blurry vision day + screen smarts

From the moment I woke up today, my head felt funny. Stuffy and tight, dizzying and borderline-achy. For some moments, it felt as if my sinuses were slowly and painfully trying to press at my skin and burst out. (Gross, I know--but the truth hurts, kids.)

I've mentioned before how going into brightly lit megastores or driving down a rainy road can make my vision go a bit wonky. Today I was having a less-than-stellar vision day--thank goodness for glasses! Things looked hazy, and squinting to look at faraway objects merely irritated my head, face, and sinuses even more. Street signs were blurry and I had to be much closer to them than usual in order to read their words. (Again I express gratitude for my glasses, especially the rose-tinted ones that are especially pleasant on overcast days.)

After I write this blog entry, I'm going to close the computer and not open it again! You hear me, young lady? (Yes ma'am.) I've been spending way too much time online lately, and it's not been for any real reason. Checking my Facebook page every hour is quite unnecessary, as is feverishly looking at my four (4!) Gmail accounts and my bank account information. I feel almost compulsive in my internet behavior this week, telling myself I'll shut the laptop after I check all the accounts and my Facebook account one last time before finishing up with computer time.

Because the computer oozes an eerie glow that's not so pleasant to the eyes, I should be further motivated to shut the darned thing off more often than I do. On a day like today, when I'm feeling a bit under the weather (aforementioned vision blurriness and head stuffiness combined with some back pain), it's easier yet more harmful to keep the laptop in my lap instead of getting up and being a little more active. Bleh.

Today I also had some fast food, which I've not done much in 2009. For weeks I've been eating well--lots of veggies and good-for-you fresh foods. To suddenly indulge in salty French fries and chicken is, in three words, numbing, gross, and heavy.

So Lazy Monster bids you adieu. Time to shut the computer and drink a tall glass of water. Time to listen to music and tidy the house. Time to finish that letter I started last night. Time to stop staring at screens. Time to stay at home and relax despite the fact that some friends have shows (music shows, that is) tonight. Time to not make myself feel guilty for missing friends' shows. Time to say goodnight.

Goodnight

Out of commission

I'm on day three of a Migraine attack. It flirted around a bit on Wednesday morning and decided to move in a little after noon that day. I expected a migraine the day after election day--the deflation of all that pent-up stress and worry, the sudden rush of relief, and the election-themed shots at the bar that were such a good idea at the time.

What I didn't expect was to continue feeling this way. I've been out of commission for days now! Last week it was a cold and slight fever--this week it's migraine with slight fever. My Maxalt kicked in yesterday afternoon (day 2 of migraine) right before I went to babysit. After babysitting, I had plans to drive up to Greenville to see some friends play music, and I was pleased to still feel happy and excited about this. The Maxalt had finally kicked my migraine's butt. On the way home from the show, the left side of my face started to feel pinched and a bit numb; my vision dulled a bit. The migraine was coming back.

I woke up today with a very heavy head. Tried to rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and have plenty of liquids along with my daily herbal meds. I'd taken my triptan two days in a row (twice on Wednesday; once on Thursday), so that plan was out. Perhaps some no-impact exercise would help and would me to avoid having to take my rescue meds! I headed to the YMCA and swam laps for awhile. The water felt great, and moving around in the water distracted me from the pain a bit. Unfortunately, the visit was not an entire success: the goggles were painful to wear around my seemingly swollen head, and the water pressure wasn't doing my sinuses any favors. Afterward, my ears were killing me--I've always been sensitive to water pressure, but in recent years I've gotten earaches after swimming even if I've not gone too deep. After my YMCA adventure, I was definitely worse for the wear.

I drove home with blurry eyes and took some Lortab after all. Now I feel unpleasantly loopy, tired, and out of it. Have a big translation assignment due tomorrow that I put off at first because of my mom's visit (and the election excitement); now I'm putting it off because I am in such discomfort. I hate feeling like a slacker despite my knowing that I'm physically and mentally unable to do my best (and speediest) work right now. Still I feel bad.

Hello, Four Eyes

I'm going to a franchised eyeglass/eye exam store today to get glasses. I looked at the prices/selection at one of the only local eye businesses, and the prices were just too high. Sorry, local business. I've bought from you before but can't do it this time around.

I'm going to Pearle Vision, whose eye exams are purportedly half the price of Lenscrafters' exams. (Pearle = $40. Lenscrafters = $80.) Let's hope the people are as friendly and helpful in person as they have been over the phone.

In a sense, I feel as if I'm givin' up the dream--the Irlen dream. But my two attempts to reach the only listed Irlen representative in Georgia have been unsuccessful, and the rose- and anti-glare-tinting Pearle offers will help a LOT, I think. I think.

Right now I feel daunted by the high prices I'm about to pay. Clearly I will be spending a lot, despite the lovely AAA 30% discount and any other specials they throw at me. Getting new glasses is a HUGE investment, so part of me--a BIG part of me--is tempted to try to cheapen the deal, not going for all the fancy lens coatings and filters they offer. (A well-trained skeptic, I sometimes go overboard in my mistrust of salespeople and the things they offer unto me.) But lots of [unofficial, online] research and some reading of official manuscripts in medical journals has led me to this: I will buy those fancy filters. I'm goin' for as many as I can get, as different people and different studies suggest that each of the fancy filters I'm about to list has helped with glare, night driving, computer-staring, and--tadum!--fluorescent lighting. I'll go for the rose tint on a pair, added to the UV filter, polarized lenses, and non-glare coating. I'll be migraine-free--and broke--before you know it!


Tee hee.

I do pay tons to visit my less-than-steller neurologist & company in Atlanta every few months. Considering the price of gas, the 1.5-hour ride, and the $135 appointment fee (not payable by my credit card), I sure do pay a lot to TREAT my migraines. Why not pay a lot to help prevent?


Fingers crossed. Thank god for my AMEX and the necessary things it helps me buy. Can't wait til my first work paycheck comes in and I can pay off some of my Migraine-induced debt!

an unexpected (but unsurprising) side effect of Migraine

Sorry to not have much original content on this post and the last one, but this story caught my eye! I have oft said I wish I had an extra-strength prescription in my glasses for when I'm getting a Migraine--my vision gets worse during my aura and the headache itself.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1657300501/Police-say-migraine-led-to-Trolley-Square-crash