These where memorable days for me as they changed my life. It was the time that I learned not only from friends from our forum, but also from my personal experience, the subtleties of the condition. It took me two years to realize from research that hard lenses are more dangerous than is usually discussed, and they should be "handled with care” by being used with extreme caution and attention. This was the time in which my eye sight worsened and the cornea's of my eyes distorted, because of the constant rubbing that I experienced with badly fitted hard lenses (which I did not know at the time was happening). I had just found a good optician that fitted me perfectly in hard lenses in Greece, when I contacted German professionals, and after which Corneal Crosslinking was performed to treat my Keratoconus one time.

After the first months passed my vision stabilized. I am glad that after five years I can say that my vision has stayed the same. I was fitted with glasses once my vision had stabilized, and since then I am still wearing glasses when before only hard lenses could correct my vision. Recently the parameters for my glasses were slightly changed; this was because my current optician did a better refraction examination for the fitting of my glasses, not because the eye had changed. To say the least, I am eternally grateful for the vision and the life I have now. I am still using glasses reaching 100% correction from both eyes.

I still sometimes remember that my eyes are not perfect, but also that they are perfect considering the fact I can wear glasses now fully, and this was only due to having Crosslinking alone as a treatment, which was a great bonus in my case. To me able to wear glasses comfortably without the need (or the need to endure the on-going risks) of medical contact lenses is nothing short of an absolute blessing to be able to do, and everyones right to be able to do with out the need for not only invasive contact lenses but also invasive surgery, and the chance for this should be made available for them. I find my eyes are more relaxed while reading than before treatment, with there being now better uncorrected vision also. You know, I stay 9 to10 hours per day in front of the PC at work. I am still trying to change this habit, but work is something which is mandatory for me..

In the early days before I knew not to, I used to rub my eyes using fingers in to my eyes when using the palm of my hands would have been better, now I know its better to avoid any trauma to the eye altogether. During the time I had to use hard lenses - whilst putting them in to my eyes and taking them out, there was plenty of friction and rubbing caused as well. I used to put pressure on my eyes without realizing the damage I was doing. After I changing my attitude, and after my Crosslinking treatment, I managed to stabilize my vision and from that have been able to live a normal life up to now. It is a great feeling to finally being treated and having eyes which are strong now at the front, when previously they where not. What was needed from my side to achieve this was so little and simple. I just started handling my eyes with more care, and by doing so, getting the eye care that was required as equally, and as early and as quickly as I could, which is what reaped its rewards. What I was sure about was since my first report on my treatment, Crosslinking would (and has) become available to patients globally.

There is no way to predict the distant future to come, but reading the news of the latest advances in medicine, I feel very positive that most and hopefully all of us will cope in a certain way with this condition, and we will have the chance to live our lives, full of value.