Tuesday, November 30, 2010

WEIRD OR NORMAL ??


Something really strange has happened to me, at least twice in my life that I know of and the incidences were over 25 years apart.

Black Friday I went shopping. No, not at the crack of dawn with the mobs, but just before midday. Just curious for I was not really in need of anything. I usually give the children in my family money as they are too young to make their wishes known and I am sure money is the right size and color.


I so envy those of you who put your own labor into projects and create personal gifts. I am just not a crafty person and do not live close to the youngsters so I take the easy way since the oldest is only three.

Doing pathetically little to help the economy, I only bought for myself a cute pair of magnetic flashlights for under $5.00 to stick on the refrigerator for emergencies. I know, I am sorry, that won't put anyone back to work. I really should have done better.


Anyway, I was window shopping away and was suddenly aware I was having trouble seeing. People were slightly out of focus and reading information tags was almost impossible. This was quite disconcerting and I was getting a wee bit panicked. I am thinking everything from impending blindness to brain tumor.

I left Stage's store and went to the parking lot where Mighty waited patiently. I had a huge desire to make the hour and a half trip to the safety of my home but wasn't thrilled about driving in that condition.


Now, I could see big things, like cars OK, just not as clearly as I had just a little bit earlier. My eyes strained hard seeking a sharp image but it was not to be. I alternately closed each eye as a test but got no relief. It was not just one eye giving me problems, it was both.

Probably foolishly, I cranked up and started home carefully. Though not blind, I was impaired. I had to drive past the hospital when leaving the town, so I was giving my self till then to straighten up or I would stop in.

Traffic was brutal and in frustration, I whipped off my glasses and found I could see perfectly, even better than I had earlier in the day with them on. In fact, I was seeing better than I had in years. Everything was bright and clear, signs were read with ease. Curious, I put the glasses back on and the out of focus world returned.


Now I am sure I couldn't read fine print but I had perfect distance and mid-distance vision without my glasses. Road signs were perfectly clear. I felt 25 again.

I grinned happily and drove right past the hospital. I have never enjoyed the ride home as much as I did that day. Vistas were gorgeous and sharp, colors were brighter, I was grinning a lot. I had young eyes.

This same thing happened to me 25 years ago when I discovered my arms were not long enough to read easily and I got my first pair of glasses. They were window glass in the top and correction was in the the bifocal as I am farsighted. At last I could read with ease again.

One day I was at the beauty parlor sitting under the dryer. I had a head full of curlers so I wasn't wearing my glasses and they were tucked into the neck of my blouse.


Absentmindedly I picked up a magazine and started to read. Suddenly it dawned on me, I was reading and quite easily with out my glasses. I let out a whoop and informed all within earshot of my miracle.

One lady said she had the same thing happen once but that it was only temporary. Well, sadly, that day was also temporary as was my miracle on Black Friday. Both times it did last part of a day. However, by mid-afternoon on Friday, I was putting my glasses back on again and all was normal.

I searched my mind for possible triggers and of course went to food.The only thing I ate differently that day was a Tootsie Roll. I know, ever since I wrote about them, I have wanted one. You would have thought that would have turned me off but it actually did the opposite. If the Tootsie Roll will return sight, then I am buying stock today in the company.

Has this happened to any of you and if so, do you know of a logical explanation for the eyesight phenomenon?? I am not concerned because at this rate of occurrence, I will be 96 before it happens again, but am really curious.




43 comments :

  1. I've never had that happen, but I would welcome it. Don't care for Tootsie Rolls, but in the name of science, I might try one...LOL

    When I first started reading, I was afraid you had had a TIA or mini-stroke. Glad to know that wasn't it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My husband has had a similar incident a time or two, but only for minutes at a time...possibly it has to do with pressure in the eyes, Patti...maybe being dehydrated a bit. Possibly different things can cause it... either simple or serious...or just aging! Maybe an eye checkup is needed, especially if it happens again. Different allergy seasons affect my sight!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am going to Google Tootsie Roll right after this and prepare for the possibility of a bulk buy...

    ReplyDelete
  4. very interesting..have you ever discussed this with your eye doctor? I also will look for the Fannie Flag book from your previous post. I have never heard of her but it sounds like my type of read.

