Please join LASIK Surgery Watch (LSW)

[YGB]

I'm writing to ask you to join a newly formed organization named LASIK Surgery Watch (LSW). Before I say anything more, please know that there is no obligation.

It's vital that patients who have had poor outcomes from LASIK surgery be counted and represented as a group with a voice by a patient advocacy organization such as LSW. This has never been done before and the time is right to do it now. Every patient counts so please register at the following link ... http://lasiksurgerywatch.org/register.htm

I am also asking you to write about your LASIK story for the "Voices"
section of the site. The reason why the "Voices" section has been setup
is because we recognize that patient stories help bring home the message of what poor LASIK outcomes mean. You can keep your name anonymous for the story if you wish. There is no template structure to stories. You can write it however you'd like. You can see a few stories that we have posted at the following link ... http://lasiksurgerywatch.org/voices/voices.htm.
You can of course choose to decline writing your story if you wish but at a minimum, PLEASE register because every patient counts.

There is power in numbers and I am hopeful that you will join. Also, if you would like to have your LASIK story included in the "voices" section, please e-mail your story to me at flank57173@mypacks.net. Thank you.

Matt Kotsovolos aka "YGB"
LASIK Surgery Watch (LSW)

[bernmee]

I just have. I really like the lay out of the site. Very easy to navigate.

Maybe all our dry eye buddies will join also? I think its important for everyone to know having the surgery what dry eye really means. I sure as hell would not had Lasik if I thought it meant more then putting an artifical tear in every now and agin.

Bernadette

[kimby2007]

Stories

The stories I read are truly heartbreaking. I am not a LASIK patient but a dry eye patient from Sjogrens. I imagine the pain is the same regardless of the cause. I think it is so important that people organize. The more people speak out the sooner there will be an effective cure for all of us.

Kim

[brd888]

Procession

I think it is tragic that there is a daily procession of new members on this website all suffering terribly from lasek gone wrong....

[irish eyes]

I dropped them a line to lend my support even though I am not a Lasek patient.

I fully understand and empathise with anyone who suffers with Dry Eye Syndrome - in fact I always thought the description was too benign. At times, I have felt absolutely diminshed by it.

People should be made aware of the risks of this surgery. My children didn't know the risks until I pointed them out - it has certainly made them think again because they have seen me suffer over the years. OK, the cause of my Dry Eye is not down to Lasek but I want to save them from the same kind of pain.

[bernmee]

Thank you.

I believe that no matter how we got DES I think it is so important to prevent others from developing it. I also feel that raising public awareness for the dangers of Lasik will also raise public awareness for DES, and this will benefit us all.

Bernadette.

[Rebecca Petris]

Matt,

May I ask what is the relationship between LasikSurgeryWatch and lasik-flap.com? I see LSW prominently featured in the menu there, but that site has no "About" page and no information about who is responsible for it so I can't ask them. I once before tried to contact the site administrator and no one replied.

[YGB]

May I ask what is the relationship between LasikSurgeryWatch and lasik-flap.com? I see LSW prominently featured in the menu there, but that site has no "About" page and no information about who is responsible for it so I can't ask them. I once before tried to contact the site administrator and no one replied.

If you'd like to contact one of the people who help administer the site, I do know one so just send me a PM. I asked the administrative person on lasik-flap, just as I asked you, if they would post the announcement about the formation of the new LASIK Surgery Watch organization on their site. They enthusiastically agreed, put up a posting, and volunteered to send announcements to all of their members to join.

I believe that there will soon be similar announcements on almost all LASIK patient sites such as lasikcomplications.com, lasiknewswire.com, etc. since it is clear that patients need a voice when dealing with patient advocacy issues in a public forum and there is power in numbers. Every patient counts!

Note that non-LASIK patients are of course welcome to register on http://lasiksurgerywatch.org/register.htm as well.

[Rebecca Petris]

I was referring to the link in the main menu on the site's home page, rather than any bulletin board postings. It makes it appear as though it is part of the site.

[YGB]

I was referring to the link in the main menu on the site's home page, rather than any bulletin board postings. It makes it appear as though it is part of the site.

Send me a PM and I can get you in contact with the admin. person of the site if you'd like to request a reorganization of the index. I think the indexing is okay but could be better. Presently there are several external links mixed in with internal links. However, I understand that people with LASIK complications running web sites do this during their spare time so I wouldn't expect perfection in how things are indexed. I have a much greater appreciation for the effort you and others take to make your sites "clean".

The issue of standing up and being counted transcends what LASIK site a person prefers or what historical differences long-time users have had. A LASIK patient advocacy organization like LASIK Surgery Watch is long overdue and transcends what user group a patient prefers.

Every patient counts so please register at the following link ... http://lasiksurgerywatch.org/register.htm