No, I don't think that you have much hope of finding work off the FAA CPL/IR. I have the FAA and JAA stuff myself. You say you will fly anything for a living; believe me, once you have, you may well have a change of heart. As for the jobs you were talking about, they are rare and for experienced pilots only. If you can't get the JAA FATPL, walk away.
I was also in a similar sitaution to you regarding eyesight. I had about 4.0D of astigmatism and could not get the class 1. I had LASIK to correct my vision and the CAA issued me with an unrestricted Class 1 medical. As far as permanent damage to your cornea goes. Don't take the CAA's word for it as they are not LASIK experts. Consult at least three surgeons, most offer free first time consultations. At the end of the day the risk is yours to weigh up. For me it worked out just fine!