Saturday, January 29, 2011

The Art Deco movement and my funny eye

I've had to take a short break from cleaning as I was suffering from Funny Eye Syndrome, and, as I was sitting in the rocking chair doing nothing - which is all I can do - studying the patterns in my eye, it made me wonder if the founders of the Art Deco movement were fellow sufferers.

It starts off quite innocently. You know what it's like when you look at something bright and it burns itself into your retina so that whatever you look at for a few minutes afterwards you can still see the burned image? Well, that's how it begins. Just a little diamond in the corner of my eye. Then over the course of about 20 minutes it arcs and grows until it finally grows out of my eye (which is the way I think of it).

It's centred over my left eye but I can see it with both eyes so I suppose that must mean it's my brain that is flipping not my eyes.

The first time it happened, about 20 years ago, I was petrified imagining this was the beginning of the end; now it occurs about twice a year on average and I know what to expect and can deal with it. Both the doctor and the optician said it's the kind of visual disturbance that migraine sufferers undergo; fortunately, if I do get a headache with it, it isn't too severe.

But as I was saying, the patterns it makes inside my eye are very Art Deco-ish. And now my head is just beginning to think about aching. Better finish the cleaning before it settles in.

5 comments:

SDCrafts said...

As a fellow sufferer almost on a daily basis (you know why), I concur. The patterns and images are the only bonus of this all embracing and life disturbing condition.

Everything is affected - summer, being photographed, sudden changes in the TV screen, reading, sitting in front of a window (hence wooden blinds around this flat) - everything.

Riding in the car, I now wear those highly UNfashionable medical wrap-around sunglasses. Hoping the optician will come up with something sexier next time around!

Poor you/us.

Gledwood said...

O wow! Someone else who gets the same thing.

I've had full on migraine for 3 days, but now (and I'm by no means complaining) I just get what you get, the 1st bit.

My dr says its "subclinical migraine"

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

However lovely the Art Deco movement was , I don't think I'd want it invading my head .
Hope it all wears off soon .

Katney said...

I wondered as yous tarted the desciription if it was related to migraine. Glad you don't get the mind numbing headaches.

Leslie: said...

I've had only 2 migraines in my life and I hope to never suffer that again! However, D2 suffers badly so I can empathize and sit by her ER bed while the meds take effect. Thankfully, that only happens a couple of times a year, although other times she suffers in silence at her place. I had that visual thing where I felt I could only see out of one eye and the other eye saw waves of light,etc. I agree with SandS that even though it can be fascinating to look at, no one really wants it in their head. Be better!