    ReplyDelete
  5. No, I can't say I've ever had that happen but glad it made your day! My Dad was legally blind so I would welcome it; always afraid I'll lose my eyesight...

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm heading to town today and will make sure I pick up a bag of Tootsie Rolls. (I'm with Wanda on this one though- I think maybe pressure in the eyes)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have never had that happen
    Unfortunately I have had the opposite happen - one day recently I was driving along and suddenly realized that everything looked like I was viewing it thru a film of Vaseline on the windshield
    would you believe I actually cleaned the windshield thinking that was the problem!!

    I use reading glasses and have never had an issue in any other situation

    It was just that morning and wore off quickly but it made me nervous

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Patti,
    Eyes..... so important and yet so fragile. I wish your sight improvement comes back with a whiz bang. I've suffered poor eyesight all my life. I can see the writing on the wall (No pun) for the length of my driving days. Glaucoma is rapidly closing in on me.

    I didn't add to the economy on B.Friday either. In fact, I stayed home. I'm with you in giving money for Christmas, but this year I did my shopping on
    Amazon.com. They have more variety than Wal-mart.
    Adios for now...

    ReplyDelete
  9. I sure wish it would happen to me - but it never has! I've had a TIA in my optical nerve and it wasn't like that. blessings, marlene

    ReplyDelete
  10. "getting old" is such an adventure! I'll probably hobble off to the store to get some Tootsie Rolls, if I can remember what I went to the store for....LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  11. My vision has recently improved slightly...a sign of cataracts developing informed sources tell me. I have also had two strange spells of vision changes--my ophthalmologist diagnosed "optical migraine." I like the Tootsie Roll theory, though.

    ReplyDelete
  12. +Severa comments mentioned cataracts which change vision, sometimes for the better.

    Glaucoma does some weird stuff too. I have prescription reading glasses which I often see out of better reading than my regular glasses.

    I foget some days and leave with my reading glasses on and see perfectly well for at least two blocks.

    I blame it on the fact I needed only a small correction and the clinic would only do the new readng classes. I can tell the deffernce.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Patti, That has never happened to me --but I do know that my eyes do change every once in awhile when my blood sugar rises. I have to watch my blood sugar since Diabetes is in my family... AND--IF I eat alot of sugar or carbs, my blood sugar will rise for awhile... IF the blood sugar stays high for a long period of time, it will effect my eyes. BUT--instead of making things clearer, it makes things fuzzier... SO--this is not your situation at all....

    I only wear glasses for close-up things--like reading. My long distance vision is very very good ....

    I would mention this to my eye doctor if it were me. You don't know why it happened ---and you don't know if/when it will happen again... Weird!!!!

    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  14. Kenju,
    I so admire your sacrifice in the name of science. Let me know how the experiment goes.

    Wanda,
    All good thoughts and I have researched them. I did learn many have the quickie eye improvemnets, only a few had them for hours like mine.

    Lizzie,
    Have to admit I did buy some Tootsie Rolls today. You never know.

    Dee,
    I recently had my eyes examined but nothing exciting was found. If it happens again, I will go back.
    Hope you like Fannie.

    Tracy,
    The older we get, the more that treat looms. My step mom was virtually blind by the time she passed. We have to take the best care possible of our sight.

    Coloring outside the lines,
    I all ready have my bag that I got this AM. Hay, it might work and can't hurt. I was recently checked and my pressure was good.

    Dianne,
    Any change in our vision gets our attention in a hurry. When it goes away and doesn't return, we breathe easier again.

    Manzanita,
    I am so sorry you are having problems. Driving is such a badge of independance that when it is taken from us, we are diminished. Hope we both keep behind the wheel for a long time.

    Stitchingbythelake,
    That was the first thing I researched when I got home but like you said the symptoms are just opposite.
    Hope you had no ill effects from yours.

    turquoisemoon,
    Oh how I can relate. Wonder if Tootsie's stock will go up today.

    Olga,
    You sent me off to research that optical migraine but it didn't quite fit. I am still working on the Tootsie theory.

    Nitwit,
    I know what you mean. I sometimes think my distance vision has slipped because I can no longer get the old window glass upper part. Perhaps our eyes are over corrected.

