Why People Give to FitEyes

FitEyes is solely user supported. Over the last year FitEyes has launched an entirely new website; we have published new articles, which one top glaucoma specialist described as "covering everything important about glaucoma"; we have moved our mail list (our technology that allows you to read this message) to a brand new server that is twice as powerful; we have personally helped many people start self-tonometry and we have improved our supporting technology for these tonometer owners. These recent improvements cost over $150,000 (in actual cash expenditures). Over the last couple years the volume of postings to our mail list has increased over 400%; in the last year the number of members on our mail list has increased 50%. This growth attests to the urgent and compelling need for FitEyes. Until recently everything has been made possible through financial donations from just a few individuals. Support has also come in the form of thousands of hours of volunteer efforts from David, Mark, Jerry, Jay and a few others others. It’s a labor of love. However, recently the entire FitEyes community has begun stepping up with significant financial support. Many members have made contributions and in some cases those donations have been several thousand dollars. This support is helping us pursue our dreams for enhancements as well as sustaining our operations. Below are some recent e-mails that have accompanied these financial donations to FitEyes. These emails show some of the reasons why people give to FitEyes.

"I am so grateful for the information I have gotten from FitEyes over the last years. When I first got involved David was very helpful to me, especially with the use of the tonometer. I am now seeing Dr. Ritch and have had email/phone discussions wtih Dr. Faye (she is a jewel) and gotten wonderful advice from her. All this would not have happened without FitEyes. Thank you for all that you do for FitEyes." Diane

"THANK YOU, FitEyes! I cannot express how valuable the FitEyes community is to me. So glad I found you guys." Barbie

"I am the one to be thanking you and all the FitEyes community. I have been busy and have not had much time to join in online discussions, but try to read most of the posts. Self tonometry has been invaluable in helping me understand myself better and am happy I am able to contribute at this time. " Rita

"As the end of the year is approaching I am making another donation, as a holiday gift, to help keep this wonderful organization - that is so purely dedicated to helping others via knowledge and sharing- [meet its] expenses. I have no affiliation with FitEyes other than being a part of this wonderful online community. Thank you FitEyes for all that you do." Peggy

The following is reproduced from a member's recent blog at http://www.fiteyes.com/blog/cormos/self-tonometry For 4 years I have been a member of fiteyes.com and for the past 3 years I have had a Reichert 7CR tonometer in my home, connected to a PC. These two things completely changed my understanding and the management of my glaucoma. Until then, the information I was receiving (and it's the same for everyone, except for the select group that practice self-tonometry) when I visited the doctor's office, was that on a certain day, at a specific time, my IOP was 21 /22. After two weeks I would go back to his office, and he would tell me my IOP was 18/19, and so I would receive the comment, "this is a better pressure and you will continue this drop". Now I know that my IOP values fluctuate far more than those measured in the Doctor's office. In one day I have registered variations from 13 to 36mm!! With continued use of the tonometer and Insight Software, I began to know my personal response to different types of stimuli. It allowed me to do all kinds of experiments with food, drink, measuring sugar in my blood, emotional issues (stress, projects), physical exercise, meditation, etc. Now I have a "toolbox" for situations where I know my pressure will be high, because I know which factors make it go up. I now have a flexible medication scheme: Use a few drops as a base medication, and add some additional drop or other action or medication to keep my pressure at acceptable limits if this is required. Since I now have knowledge of my IOP regulatory system reaction, I can now predict what my pressure will be for a given circumstance (day / emotion / stress / time / food / drink / etc). There are several ingredients that cause changes in the level at which my pressure is regulated. Surely this is personal and changes for each person. The result of all of this is that my regular exams of visual field for the past three years have been stable, without any loss of vision and I find myself with much more confidence and without fear of losing my sight. This is thanks to what I learned on the fiteyes.com site, my contact with Dave and his help to buy a tonometer and his teaching of Serene Impulse. I am extremely grateful to the community, to Dave, and to members of the development team of the Insight Software. Without any doubt I can recommend self-tonometry to anyone who suffers from this disease as a logical and effective way to handle it. Humberto / Argentina