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AtFirstPlush — Optical Migraine

Published: 2014-05-14 12:11:21 +0000 UTC; Views: 2304; Favourites: 0; Downloads: 10
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Description I hope that at least one or two people see this and tell me, "O. M. G. THIiiiiSssss is what I deal with too!! Thank you for attempting to capture it's visual affliction!"

I don't know if anyone who suffers from this type of Migraine has ever tried to emulate it in such a way, via an art form. So I tried. My husband had a hard time understanding what I tried to describe to him multiple times. So with this image, and the wlmp that I made of it, both helped him to really understand what I go through. Not that he wasn't sympathetic before. He knows if I get one while I am driving, I pull off to the side of the road like a crazy person and get my meds out of my purse and let him drive. Or I am running to my purse or medicine cabinet to take my medication in a mad dash pushing anyone in my way, out of the way, tripping over anything in my path. So during the onset of the one I had last night, I tried to draw what I saw after I took my medication. However, I had to finish this 'art,' (where I used Windows Paint to draw it) after the migraine had subsided, because I could no longer see what was in front of me. 

Here is a detailed journal that I wrote and posted some time ago about the optical migraine. I hope someone finds it helpful. 
"Looking at the sun can trigger a sneeze?! No, seriously! And in my case, can cause other issues as well.  This is a journal on my personal elation and story leading up to the fact that I finally discovered a 'trigger' through the read of a simple Scientific American web post. A "trigger" to possibly end my own optical migraine suffering when no doctor I've spoken to could help." atfirstplush.deviantart.com/jo…

As I just stated, I did make a 4.5 second animation of it to post it here, but it's in my st.ash, made via Windows Movie maker. sta.sh/025yrwwpub33 just click it.

An optical migraine; In my case, is usually caused by monthly hormonal issues, (hormonally speaking, I was over my "." 24 hours earlier.) Or a person who shares this issue can trigger one from the ingestion of quality dark chocolate, chain smoking, even mild dehydration, and other various triggers.

This above image is basically just a fraction of a second of what I 'see' as it nearly cuts out my vision in a complete oval to circular pattern. Cutting out to total black before my vision slowly begins to return after a minute or so, from the center outward.
Migraine medication doesn't help eliminate the visual complications, however it may allow for the optical light show to pass more quickly. And the medication sure as hell helps to make the following head-vice issues far more tolerable. And the medication also allows me to function instead of having the migraine cripple me over into a fetal position and then follow with the basic ruin of the 3-5 days after the fact. Which I can only describe as comparable to a REALLY bad vodka and tequila hangover - if I don't take the medication right away, or at all.

A lot of people who truly experience this kind of migraine have probably become aware that the migraine is coming with just a tiny speck somewhere in their main line of vision. With the onset of just a single tiny spot of white cross-hatched flashing outlined with bright colors that rapidly grow into an elliptical pattern from the outside inward, with the accompanying rapidly growing and wavering geometric shapes and colored white light in-cooperated into the geometric shapes. And with the onset of such a visual thing, a person can promptly take their medication to at least dull the following head, light, sound, ear ringing, stomach and other various debilitating issues before the migraine becomes a debilitating issue. For those like us who HAVE to suffer such issues, the visual cues are at least, in a way, a blessing. The way I 'see' it, if we can't get rid of the migraines altogether, and IF you have to suffer migraines, the visual kind is preferred so that it can be medicated right away.

With the onset of one for me, I take my migraine medication as per immediate occurrence. I don't always get optical migraines, and have gone as long as 9 moths without having one, -knock on wood- so for me, a DAILY medication is not something I want to commit to when there are other nutritional and weight issues I can control instead. To me, taking daily medication is not an option or something I want floating around in my body.

In addition, when I hear someone state "Hey, do you have any Advil, I'm getting a migraine..." I want to deck them in the eye! It's a headache, perhaps even a bad one, but NOT a migraine!!!!! A TRUE migraine, especially the kind with no visual triggers that goes unmedicated is not something you can just deal with, and walk around with. It is crippling! So anyone who has actually had a migraine knows the reality of how it takes down the whole body. It induces such intense head pain that any eye or body movement makes you feel like your head is in a disproportionately over-sized vice. Or being hit by a fully loaded Mac truck! You can't just be at work and deal with it. Where in most cases, it gets so bad, typing about it, being under fluorescent lighting, out in the sun, -looking at a computer screen- being in any degree of light, or making body movement will make you vomit! So, when I hear someone be incredibly vague about what they think is a migraine... it's just...gah... makes me WISH they'd stop being such a ...hypochondriactic poser.

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Arty note: I posted this 'art' in a place where I thought it might apply because of what it 'is' as far as color, but I don't think it is under the proper classification by any means. I mean, where does a person post an image of actual visual distortions brought on by a physically debilitating issue?
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Comments: 22

specist [2015-12-30 22:07:51 +0000 UTC]

Trying to find visual examples of Optic Migraines and I stumbled upon your piece. This is exactly what I see when I get one, it's so beautiful but inhibiting. 
Strangely I made a dark mask just to deal with this specific type of headache, ear plugs help too when it gets full blown.

