Allodynia, LASIK Dry Eye, Recovery, and Amniotic Membranes

[dryeyeblues]

Hi folks. I am traveling to Seattle next month (to scope it out for a possible move for dry eye relief). A friend recommended Dr. Jensen in Renton and I called to see if he could see me. VERY NICE guy he gave me some hope. Talked on the phone for about 20 minutes! He agreed to see me next month. So far, he seems the most knowledgeable doc I have spoken with:

Some hope he offered:
- Referred me a TED Talk on Allodynia (said this is why LASIK patients can suffer from dry eye; nerves don't heal)
- Thinks I might get better after 2 years post surgery if I can hang on (20 months and counting)
- Has had success in treating people by placing a temporary amniotic membrane on the eye to promote healing

I will report back. I'm very excited to see him.

[Angela810]

Sounds exciting - Keep us posted to let us know how it goes.

I wonder how amniotic membrane differs from something like plasma or serum? All these treatments help the nerves grow. It sounds as thought amniotic membrane works a lot quicker than plasma where you have to wait ages for nerve growth. I don't even know if I could get amniotic membrane in the UK if I tried.

It's a long waiting game with Lasik - they say 5 years, a some take longer.

Have you got plugs in?

[neilw]

Dryeyeblues,
Why are you thinking of moving to Seattle? Do you think the weather will be better there? Where do you now live?
We are in Australia and, having just sold our house in Melbourne, are trying to work out where would be best to live for dry eye relief. Probably we could not move to the US and are more considering other parts of Australia. We are however thinking of staying somewhere like Vancouver Island for a few months and I think it would have a similar climate to Seattle.

Also was the amniotic membrane treatment Dr Jensen recommended Prokera? (We know someone who has seen Dr Jensen and highly recommends him).

[dryeyeblues]

Seattle Tacoma (according to my research) is the best rated place for dry eye sufferers. It is always rainy/drizzly. Moderate winter/seasonal change. Low allergens in the air. It's near the water. Plus you have Dr. Jensen! I recently traveled to Manhattan Beach California, stayed in Torrance, CA and this is the best my eyes felt in months. The moisture coming off the ocean really helped alleviate my symptoms. I've noticed similar effect when visiting Myrtle Beach. I wrote a blog article on this here http://www.lasikdryeyeblues.com/dry-...friendly-place

Bear in mind I'm not an expert. My travel to Seattle next month is to visit a friend and research the possibility of moving there. Seeing Dr. Jensen was not planned, but an added bonus. =)