Boston Sclera Lens...Relief

[ChristineNY]

Adjusting well

Hi DCRdreye,

Maybe your eyes were so dry being out to 3AM....LOL having a few lagers down there

I am adjusting really well to them now, on my 3rd week with the lenses and definitely finding it much easier to take them in and out and in the routine of the care for them.
I have an appt with my eye dr here in NY on the 25th for a check up and for him to report back to BFS on my progress but they also tell you the signs to look for if there is any problem or swelling of the cornea while wearing them.

I am happy to hear you are comfortable with your eye dr because you need to be so you can express how you are feeling and they are really listening to help you get better results on relief. I think the whole reason why they work is with patience in the whole trial and error process of fittings, so if it takes awhile don't let it get you down...you will get there.

Let us know how you do with the fittings and the comfort. Christine

[markmark]

Hello Christine,

Congrats on your new scleral lenses. I also, was fitted for lenses last October at BFS. Dr Carasquillo was my Dr. too! Unfortunately the lenses didn't work for me. I was having such a mucous build-up,(even on the inside of the lens) that I couldn't see out of them after a 1/2 hour. I am so glad my insurance covered them. Dr Carasquillo really worked really hard trying to help me. Everyone there is great! I seen first hand how many people they have helped. I am hoping they will develop a better plasma coating. I guess they are working on that too. I stick them in every couple of weeks just to see if my eyes have improved enough to wear them.

I also have to give a shout out to the Sheraton Needham! They were very accommodating! The shuttle bus driver Ernie was the best! (Is he still there?) The surrounding restaurants were very good, and the free breakfasts and evening snacks on the 5th floor helped with the costs of food.

If anyone goes, and you don't mind walking, its about a 1.5 mile walk to the subway from the hotel if you want to visit downtown Boston on the weekend. Its a very beautiful city with alot of history. Cheers!

Mark

[ChristineNY]

Markmark

Dr. Carrasquillo is just a doll and so determined to help people.

Now a suggestion for you on the mucus issue. I am having the same problem in my left eye with the mucus buildup inside the lens, here is what she has me doing to eliminate that and it is worth a try for you to see if it helps.

I am putting one vial of Celluvisc drops in the lens and then the saline solution on top of that because the Celluvisc vial does not fill the lens but it fills it about 3/4 of the way and then top off with Saline. This definitely seems to be helping that issue and also I do change my solutions in them about every 6 to 7 hours. She recommended that to me because of some other issues I have with my right eye that had the corneal transplant.

Try that out and let me know how it works for you.

I am still waiting to hear back from my insurance company if they will pay for them so I paid out of pocket and Jinny (insurace rep BFS) said she will help me out with writing any appeals to my carrier if they deny me reimbursement.

Yes Ernie is still there, what a nice guy. They all are very nice up there at BFS and the Sheraton.

I hope the Celluvisc works for you. Have a good day Everyone !!!

Christine

[bernmee]

Odydnas,

Dr. Gagnon was going to refer me to this place if the pain didn't improve, he thought I would be a good candidate, despite the fact that I have a schirmers of 35 and a TBUT of 8, but I did have dry spots on the cornea.

Thankfully the pain seems to have eased up, and hopefully it will remain that way, but the patients description of the level of pain seems to be the determining factor.

BErnadette

[markmark]

Dr. Carrasquillo is just a doll and so determined to help people.

Now a suggestion for you on the mucus issue. I am having the same problem in my left eye with the mucus buildup inside the lens, here is what she has me doing to eliminate that and it is worth a try for you to see if it helps.

I am putting one vial of Celluvisc drops in the lens and then the saline solution on top of that because the Celluvisc vial does not fill the lens but it fills it about 3/4 of the way and then top off with Saline. This definitely seems to be helping that issue and also I do change my solutions in them about every 6 to 7 hours. She recommended that to me because of some other issues I have with my right eye that had the corneal transplant.

Try that out and let me know how it works for you.

I am still waiting to hear back from my insurance company if they will pay for them so I paid out of pocket and Jinny (insurace rep BFS) said she will help me out with writing any appeals to my carrier if they deny me reimbursement.