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AtFirstPlush In reply to specist [2015-12-30 23:58:27 +0000 UTC]

THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need to do that!

So sorry you suffer too. And SO glad to know SOMEONE knows what I'm talking about!!!

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katiejo911 [2014-07-27 17:17:08 +0000 UTC]

I too am photosensitive and the sun can trigger a migraine.  I don't see those types of colors, but my visual perception alters and if I don't get my imitrex and into a dark place quickly (I have very dark sunglasses), I'll have a full blown headache in no time.  

Very good painting.  Hope it helps your husband.  And keep doing interpretations of your headaches.  It helps others as well as yourself. 

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AtFirstPlush In reply to katiejo911 [2014-07-27 20:38:36 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!! ~And I have 2 pairs of very dark sunglasses as well, both are also polarized to help with the glare. THANK GOD for sunglasses!!!

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katiejo911 In reply to AtFirstPlush [2014-07-27 21:39:43 +0000 UTC]

Amen!

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AtFirstPlush In reply to katiejo911 [2014-07-27 22:29:19 +0000 UTC]

LOL, couldn't have said it better myself

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deadened-glow [2014-06-15 04:36:43 +0000 UTC]

Cause it looks like a chalk drawing.

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AtFirstPlush In reply to deadened-glow [2014-06-16 00:48:56 +0000 UTC]

Ohhhhh. Yeah! I can see that! Thanks for commenting!

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deadened-glow [2014-06-14 20:55:42 +0000 UTC]

What's the medium for your artwork? 

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AtFirstPlush In reply to deadened-glow [2014-06-15 03:13:19 +0000 UTC]

I used Windows Paint to draw it, using my finger and my laptops mouse pad. Not sure how many updates WP's had since I got my laptop ...the version that came with Windows 7. My laptop is about 5 years old. Why do you ask?

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Taxton [2014-05-15 01:13:57 +0000 UTC]

I get these rarely, and no idea what triggers but I have to lay down and close my eyes and wait for it to go away because my vision gets bad like a grey-out, the migraine is horrible and I can't think straight and meds do nothing to help me .

Sometimes it makes me feel very sick and always lasts hours.

This is similar to what I see but without circles and mine is more like a colorful double-helix quickly spinning towards tapered end. 

I love that you made this though!  I sympathise, AFP

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AtFirstPlush In reply to Taxton [2014-05-22 11:25:20 +0000 UTC]

Thank you, and I hope your issues find a way to be subdued. If it wasn't for meds, I 'd have to suffer with a bad headache for days after the initial migraine has passed.

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Taxton In reply to AtFirstPlush [2014-05-22 22:00:45 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome and thank you all the same .

Meds are awesome though, well, depending on what they're used for anyways lol

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AtFirstPlush In reply to Taxton [2014-05-23 11:36:57 +0000 UTC]

LOL< yes.

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InNaturesImage [2014-05-14 17:21:25 +0000 UTC]

That's so strange! I have never heard of such a thing! I guess it is as weird as when I would have my stress episodes. I couldn't and still can't fully explain to anyone what they were. It was like a moment where I was either sleeping and dreaming or day dreaming and I would visualize somethint rounded and fat, usually a kidney bean, that would just pulsate larger and larger and it would trigger panic attacks for me and even make me burst out cry and I would always come-to in like a shock/jumping motion. I've had anxiety issues for as long as I can remember but I still can't seem to figure that one out.

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AtFirstPlush In reply to InNaturesImage [2014-05-14 19:37:07 +0000 UTC]

It's amazing what the mind will do when under different types of stresses. When I was a kid, I had visual depth issues when a fever was coming on. Where I was almost like Alice in wonderland. Everything around me got HUGE, and my arms seemed to be 2x's too long, and my feet were too far away. So I'd reach for my feet with my hands, I felt like I looked like ElasticMan and because of that, they all looked tiny, and my head felt huge. My bed looked huge too and my walls were all at odd angles. So, I'd lay on my back, shut my eyes, and grab the edges of the mattress with my hands and heels to give me a sense of proportionate size. I still haven't found anyone who can give me an answer as to WHY that would happen.

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InNaturesImage In reply to AtFirstPlush [2014-05-14 20:01:39 +0000 UTC]

That's so strange! I couldn't imagine experiencing that. Seriously.

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AtFirstPlush In reply to InNaturesImage [2014-05-14 20:11:28 +0000 UTC]

And I don't quite get your visual bean 'terror,' but I do understand how scary that can be. So sorry you have to deal with that!!! How awful!

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InNaturesImage In reply to AtFirstPlush [2014-05-14 20:15:03 +0000 UTC]

Lol, visual bean terror sounds so... hilarious! I don't understand it either. Thank you! I'm sorry you deal with your optical visual migraines. That has to be terrible!

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AtFirstPlush In reply to InNaturesImage [2014-05-14 20:21:21 +0000 UTC]

I guess our little quirks make us unique. In a disssssstuuuurrrrbing way. Muahahaha. ;-p

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InNaturesImage In reply to AtFirstPlush [2014-05-14 20:27:32 +0000 UTC]

Very disturbing.

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AtFirstPlush In reply to InNaturesImage [2014-05-14 20:29:15 +0000 UTC]

Awe...lol.

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