I don't know if it's just because spring has sprung and people are out and about and noticing things more, or if it's just a quirk of the universe, but the past two weeks have seen a HUGE increase in the number of individuals requesting help for complications.

Most of the inquiries are from patients with recent surgery, within the past year or two, a few from long time sufferers who have begun actively looking for some kind of remedy.

In one week, I've made more referrals to expert RGP fitters and second opinion docs than over the past month. If refractive surgery has come such a long way, advancing so far technologically, why are so many people still having complications from their surgery?

Because of the continuing issues and the lack of viable alternatives for treatment, VSRN is busier than ever. In response to the need, and because I will be *retiring* from my full-time, ball-and-chain day job, I'll be opening up the bulletin board on May 1, when I will have more time to devote to VSRN. There will no longer be a subscription fee to post, however, the rules for posting remain the same:

You MUST register to post and you MUST fill out the required information. Your information is not shared with anyone on any planet anywhere in our universe, but it is critical in determining how many casualties there are and making our case for action with the medical establishment and the FDA.

No disrespectful posts, whether aimed at patients, providers, or anyone else, will be tolerated. All posts deemed inappropriate by the bulletin board administrators will be removed without notice.

This is a bulletin board for people with complications from LASIK, RK, PRK and other refractive surgeries. If you have had a good result from your surgery, that's great, we wish you well. Please do NOT come here to tell us all how happy you are, as we have not been so fortunate, and it's painful to hear your joy while we have lost our clear vision.

Finally, because this is a completely volunteer operation with a half a skeleton staff that runs on a broken shoestring, VSRN accepts your donations in any amount. Our expenses are bare minimum, but as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit patient advocacy organization, we still have them. Donations may be made via PayPal to info@visionsurgeryrehab.org, or via check or money order to our postal address:

Vision Surgery Rehab Network, NFP
1643 N Alpine Road, Suite 104, #180
Rockford, Illinois 61107

To all who have supported us over the years, thank you. Thanks is due, also, to all those caring, compassionate docs who have reached out to help patients with complications, and especially to VSRN's executive director, Dr David Hartzok, who has stuck around to help, actively engaged in this endeavor, longer than anyone else. Without him, there would be no VSRN.

Look for the open bulletin board after May 1.

Artistwoman/Barbara Berney
President, Vision Surgery Rehab Network

"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind." ~Mahatma Gandhi