In 2018, Chantique (not her real name) checked in at an eye clinic and awaited her crosslinking treatment. A nurse took her into a room to go through the antibiotics, steroids and eye drops that she would be required to take after the procedure.
Keratoconus is a condition where the cornea becomes thinner and changes from being round to an irregular cone or oval shape, resulting in blurred vision. A corneal transplant used to be the only treatment, but now corneal crosslinking (CXL) is an option.
CXL involves applying liquid riboflavin (vitamin B2) to the cornea and exposing it to ultraviolet light. This stiffens the corneal structure and could slow or even stop the progression of keratoconus. The cornea becomes strengthened and may prevent the need for a transplant.
Chantique was given a hairnet and shoe covers and shown into the operating room. The ophthalmologist positioned a machine over her face. She was given anaesthetic drops and the sight in her left eye went blurry. They put some in her right eye, too, to reduce her desire to blink.
Within seconds, she felt the doctor touching her eye with something. It didn’t hurt – just a small pulling feeling.
Over the next half hour, the nurses applied vitamin B2 drops into her eye at one-minute intervals. While it was strange to see the drops landing on her eye, it was a painless experience.
Then the doctor returned to gently prod her eye and apply the last few drops, pushing her eye to the left and right. Next came the ultraviolet A (UVA) light. The doctor carefully taped her eyelashes back and applied a clamp to keep the eye open.
She would remain there for 30 to 40 minutes, looking at the red-and-blue light made glittery from the continuous eye drops. When it was over, the vitamin liquid was wiped up and her eye was washed. The doctor popped a contact lens bandage onto her eye, removed the clamp, and it was over.
After the procedure, she was instructed to administer antibiotic and steroid drops on a regular basis with hydration drops to keep the eye well lubricated. She didn’t sleep well that night as she experienced some discomfort.
She had been given some anaesthetic drops but was told that using them would probably stop the other drops from working, so she should only use it if it was really bad.
Her eyeball and eyelid were slightly swollen, and the pain was easier to deal with her eyes closed, so she just rested.
Chantique woke up the next day with her eyes much better than before. She was light-sensitive and could feel the contact lens, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle.
By day three she was off the painkillers, and she returned to have the lens bandage removed several days after. Her cornea was healing well.
Chantique is happy that CXL could help her avoid a corneal transplant. She is sharing her story to highlight the importance of maintaining one’s eye health and to schedule regular checkups.
TELEME Healing Life Stories is a collection of inspirational stories of how ordinary people triumph over their health conditions and recover to lead a healthier life after that. Feel free to email [email protected] to share your story.
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