    Betsy,
    If it happens again, I will definitely see an eye doc. You are right, everything I have researched seems to cause the reverse of what happened to me.
    I'm sticking with "wierd".

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have always wanted to cure my vision and read several books on it. Apparently if you can get your eye muscles to relax, your vision will correct itself. Straining by reading in low light, etc makes it worse. Not sure if that happened somehow.

    ReplyDelete
  16. That is amazing! I can't say this has happened to me--certainly not in such a dramatic way. Now and again, I feel my eyesight is better or worse, for a few hours, on any given day---And I have no idea why! But the food connection is an interesting one that I am going to experiment with....
    Wouldn't it be wonderful Patti, if a Tootsie Roll or two a day would restore your fantastic young eyesight?

    ReplyDelete
  17. It' s a little scary when vision changes happen. I had one suddenly last January that freaked me out - the opthalmologist told me I' d had a vitreous detachment. Much better than a TIA, but still related to aging.

    How did I get to be a person with symptoms of aging?

    ReplyDelete
  18. You need to ask either your family doctor or your eye doctor the next time you have to go for a visit. something must have caused it. Perhaps the blood was flowing good to the brain that day. LOL Wish it had lasted longer for you.

    ReplyDelete
  19. The only thing I like better than a Tootsie Roll is a Tootsie Pop. Now that I know they can cure vision problems, I'm going to buy stock and eat one of each (Roll and Pop) every day for...forever. Thanks for e tip!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I have heard of it but never have known what causes it.

    I'd like to know if you find the answer.

    Thanks for the warning. If it ever happens to me I'll rip my glasses off first thing.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I get the blurry vision occasionally too, but I never get the 25 year old vision any longer, wish I did, I might get a tootsie roll the next time I go to the grocery store. Ha. Glad it was nothing serious, hope you have your aspirin a day.

    ReplyDelete
  22. That is very strange. Getting older can sure suck when it comes to vision. We are such avid readers!

    ReplyDelete
  23. This is very strange, Patti. Fortunately you came home safely. I am glad it wasn't a stroke or dangerous disease! Try some more Tootsie Rolls!I don't know what they are, but they had done a miracle!
    Thanks for this tale!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I wish it had lasted longer to, but, at our age, we will take all the good we can get.

    ReplyDelete
  25. islandwonder,
    Makes good sense. I suppose hunching over a glowing screen can't be helpful either.

    OOLOH
    Yours seem to fluctuate also. So far, that is my second episode that I know of. Now the Tootsie meds are a program I could get with.

    Linda Myers,
    Oooh, I had one of those vitreous detachments years ago when I was driving at night. It will scare the willy out of you with all the lighening bolts. Quite a light show. Haven't had it again, hope you don't either.

    Patty,
    That could be, who knows. If it happens again, I will see a doctor.

    Deb,
    Yeah for Tootsie Pops!! More fun than the roll and they are a favorite item for a long road trip.

    Linda,
    At last, some one who has heard of it. You are right. I wonder how many people think they are having a fuzzy vision attack and keep the glasses on when actually they could be having a clear vision attack. Good thought.

    Linda Starr,
    Yep, I do the baby asprin a day, kind of habit. Hope you get a clear vision episode, it really is marvelous.

    Brighid,
    I guess loss of vision is a big fear as we age. It would take our independance. I probably could go to audio books, but it would really put a crimp in blogging.

    Reader Wil,
    I'm sure they don't have Tootsie Rolls in the Netherlands. You all are famous for "exceptional" chocolate.
    I was a little concerned it might be something not so good,but the symptoms for the bad stuff are the exact opposite. Phew.

    marciamayo,
    You are right, it was great while it lasted and I don't regret that it is gone, just grateful for the time it was here.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Very interesting phenomenon, patti. I've never heard of such a thing, and am glad that it was not a serious health thing, but actually a welcomed event! I wouldn't mind having it happen to me and lasting a bit longer.

    ReplyDelete
  27. robin,
    It was wierd all right but happy wierd. Perhaps it was good it only lasted a couple of hours, any longer and I would have gotten accustomed and have been bitterly disappointed when things went back to normal. As it was, it was just a very pleasant interlude.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I had a similar experience several years ago. It only lasted for a couple of hours and I never knew why.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I have never had this happen, but I do think you should have this checked out. My father's eye doctor is the one who diagnosed his blocked carotid artery (98% blockage). My father was having no symptoms to speak of when he was diagnosed. You just never know.

