Yesterday :(

We started moving in yesterday. We got three van loads and two truck loads (big furniture) moved into our new garage. Then we took a break. I was very happy with our progress but my allergies were just killing me.

Soon my allergies progressed (rather suddenly, actually) to a full-blown attack. I took an allergy pill, but then suddenly I couldn't see out of my left eye. It didn't phase me much as I often lose my ability to see out of one eye or the other during particularly bad allergy attacks. But then my thoughts felt like they were attached to butterflies and were zooming through my head in all different directions at once. I told the kids not to ask me questions because I couldn't focus on anything anyone was saying.

Then it felt like a club was raving in my head - I still couldn't see but there were colors and flashing lights everywhere - except it was all in my head. At this point I was terrified that either I took the wrong medicine for my allergies or I was having some sort of stroke.

I was really starting to panic until suddenly my vision sort of cleared except for a large glittering circle. I could see through the middle of the circle but outside the circle was still glittering flashing lights and colors. I instantly realized what was happening because I've experienced that glittering circle before.

For the first time in over two years I was experiencing an occular migraine.

Two years ago I suffered five of these horrible episodes in a span of four months. It usually starts as a glittering spot off to one side of my field of vision. Then the spot gets bigger and bigger (completely negating my ability to see ANYTHING) and eventually it becomes a glittering ring. Then the ring gets bigger and bigger until it expands out of my field of vision. Shortly thereafter, the very worst migraine of my life hits me like a sledgehammer to my skull. I become incapacitated for hours - needing to lie down (and not move AT ALL) in a silent, dark room.

They were dangerous because I couldn't see to drive while the glittering circle is present. These ocular migraines are why I keep an emergency stash of migraine medicine in my vehicles just in case one hits while I'm driving. After the first two times, I started taking a full dose of migraine meds right when I noticed the glittering spot, and the migraine part wasn't life-altering.

Then just as suddenly as they started, they disappeared. I've had a regular migraine or two (not a walk in the park but tolerable as far as migraines go) but for the past two years I've all but forgotten about ocular migraines!

After finally realizing what was happening I quickly took a full dose of migraine medicine to stave off the horror that hits after the glittering circle expands past my line of sight. Unfortunately, I had already taken allergy meds, too. As a result, even though I did not suffer a migraine I was high from the many meds in my system and nauseated to boot. So I still ended up spending half an hour laying down in bed.

I'm mostly better now. I'm still a little woozy and still on an extended break ~ but my head is clear and I can see again. It's been a crazy couple of days! I'm still going to work in the garage when it cools off, tonight, though.