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Thursday, January 19, 2006

My Eye!

Well, it was a way to pass the afternoon - in the Melbourne Eye and Ear Hospital Casualty Department. There we were, gently squabbling over what to do yesterday afternoon, and I had one of those episodes with my eyes. I had one last winter - which resulted in a dash to the doctor and being told that it was probably an atypical migraine. When it happened again yesterday George phoned the doctor and he said to go straight to the eye Hospital - which is of course a half hour drive away.

It is a wierd thing that happens. A small swirling shimmering blob appears in the centre of my vision, gradually grows larger and larger - when it is over about half of my vision the centre starts to clear and it works its way out to the very edge of my vision and then disappears. It takes about half an hour is is very disconcerting. Then I feel shaky and unwell for several hours afterwards. I do get normal migraines, where I get a thumping headache and feel sick and shaky and have vision disturbances, but different ones (I feel like I am looking through a fog). This is freaking scary, though, because it is so sudden and so inexplicable.

The Eye Hospital was magnificent, wonderful staff and service. I had my eyes thoroughly checked over, and have to go back in three weeks time for one more test and a check up. It wasn't that pleasant - the test for glaucoma wasn't nice and the atropine drops to dilate my pupils was AWFUL!! But my eyes got a clean bill of health, and assuming the next test is also clear, which they think it will be, then we can assume that it is just an atypical migraine and I won't need to get checked out every time.

The drops in the eyes thing was horrible. I couldn;t focus on anything for a couple of hours, and bright lights hurt my eyes badly for several hours afterwards. It was odd when the focus starting improving and I could actually read again - but only one word at a time. It made me realise how slow readers must read, something I have never done.

I did a bit of sock knitting while waiting to be called. Then when I had to wait half an hour for the drops to take effect I picked up the knitting again - and I couldn;t focus on it! It seemed cruel to be stuck there with two books and a sock to knit and not to be able to do any of it!!

Anyway, today I am fine. The stress of yesterday caught up with George (he then went out in the evening to a meeting that turned out to be rather fraught - I insisted that he could go, he wanted to stay at home with me!) and he is sleeping in. The house is full of kids - Baby Bear has two friends in the pool, and they are nice kids and no trouble at all. Wombat has a friend over who is driving me mad - he keeps whining and the two of them won't concentrate on anything for more than five minutes at a time. The same boy came over yesterday morning and his mum stayed for a coffee, while his little sister 'played' with the boys - she whined and complained and wound Wombat up so badly that the visit ended very badly. They are both whiners, something I cannot stand in a child! If mine ever whine they are dealt with promptly because we find it such an unpleasant trait. I am counting the minutes till he is picked up and taken home again.

I plan to take some photos today, some for the 'B is for...' week and some other stuff. I have put my stash into ten large plastic boxes - and to George's immense credit he did not at any stage say I had too much wool!! I want to photograph that. It is part of the grand decluttering that is slowly happening. i need to go and do some more in another room today.

We have lots of hot weather forecast, which I loathe. At least we have the pool, which I will be in later on!

4 comments:

My Five Sons said...

Oh I feel for you,My mum had a similiar thing happen to her but she is an hour and a half from a hospital(bush one ) but she didn't get the headaches but was woozy.Tests showed nothing!
After that, it brings home how valuable your eyes are,don't know what I would do without my sight ,no knitting, can't bear to think about that!!!!!!!!!!

Marji said...

that must have been so frightening. I'm hoping for you that the next test is ok too - not pleasant to think they are atypical migraines, but way better than the alternatives.
i'm with you on the no-whining thing too - one thing I never did put up with with my kids, and they are better now for it.

aykayem said...

I get migraines once in a blue moon, used to get them once a month during puberty (the the "once a month" took over where the migraines left off! lol ... but that was all a long time ago now ;-) ... I have had a few here and there in the years since (most have been after exams or etc stress) - but ALL of my migraines are much like what you describe here! (except the blob sort of turns into a flickering arc that spreads out, with a sort of blind spot inside it and as it spreads right out it all starts to fade away and I sort of get a slight headache and feel yuck for the rest of the day) ... it was a good idea to go get checked out though - just in case it is something else - but I hope that a migraine is all yours IS - the word "atypical" doesn't always mean it is something bad - I know I would rather have the sort I get than the full on 3 day headache that a friend of mine gets, or the splitting headache that my dad has. The weird flicky eyes thing is kind of unsettling - (mainly because I don't like seeing flicky things and a blind spot instead of my normal good vision, and it may even have something to do with the migraine affecting how I feel) - but I would rather half an hour of that and then be able to get on with my life, than a day or 3 in bed with a really bad headache/etc.
- Andrea, in Canberra.
(who is usually an atytpical everything - LOL)

Lynne said...

This post is so 'old' you probably won't know I left a comment today! LOL

Thank you for so accurately describing an 'atypical' migraine - I've had them and that was the only thing my doctor could put it down to - although he did tell me to get my eyes checked and make sure I described those sensations to the optometrist!

I look forward to reading the rest of your blog - today I've read every post from the beginning till now and am thoroughly enjoying it.

www.2hot2knit.blogspot.com