Good Morning,
Just as I start to write this letter I am starting to have a “migraine incident” which is what I now call them. I get these things every now and then, maybe 2-3 times a year. I find them annoying more than anything else, but fortunately they only last about 20-30 minutes and then they are gone.
They are difficult to describe, but I will give it a shot while I am experiencing this strange phenomenon. If you can picture something like a ribbon undulating in the breeze similar to a snake across the left side of your vision field while the right side is normal. On the back of the ribbon/snake is a brightly colored zigzag or saw tooth patterns of turquoise, yellow, burgundy, white and black lines in thin ribbons displayed in layers constantly moving and changing widths. Where the image, is there is no vision of what I am looking at so it is kind of like a blind spot. Well actually, it is a blind spot. It does not seem to matter if I close either eye or both as the “ribbon vision” is still there, although when I move my eyes right and left the pattern follows, so I tend to think it may have something to do with the Retina . This all is accompanied by a very slight headache.
As the pattern creeps across my field of vision there is a shadow left where it has been. As quickly as it came on it is gone only leaving the faintest shadow that it was even there. And now even that is gone as well and I am left with the slight headache as when it started.
There doesn’t seem to be any pattern I can home in on that causes these. I get them at the computer, in a store and even while driving. Since they start to creep into my vision, while driving, there have been times when I have pulled over and stopped or let someone else drive for a while. While I am somewhat used to it by now, I still want to take some precaution.
I do remember the first time I experienced this and I must admit I was a bit concerned. At that same time I experience tunnel vision. As I think anyone should, I did seek a professional medical opinion, the product of which, besides a sizable bill, was that it was “probably” migraine related. So what does that mean? I guess that it is why it is called “practicing medicine”.
Well if my experience is not unique, I would appreciate hearing from you. I have figured out by now that the human body is far more complex than I will ever comprehend.
And to think of it, here I was trying to figure out what I was going to write about this week. I guess the problem solved itself. It just goes to show that we shouldn’t take too much for granted, as it may not be there tomorrow. I do tend to enjoy normal vision a little more following one of these things. Maybe that is the “silver lining”.
Love, Dad