Friday, August 12, 2011

Getting introduced to Keratoconous

It all started with a casual trip to the optical shop back in 1998.
My little sisters wanted to see how they would look in glasses and somehow, they thought in their young minds, it would be possible to have eyeglasses on if they had their eyes tested. I was just standing around the shop, watching them insist on an eye test so that they could get their glasses on.

My sisters had perfect eyesight.
Sorry girls, no glasses for you.

Since we were already there, I was asked to sit down and have my eyes tested
I simply shrugged off the idea of having problems with my eyesight because
as far as I know, I have 20/20 vision.

I confidently sat on the chair and had my eyes tested.

I didnt know how to react when the optometrist said there was some kind of abnormality and she suggested i see an eye specialist.

I refused to get worried, I thought it was an astigmatism or some sort.
Worst case scenario, I had to wear glasses.

Doctors appointment scheduled for the following weekend
The doctor's name escapes me now but he's like "The Godfather" of eye specialists at that time.
His clinic was somewhere in Taft, and he just had a simple office, void of the intricacies of doctors offices in this era.

He checked on me and confirmed I had Keratoconous.

I didnt know what to say. At that time in my life the only eye conditions i knew of were Cataract, which i always read about in Rizal books, and Glaucoma, since my grandmother had that eye condition.

As per Wikipedia,this is how my condition is described

"Keratoconus (from Greek: kerato- horn, cornea; and konos cone), is a degenerative disorder of the eye in which structural changes within the cornea cause it to thin and change to a more conical shape than its normal gradual curve.

Keratoconus can cause substantial distortion of vision, with multiple images, streaking and sensitivity to light all often reported by the patient. It is typically diagnosed in the patient's adolescent years and attains its most severe state in the twenties and thirties. If afflicting both eyes, the deterioration in vision can affect the patient's ability to drive a car or read normal print"

Okay...I was 15 years old at that time, so yes it was diagnosed in the adolescent years. At that time everybody was excited to have their learners permit and learn how to drive, I guess that will have to take a back seat.

Doctor lectured it was a rare disease among Asians, usually it would be Caucasians who would get it. Wow! Hahaha! He even asked if we were from Baguio. We had a house in Baguio that time and frequently travelled there. He said most Pinoy patients of Keratoconous were from Baguio. Up to this day, i cant find the reason why most of the patients are from Baguio.

Condition known, now off to how to treat it.

That will be in my next entry.

See ya!

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