A couple days ago I had my trippy psychedelic experience while discussing application support with a team mate at work. Although I’ve experienced nothing since, I still kept my appointment with my optometrist to make sure there’s nothing wrong with my eyes. Dr. Google pointed me towards the direction of ocular migraines, so it was time to see if the world’s most cheeky search engine knew it’s stuff or not.

Did someone say cheeky?

Yesterday, we had Blizzard #1. 35 cm (just a tad over a foot of snow) fell on the city over the course of a day. Although the city had to shut down the major north/south highway for 8 hours, and the main highway heading west for a couple of hours, the weather made for some nice photos. I’m not looking forward to shovelling the drive once all this stuff stops.

The day of my appointment rolls around. We hop in the car, slip-slide our way in, and the menfolk grab a drink while I get on with my appointment.

I sit down in the big comfy chair and regale my doc about my symptoms. The more I talk, the more she smiles. When I’m done telling my story, I follow up with “You look like you already have an answer for me.”

Yes, indeed. My Lucy-In-The-Sky-With-Diamonds experiences are ocular migraines. Since neither a headache nor a migraine followed either attack, I’m apparently one of the “lucky” 30% of migraine suffers who will just trip out and loose partial vision for an hour before the hallucinations dissolve within seconds without a trace.

Lucky, you say?

She advises me that should such an attack happen behind the wheel of a car, I’m advised to pull over immediately and just ride it out. Not comforting news, but she continues still. The diagnosis is followed up with symptoms to watch for in the event of a retinal detachment, which can apparently be mistaken for ocular migraines.

Though I’m happy to know my eyes are fine, I’m still left a bit skittish by the other pieces of information she’s given me.

So, is this what growing old is like? You’ll get crazy hallucinations, it may affect your driving, but oh make sure to mind your eyeballs just coming completely unglued.

We get back home in time for Blizzard #2 to hit. And this JUST after we’ve finished shovelling the drive. Only 10-15 cm (4-6 inches), but still. My poor back can’t take two shovellings in one day.

I don’t want to shovel any more!

Guess that’s another sign of growing old.

Tonight will be a warm night, cozied up on the couch watching TV.

I can’t wait until spring.

I am so done with winter.