    I think it is true that there are so many things that could cause this. Everything from diabetes, to dehydration, to glaucoma. I hope you see your eye doctor soon.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Sweet Virginia Breeze,
    At last, someone who has been there. Thanks for making me not feel so totally wierd.

    sallylwess,
    I had my eyes examined a month ago and all was OK then. If it happens again, I will definitely go back. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Patty had her cataracts removed and she no longer needs glasses but uses them sometimes. I would guess, and i am no doctor, that something flushed your eyes in some way so that you could see again. Do you have cataracts?

    ReplyDelete
  32. I'm off to buy tootsie rolls, the new miracle drug. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  33. Have you been in the bilberries?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Cant shed any light on your problem but like you I would probably wait 'til the next time before seeing a doc ...the wrong thing I know. When Mum was 50ish she developed a strange effect ...zig zags that made her feel she was looking through a raindrop on a window pane ...then I too developed this around the same age. It happens once in a while and goes after a sit down for 20 mins ... some one said that they were optical migrains ...I just accepted that.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Abe,
    I was told in my last exam that I have just the beginning of one but that they are slow growing. I have several friends who have had the surgery like Patty and love the results.

    Smart Mouth Broad,
    Maybe we have discovered a great scientific new drug? Wouldn't that be cool.

    Brighid,
    At first I thought that was a typo for blue berries but then I remembered the stories about the English pilots.
    I started researching and by golly, there is my next elusive post. Will post that tomorrow. Thank you so much.

    Angie,
    Olga also mentioned optical migraines. I looked them up and they do fit yours and your Mum's symptoms. Not what I had however.
    Like you, I will wait for the next bout since there was 25 years between the two I had.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Thanks Patti for your visit and comment on the bushfires in Israel. It's terrible indeed!

    ReplyDelete
  37. I suggest you go see and optician if only to put your mind at rest.

    I've had varying vision and have gone practically blind at times but I always realised that I had a headache which then turned into a migraine. Not a major one with flashing lights, just a pain behind the eyes.

    Once the headache was over sight returned to normal, that is, poor.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Please let me know what you discover!!! I'd like my eyesight improved!!! How amazing!!! "Hello!" Thought I'd pop by to see you!! You've been in my thoughts! Sending you love, Janine XO

    ReplyDelete
  39. Interesting the way that happened. Too bad it did not last. I think I got to your blog via betsy, not sure....I live in LA, and I noticed that you live in North central Arkansas. I lived in Moutain view in 1998. It is so pretty there. i wished I could have stayed, but my daughter got cancer, and I came back home to take care of her.I miss those evenings on the Square.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Reader Wil,
    I hope they get the help they need. Just awful.

    Friko,
    I have heard of vision changes with migraines. So sorry you have those. Our eyesight is so important and unappreciated till it changes.

    Sniffles and Smiles,
    Thanks for stopping by Janine. I miss your posting but understand. I have done a post on my findings.

    Jackie,
    Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I know and have been to Mountain View. What a neat little town and the music on the square is really special.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Sorry for getting here late. Now, I haven't read all the comments so, if my answer is a repeat, I apologize. But, I know exactly what happened and it is really quite simple. Your glasses have gotten stimpafied. This is a condition where your fluttering eye lids creating an electrical charge on your glasses, thus a profound static condition occurs, attracting a fine invisible dust mirage that only the one who creates the charge can see or should I say not see. Your eyes didn’t actually get better but when you took the glasses off the contrast made you think they were better. The cure, for making sure your glasses never do this again, is to embed them in a jar of mayonnaise over night. After the glasses have been in the mayonnaise for at least 12 hours, there is one more step required. But it is a simple one, you must wear your glasses without cleaning them at all, for at least five hours while you do a crossword puzzle. That’s not a bad fix is it? Like my Uncle Red says if the women don’t find you handsome, let them find you handy. – I am so happy to be handy.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Grayquill,
    Oddly enough, your comment was not a repeat:)) It has merit, just need to get some mayonnaise to make it work. Thanks, you are handy.

    ReplyDelete

Comments moderated. No spam will be published nor comments with links