Yes Ernie is still there, what a nice guy. They all are very nice up there at BFS and the Sheraton.

I hope the Celluvisc works for you. Have a good day Everyone !!!

Christine

Christine,

Thanks for your reply. Dr. Carasquillo also tried Celluvisc with me. I did help some. Better than just using the Unisol. But still not enough. I didn't list that on my last post because I am a real slow typer, and when I take to long I get kicked off and I have to re-log on! LOL

Mark

[ChristineNY]

Markmark

LOL - sorry the Celluvisc did not work for you on helping with that problem.

I do have to tell you, it does not totally eliminate the mucus but definitely helps

I am so sorry they do not work for you, maybe when you go back for your yearly visit Dr. Carrasquillo can alter the lenses for you to be better

[VICTORIA UMBERG]

boston sclera lens

Hi..we are presently doing the paperwork to take our 10 year old daughter to Boston for a fitting of one lens this summer. She has/had a orbital tumor which after 7 surgeries has left her with an eyelid that doesnt blink as frequently or thoroughly as normal. She suffers from scarring and DES as a result. I am quite nervous about the financial investment and whether she will be able to pull this off, that is getting the lens in and out independently. She is a mature little girl..does anyone have a child with the Sclera lens experience? Do you carry insurance on these lens? Do they crack easily if youre not gentle? How far into the process can you get before you can drop out without the financial responsibility? She is so high maintneace with hourly eye drops, she is also cauterized on the bottom and plugged in the top, does this pose a problem? What about wearing these at nite..my daughters lid doesnt close and thats a high maintence deal too..Do these lens "stick out"? Thanks for any info...Vicky in dry Denver...

[Rebecca Petris]

does anyone have a child with the Sclera lens experience?

Victoria, I've known people with children who wear sclerals but I don't think we've ever had any on the bulletin board here. Feel free to give me a call if you like. 877-693-7939 (leave a message and I'll call back).

Do you carry insurance on these lens? Do they crack easily if youre not gentle?

One of my lenses is nearly 3 years old and is doing fine. I'm very careful, but stuff happens, they do drop now and then. As long as you take precautions they are fine. I've once broken a smaller gas perm but not a scleral.

How far into the process can you get before you can drop out without the financial responsibility? She is so high maintneace with hourly eye drops, she is also cauterized on the bottom and plugged in the top, does this pose a problem?

Best to address these questions to BFS I think.

What about wearing these at nite..my daughters lid doesnt close and thats a high maintence deal to

You can't wear these lenses at night. For that I'd recommend the Tranquileyes goggle - I know of several children who do. My daughter (6yo) has one for fun and it fits her just fine.

.Do these lens "stick out"?

No, at any rate, I've never noticed them in anyone I've met wearing sclerals.

Another thought in the meantime, have you tried any protective eyewear on her to perhaps reduce lubricating needs or at any rate keep her more comfortable? The BabyBanz company makes a product called KidBanz and they have it available now with clear lenses. It's the closest-fitting thing, closest to a moisture chamber, that I've been able to find for kids. I recently tried a pair on my daughter and was impressed with how well they sealed her in. For us grown-ups protective eyewear sometimes makes all the difference between unmanageable and manageable pain.

[hkgcomet]

Do anyone got expenience on hard GP lens?
Would it protect eye from dry and wind? or it makes more dry?

I don't have any hybrid or bosten lens here, or it would be XXX expersive to go to foreign country to get one...

[DCRdryeye]

First fitting of custom made scleral

It was an exciting day for me today to finally try my custom made scleral lens (I only got one made in case I didn't take to it). I remember the first consultation a few weeks ago I tried the "generic" sclerals and they were excrutiatingly uncomfortable so I was anticipating something similar today.

To my surprise, when my optometrist placed the scleral onto my eye... it was VERY comfortable. It didn't hurt when I moved my eye from side to side and when the optometrist touched it...I didn't realize he had actually taken it out!! I couldn't tell the difference if it was in my eye or not I was sooo happy

The scleral does need to be cut back a bit because it's slightly too wide for my eye and the edges touch when looking to the side, which displaces the lens a bit (not that I noticed). My optometrist said it was better to have them made slightly larger (where it can always be cut back) rather than too small.

