Clearly KC Podcast

Episode 12 - Pregnancy & Keratoconus

Clearly KC host Dr. Melissa Barnett OD visits with Dr. Suzanne Sherman OD, Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Tampa’s University of South Florida.  Dr. Sherman and Dr. Barnett discuss the impact of estrogen and progesterone on vision.  Increased hormone level resulting from pregnancy can lead to many changes in the body, including decreased stiffness in the cornea, increasing the bending and shifting that is common in keratoconus.  Dr. Barnett agrees that doctors should educate all patients of the possibility of temporary vision changes during pregnancy and the post-partum period so that patients will not be alarmed.

Episode 11 – Patient Advocate Rachel Dungan

Clearly KC host Dr. Melissa Barnett OD visits with Rachel Dungan, a Director with Academy Health, a Washington DC policy institute.  In 2016, Rachel’s short video, “How Do I Look?” was awarded first prize at the NKCF Film Festival.  Since then, she has addressed lawmakers, clinicians, and health researchers about her keratoconus journey.  Rachel shared her experience of living with undiagnosed KC and how it affected her confidence, her health, and her interactions with others.  Rachel reflected that keratoconus impacted her career choice and led her to her present position advocating for more patient input and engagement in health research.

Episode 10 – Dry Eye Disease

Clearly KC host Dr. Melissa Barnett OD and Dr. Daddi Fadel, DOptom celebrate Dry Eye Awareness month by answering listener questions.  Dr. Fadel is a clinician scientist at the University of Waterloo in Canada and co-author of “Clinical Guide for Scleral Lens Success” with Dr. Barnett.  Dr. Fadel observes that a majority of individuals with keratoconus also suffer from dry eye disease.  She describes the different types of dry eye and how the tear film bathes and nourishes the ocular surface.  Dr. Barnett mentions several new and existing products available to manage dry eye.

Episode 9 - Law Professor Louis Karaolis

Clearly KC host Dr. Melissa Barnett OD visits with Louis Karaolis LLB, PhD, professor, Head of Law, and Director of Academic Affairs at Cyprus Business School.   An expert on EU law, he has been visiting lecturer at UK law schools, and law school admissions examiner at Corpus Christi College, Oxford.  Now splitting his time between London and Cyprus, Karaolis shares his experience of being diagnosed as a teenager and undergoing a corneal transplant at age 23.  He shared the study of law entails endless reading of textbooks and journals and, at times, he wondered if he had chosen the wrong profession.  Karaolis proposes that living with keratoconus strengthened his tenacity and resolve to overcome challenges.  

Episode 8 -Professional Race Car Driver Joey Gase

Clearly KC host Dr. Melissa Barnett OD was joined by Joey Gase, NASCAR Xfinity owner-driver and ambassador for National Keratoconus Foundation.  Joey shared his story of wearing eyeglasses and contacts from an early age and becoming frustrated with frequent vision changes in his 20s.  His eye doctor, unable to improve his vision beyond 20/40, diagnosed keratoconus, the cut-off for participating in NASCAR events.  Gase talked about the impression molded scleral lenses he is now wearing and his efforts to educate fans about KC.  Dr. Barnett and Gase share their experiences with organ, eye and tissue donation for loved ones. 

Episode 7 - Corneal Transplantation and Eye Banking

Clearly KC host Dr. Melissa Barnett OD and Dr. Jennifer Li MD, professor of ophthalmology from Univ. of California-Davis, and chair of the Eye Bank Association of America, discuss how corneal transplantation is undergoing changes with advances in surgical techniques.  Dr. Li relayed how cornea tissue is prepared and sent to surgeons within days of a donor’s death for implantation.  She reported that those who have undergone transplant for advanced keratoconus can expect to have many years with healthy transplanted tissue and noted the number of corneal transplants for keratoconus has dropped significantly since treatment options like corneal crosslinking and scleral lenses have become more commonplace. 

Episode 6 - The ’So-Called’ KC Personality

Clearly KC host Dr. Melissa Barnett OD and Dr. Muriel Schornack OD from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester debate if there is such a thing as a keratoconus personality.  Individuals with KC tend to score differently on personality tests, but Dr. Schornack points out that the disease impact often comes in youth or young adulthood where coping mechanisms are not fully developed.  KC can have a profound impact on an individual's ability to navigate life, yet the condition is invisible to observers.  They agreed doctors need to listen and if a patient expresses anxiety or depression, referral to a mental health provider would be appropriate.

Episode 5 - Age & Prognostic Value

Clearly KC host Dr. Melissa Barnett OD visits Dr. Marguerite McDonald MD, a legendary clinician scientist.  Dr. McDonald offered her take on impact of age on disease.  She finds that younger patients tend to have more aggressive disease and it is important to treat quickly in order to save vision.  A second group exists with a slow, mild version and many of these older patients only learn of their keratoconus when planning cataract surgery.  Dr. McDonald said these patients generally need no additional treatment as ‘Father Time’ has stabilized their corneas.  Drs. Barnett and McDonald also discuss advances in the crosslinking procedure, and the promise of genetic testing.

Episode 4 - Allergies

Clearly KC host Dr. Melissa Barnett OD visits Dr. Hae Young Aaron Song MD, a board-certified allergist from Orange County, CA.  Dr. Song discusses two types of environmental allergies: seasonal, referring to pollen, grasses and weeds linked to the local landscape, and perennial, year-round allergens like animal dander and dust mites.  He talked about testing to identify specific allergies and noted that about 20% of the population suffers from ocular allergies.  For individuals affected by keratoconus, Dr. Song reported there are several inexpensive and effective over the counter remedies to control ocular and nasal symptoms that can trigger eye rubbing.

Episode 3 - Scleral Life

Clearly KC podcast host Dr. Melissa Barnett OD talks with Jeff, diagnosed with KC in 2007.  He recounts vision changes after college that drove him to an eye doctor where he learned his diagnosis.  He tells of trying different options and then giving up when there seemed to be no hope of vision improvement.  Jeff describes getting scleral lenses in 2013 as life changing.  Very satisfied with his vision now, he talks about the years lost when he was uninformed about keratoconus and unmotivated to continue looking for a solution.  His message, not to give up hope, is one that he shares with others through his social media presence as Jeff Scleral.