I’m a 23-year-old male recently diagnosed with keratoconus in my left eye, and my corneal specialist immediately referred me for CXL. I live on my own in Charlotte, North Carolina, and according to the ophthalmologist, the closest place I can get CXL done is two hours away at Duke University.
I’m curious about whether this is manageable given the distance involved and the typical recovery time for driving, working, etc. My understanding is that I shouldn’t count on being able to safely drive myself home, but the issue is that I don’t have anyone around here who can do so. My nearest family members are four hours away in Atlanta, and my immediate family lives in Los Angeles.
With these factors in mind, I’ve thought about whether it may be worth doing CXL in Georgia or California instead to have more family support. I work as a software developer and I have short-term disability benefits, so I’d be able to take up to a few weeks off of work with a portion of my pay if needed.
Given the usual timeline of recovery, follow-ups, etc, what city might you look to get it done if you were in my shoes, and do you have any recommendations for eye care centers/ophthalmologists there?