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I've "lurked" long enough....

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  • I've "lurked" long enough....

    I arrived here like many of you; LASIK, followed by horror, pain, frustration, and mental instability. It's been 2 1/2 years since that fateful day, and I feel obligated to share my most recent experience. I couldn't quantify what the cost of my LASIK experience has been; drops, time off work, doctors visits, prescriptions, and mental agony, but I'm sure, like many of you, it's in the tens of thousands.

    A month ago, I decided a flight to New York was in order with a visit to Dr. Latkany. I knew immediately this doctor was different than every doctor I've seen before. I was first shocked that he wasn't interested in my three page Word document detailing my misery and previous medications/diagnosis. He said (I'm paraphrasing) "Your miserable, right? Why do I need to see a list of what continues to make you miserable, lets have a look at your eyes."

    Huh? I was confounded, every other doctor seemed dependent on my history, so they could see what therapies to add to it. Only after examining my eyes/lids, was he interested in finding out what I've tried, all of which he told my to stop immediately. Then I heard something I haven't heard before, "maybe all this junk your putting in your eyes is part of the problem, made worse by plugging thats holding all this crap in..." He could see how nervous I was about removing my plugs, holding onto them like a child with a teddy bear. I didn't spend a lot of time figuring out that I'd just flown to see him, perhaps I should listen to his advice.

    I'm so thrilled I did. I haven't put a drop in since those plugs were removed, and haven't really felt the need to (this morning upon waking was the only time I was staring at my eye drop arsenal). I now have an appointment with an allergist and my general doctor to check my thyroid. I was so convinced this was all LASIK related, that I couldn't conceive of it being something else.

    I'd strongly encourage anyone with the means to visit Dr. Latkany to do it, my eyes feel better today than they have since LASIK. My airfare was only $140, but if it was $5000 it would have been well worth it. I've visited "experts" at Duke and Chapel Hill, all of which I'm sure are very well intentioned, but none of which performed what Dr. Latkany in five minutes, without dilation and all the other dyes/assorted drops every other doctor put in.

    I suspect I'm still going to be a dry, to what extent, I don't yet know, but already today (24 hours after my visit), I feel like I've turned the corner. Any of you still "on the hunt" to find that perfect OD, take the trip, it's well worth it. More posts will be forthcoming as I unravel this mystery, thanks to Dr. L....
    Last edited by tombuilder; 20-Mar-2010, 14:39.

  • #2
    Welcome! If you could edit you post to break it up into multiple paragraphs that would be awesome! It's easier to read that way with crazy-dry eyes that blink a million times a minute!

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    • #3
      Hi!
      I have dry eyes from Sjogren's and Thyroid. I was most miserable when I was still wearing soft contacts and when I had all the plugs. Like Dr. Latkany, I finally realized those things were trapping the "bad stuff" in my eyes. Even though my eyes now are still dry, I'm OK.

      I think for some people, these things like Lasik, wearing contacts, etc. tip us over the edge. We may have been dry or slightly inflamed before, but were dealing with it tolerably well.

      Glad you have found some relief.

      Calli

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      • #4
        Hi Tom-
        Your story is a good one. Good old Lasik! I had Lasik 10 years ago which resulted in dry eyes within two months. I've been all over the country. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with Sjogrens. Likely had it for several years and didn't know it.

        If I had not had Lasik, I'd still have dry eyes because of Sjogrens, but my vision wouldn't be all butchered. I hope you're still feeling better. Lucy
        Don't trust any refractive surgeon with YOUR eyes.

        The Dry Eye Queen

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