingertip in the palm of my hand.  You also should be  cleaning it at night with a peroxide base disinfectant.   It sound to me that you have an actual scleral lens.  Mine is Europa lens which is the next generation of the old Jupiter lens. They are different care and size of other lenses so the problems may vary.  Also make sure that you are using a preservative free saline, I use Unisome 4.  When I am taking out my lens I was told to use the small solid plunger.  I douse my eye with saline and wet the tip of the plunger, then you need to attach it so the whole plunger is on the edge of the lens,  so between the pupil and the rim. 
Best of luck, Sue

[ginsue]

PS.  I know this sound difficult but I just do not know what I would do without it.  If it cost ten times more than it did I would still have invested knowing what life is like with a scleral lens!!!!!!               

[badyellowvette]

Tell me about your suction cup. Is it solid or does it have a hollow core? If it's solid look for the other type. That way you can control the level of suction and move it if you need to. Further up I refer to a couple of my blog posts. Look for the one about Dry Eye Triumph. It has pictures of what I mean.

It took me a while to find the sweet spot for removing my lens with the suction cup. Keep trying. I tried a different spot every night until I found the one that worked best. Make sure you place the suction cup close to the edge of the lens but not partially on the eye because that really hurts. One other trick is to gently move the lens in a very small arc to break the suction before trying to remove it. Like moving the clock hands from seven to eight and back.

I suppose worse case is that you will have to learn to use your fingers. I keep thinking I should learn to do that in case of emergency, but I haven't done it yet.

The only other thing that comes to mind is the possibility that your lens fits a bit too snug but I understand they aren't very comfortable in that case so probably not.

Best,
Sara

I have the solid suction cup Sara. It is getting easier to get out. Had a good day with the lens today, didn't get cloudy until about 6 hours working outside.

[saralynn143]

That's good news. Hope it continues to improve for you.

[badyellowvette]

Had the lens in for almost 10 hours today. Didn't brother me to much especially when I got busy. I was working in some dusty conditions also that didn't seem to brother me. It did start getting cloudy toward the end that is why I took it out. The no ointment at night might be helping but the goggles I'm wearing at night are a pain. Have to order the moisture chamber eye patch. Had a heck of a time getting it out tonight. The suction cup holds on to it but the lens is stuck to my eye really hard. Have to talk to the Doctor about it Wendsday when I see her.

By the way how do you get an Avatar on your profile? Wanted to put a picture on there for a while now and it never works for me. Have Avatars on other forums can't seem too make this one work. 

Jim

[Jill Marie]

Hi Jim,  Good to see ya! One of these days I will figure out how to do the pic thing too! 

I too use the solid lens remover, my eye doctor told me to use it, can't remember why she said to use it instead of the hollow one.  It's been quite a while since I had any problem getting my lens out, have had both issues, plunger not sticking to lens and plunger sticking to lens and lens sticking to eye.  I remember well how much it hurt when I pulled the lens of my eye when the lens didn't want to come off.  Seems to me that the lens sticking to your eye isn't so much a problem of how you are removing the lens as it is with the lens fitting itself.  I agree with Sara, seems like the fit isn't quite right.  It's been about a year and a half since I got the lens so my memory isn't that great about the first few weeks I had the lens but it seems to that I couldn't feel the lens in my eye at all and wanted to keep it in longer then the doctor wanted me to.  The fact that you say the lens didn't bother you to much, makes me wonder if it's the right lens for you.  I got my lens a couple of weeks before Christmas and after Christmas tree hunting a few days before Christmas I took a nap in the truck with the lens in and didn't feel a thing.  As I mentioned before it could just be that your eye needs a bit more time to heal and adjust.  There are so many variables to this lens thing, hope you find what works for you soon!

As for taking out the lens, I made myself think about it more the last couple of nights so I could tell you what I do.  I place the plunger in the middle horizontally and at the bottom of the lens vertically then slide it up to release the suction. 

I haven't tried the goggles or moisture chamber, just use a regular eye patch.  One of these days I might give the chamber a try along with not using eye ointment but for now I'm happy with what I'm doing! 

Jill

[Jill Marie]

Hi Sue,

I will have to look at some of my lens paper work but I believe my lens is a Jupiter lens, next time I see my lens eye doctor I will ask her about the lens you have.  However, I probably won't try it as I'm so happy with the one I have I see no reason to fix what isn't broken. 

My lens eye doctor asked me to see my regular eye doctor that sent me to her for a vision check and tell him about my lens so he could refer others that could benefit from it.  I'm tempted to make my appointment for the last one of the day so I don't keep him from his other patients while I tell him about all the benefits of the lens and how much it has improved my life. 

Glad to hear the lens is working so well for you too!  Jill

[badyellowvette]

Nothing I do is helping with the lens sticking to my eye maybe it is too tight, have to see if the Doctor can help. She said that they changed it as much as possible the last time to help that. It is so tight when I get the scution cup attached to the lens and try to move the lens to the side or up and down to release it, it moves my eye ball instead, that is a weird feeling.

[saralynn143]

See if this helps with your avatar questions:
http://www.anausa.org/smf/index.php?topic=2823.msg29799#msg29799

[saralynn143]

I'm not an eye doctor, but that does not sound right. I would definitely check with the doctor. Has she ever removed the lens for you?

Nothing I do is helping with the lens sticking to my eye maybe it is too tight, have to see if the Doctor can help. She said that they changed it as much as possible the last time to help that. It is so tight when I get the scution cup attached to the lens and try to move the lens to the side or up and down to release it, it moves my eye ball instead, that is a weird feeling.

[saralynn143]

Jill, I started with a solid suction cup. Once I had the lens out, I would have to drag the suction cup off the side of the lens to release it and I was always afraid of scratching the lens.

With the hollow core remover, I squeeze it, then position it on the lens and release the squeeze to engage the suction and grab the lens. Then I squeeze it again to release the suction and drop the lens into the palm of my hand for cleaning. If I have not positioned it correctly, I can squeeze it to reposition. The solid one would be stuck tight and it was sometimes very painful to get the lens out.

Hope that made sense.

[badyellowvette]

Doctor takes it out with fingers, she doesn't like the plunger.

[saralynn143]

My doctor takes it out with his fingers too. Gives me the creeps though. He prefers the hollow core remover if I have to use one, though.

[ginsue]

Jim my lens will stick to my eye too if I don't take it out properly. Seems like my eyeball wants to come out with the lens, not a good feeling at all.  The solution that I have found is squirting so much saline into my eye that it runs down my face then wetting the plunger with saline too, the lens comes out very easy. Please give this a try.  I was feeling like Marty Feldman before trying this.  LOL