Saturday, June 12, 2010

Shades, Visors and Migraines Continued

A few months ago, I started a silly experiment where I would feel funny by wearing a visor, sunglasses or whatever it took to help with my Migraines while out in public. I don't think anyone likes to be an outcast, but honestly, I don't view it like that especially anymore.

I had written about my first week of the experiment where I wore some shades inside the store while I went food shopping. I even bumped into a neighbor who didn't seem to notice I was there. Well, the second week, I went for the visor. It was great!

As soon as I put it on, it gave an immediate release to almost everything that had started building up in my head. I felt like I could make it through the whole shopping trip mostly unscathed. I really did not care what I looked like or who was looking at me funny.

The following week, I found myself at a car dealership for an oil change. As soon as I walked into the waiting room, I was in near panic. I needed my visor and it was in the car. At this point, I didn't care. My car was still on line and in sight so I went back out to my car and took my visor inside with me. Ahhh, immediate relief again. Food shopping was the next day and it was time to try the visor and shades together.

It was too dark with both where I was having problems reading labels which I must do due to Migraine food triggers. I ended up taking the shades off and leaving the visor alone. A few different times I tried varying the combinations, but I found the visor worked best. The shades alone allowed too much light to shine through the top and sides of the shades although it was better than nothing at all.

I wear my visor every week I go shopping now. I really don't care what I look like or who is looking at me because I feel so much better with it on than when I don't have it on. Every so often I still have a tendency to forget it in the car, but I will get a quick reminder as soon as I step inside of the store and will turn around to get it right away.

When people do look at me funny, I like to think they are just trying to make out the symbol on my visor which means something to me, but is not an everyday emblem in my area. I have also bumped into many, many people I know; some other neighbors, people I work with and I've even seen an old, fired neuologist. Yes, I always have my visor on and I always keep it on. No, no one ever asks me about my hat, but I would gladly explain why I wear a hat inside while shopping if they really wanted to know.

I was also hoping to add in different shades with different tints into my experimenting. Unfortunately, when I went to my eye doctor to hopefully get some better answers, he was not helpful with tints and was really disappointing with other things as well. Despite our long relationship, I will be seeing a different eye doctor for my next visit and will be prepared to ask pertinent questions so I can steer toward good answers.

Don't be so vain that you won't wear something to shade your eyes if it will help avoid or lessen a Migraine attack while you are indoors. If someone does make a comment, who cares? You are probably feeling much better protecting yourself in this way than if you developed a Migraine; you are probably feeling much better than how you would feel about anything someone could possibly say to you.

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2 comments:

WinnyNinny PooPoo said...

I had employees with flourescent sensitive eyes that wore visors inside all the time, no one really thought anything of it. You are just setting a new style!

MigrainePuppet said...

I think we all need to set the style that is right for our health. Unfortunately, I know my work is not ready for that part of my progressive thinking yet. Someday I'll go there...