There's also a bit of blurriness to the lens and I was told that will be adjusted as we continue the fitting. I'm to use the one lens over the next one month, then go in and it will be taken away from me so it can be machined back slightly. I will then order the second scleral lens. Personally, I think it's easier to learn to deal with just one scleral at a time in terms of putting it in and out and cleaning.

My optometrist was very gentle when he placed the lens onto my eye, I really didn't feel any discomfort at all. I was also able to place the lens into my eye very easily, however, it was a lot more tricky removing it.

I was shown how to place the lens in with just my hand (no assistance with a suction device).

I was also told I can use any unpreserved artificial tears inside the lens I desire. A suggestion was Poly-visc or Cellu-visc. I will experiment with Thera Tears liquid gel which I find to work best for me.

I know there are some obstacles to overcome yet, such as getting a good fit for the "other" eye, correcting blurriness, etc.

[ChristineNY]

DCRdryeye

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like great news and for you to not feel the lens in at all...wonderful

I wish you continued success and please keep us updated as you go through your first month.

I use the Celluvisc in my lens and then top it off with the preservative free saline solution (we have to use the saline only for 2 days and keep it in the fridge). I find the coldness of the liquid very soothing when inserting the lens.

I just went for my month check up with wearing the Boston lens and received an all good across the board on the health of my cornea and adjusting to the lenses.

[DCRdryeye]

ChristineNY

Thank-you very much Christine. I was wondering what you're routine is for cleaning and storage of your scleral lens and if you place it under running tap water.

I was given "Boston Simplus, Multi-Action Solution" to use and was told not to wash the lenses with tap water (due to bacteria). So apparently, store the lenses in Simplus solution over night, and in the morning give them a clean with the Simplus again...and insert into the eye (along with saline, etc into the lens).

The container the lens are kept in is to be washed with water and dried under the sun.

Christine it's great you're getting so much relief with the sclerals, considering the bad luck (surgeries, etc) you've had with your eye you deserve the comfort.

Thanks for your ongoing support...

[ChristineNY]

DCRdryeye

Yes it is nice to finally find comfort and vision all at once.....yes something out there does work...I only wish it could work for everyone with pain.

Actually my routine is:

I have the cage container they gave me because they do not fit in the standard one for contacts and at night when I take them out of my eyes I rub them about 15 seconds with miraflow and then rinse it with the preservative free saline solution, then fill the little bottle (they sleep in ) with Oxysept and the tablet it comes with for the night.

In the morning I rinse the lenses with the saline again then fill them with one Celluvisc vial and top off with saline. I rinse the cage and container with a quick squirt of saline and let air dry until I need them at the end of the day.

They said no water, I only rinse the outside of the container with water, holding it upside down under the tap, to rinse off the outside.

Then start all over again so since they said we can only use the saline solution for 2 days and keep it refrigerated you only get 2 days out of a 3ox bottle anyway
I have found CVS brand to be the cheapest and just the right amount for 2 days.

I am so happy for you that you have found relief!

[bella]

Sclera lenses

Hi, I was just wondering do you have to put saline solution in the lens or can you just put perservative-free tears in instead? I think I am sensitive to saline solutions and although I don't wear contacts I know the saline solutions or eye washes burn in my eyes. I'm thinking about getting a sclera lens, I guess it wouldn't be the boston one cause I would get it from my eye clinic in chicago but i'm skeptical on how this would all work. I see you mention there are cheaper versions that aren't as good. I'm not sure if it would be like when you get regular contacts, how you have trials...it sounds like you went through different lenses. My coreas are ok I would think as I use drops like every 10-15 mins. sometimes, but I'm so tired of the pain and of doing this. I have a high astigmatism but just need glasses for reading, driving at night, computer etc, so my vision isn't bad it is just the severe dry eye and not finding relief. How much do you still need to put in artificial tears with the lens in? I'm just wondering if this would really cut down significantly my drops.

Thanks,
Bella

[browneyes]

hi Bella,

which eye clinic in Chicago fits the scleral lenses? How much does it cost?

thanks!