Category: journey

“Ker-uh-toh what?” That’s usually the response from patients when they are first diagnosed with keratoconus or KC, a progressive eye disease characterized by a cone-like shape of the cornea that distorts vision. But Eric Lueke knew almost as much about KC as the ophthalmologists at Fichte, Endl & Elmer Eyecare...

Most consumers are familiar with LASIK as an eye surgery used to correct vision so glasses or contact lenses are no longer necessary. Beverley Annan, a human resources professional who also enjoys playing sports, went to see her eye doctor in 2012 to see if LASIK was an option for her – not only so […]

Growing up in Chicago, Jack loved baseball. He began playing at a young age and continued to play throughout high school. Jack’s passion for the game was undeniable, but he quickly realized his ability to hit the ball was declining as he was struggling to see clearly. Realizing his eyesight was becoming a problem...

Nate Pasell was just 22 years old when he began experiencing symptoms of keratoconus (KC). He had lived all his life with 20/20 vision, then suddenly he had double, and blurry vision coupled with sporadic headaches. Once the symptoms began impacting his work, he knew it was time to see his eye doctor. Nate was […]

With symptoms like blurred vision, headaches, and excessive eye rubbing, keratoconus can easily be misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed, with clinicians looking to prescribe glasses or contact lenses as a logical answer to address vision-related concerns when there seems to be no other explanation. That’s what happened to Cameron Poplin of South Carolina who at age 20 […]

Even before graduating high school, J’Shawn Gill was already an accomplished ballet and Broadway jazz dancer, starring in a music video for “This is Me” from the movie “The Greatest Showman” along with the cast of the popular TV show “Queer Eye”. His involvement led to an appearance on The Today Show and several other […]

Having struggled with vision issues since she was in the eighth grade, Emily eventually learned that she was living with progressive keratoconus. Emily’s eye disease began to impact her work as a first-grade teacher when she experienced debilitating headaches that interfered with her ability to read books to her students and she struggled to see her coworkers’ and […]

When Emily was in the eighth grade, she noticed that it was difficult for her to see the whiteboard during class. After visiting an eye doctor, Emily was given glasses and sent on her way. At the time, Emily had no idea that this was only the beginning of a long road filled with vision […]

An Unexpected Turn Aaron was an active teen growing up. He participated in many sports despite wearing thick glasses to see clearly. As a high school varsity football player, Aaron’s teammates often teased him for his poor vision– specifically his troubles locating the ball on the field. Despite his love of football, his eyesight often […]

Dione had been living in a “haze” of blurry vision since she was 18 years old. She tried a variety of contact lenses hoping they would help her to see better. However, it wasn’t until 2011, when she received an unexpected diagnosis, that she realized she would need more than just lenses to treat her […]