darkagendalady

[darkagendalady]

I realize that I haven't been posting lately, but I do have a good reason/excuse. I've been working on a "new" nonfiction book. My working title is "Delving into Reality," which gives you a fair idea of it's content.

Actually, I'm rewriting a book of poetry that I wrote a long time ago, updating it and turning it into prose. I've learned so much since then, including discovering Quantum Physics (or QP, as my late mother called it). I've gotten many ideas from both metaphysical philosophy and QP, and am inserting my impressions and opinions, as well as the questions that have gone through my mind, and, well, it's quite time consuming as well as tiring. There's something about the "inner writing" which is invigorating even as it takes seemingly all the energy I have to get it on paper.

I'm trying to do this book in a chronological way, which I didn't do before. And there are a lot of changes from the first book to this one, mainly influenced by QP and my take on it. In my opinion, the first book was merely a "stepping off" point, a beginning that was forming in my mind. But upon finding that book again (no telling what you can discover while going through things that have been put away for a long time), I had an urge to sit down with it, rework it, and add to it.

It would be wonderful if I could do more posting and my writing, as well. But creative endeavors take time, effort, and concentration, and right now, I'm just not able to get "into" much else, unless it's to be outdoors for a while trimming the fence line or chopping up dandelions (sort of a mini-vacation for my brain). I just have to set my priorities in place, and at the moment that's this latest attempt at creating what, so I feel, hasn't been created before. Or at least not in the manner in which I'm creating it.

When I have a few minutes, I do try to read some of the blog posts on Tumblr. But even then, and even now, my writing calls to me. So as soon as I turn off my computer, I'll be back to it, anxious to see what ideas come to me as I read what I've written before, and what new ideas those spark in my mind.

I'll let you know of my progress when I can tear myself away from pen and paper. I'm quite impatient to see where this will go, and how it will turn out. In this creative venture, patience is indeed not a virtue.

[darkagendalady]

A quick note, and I don't expect everyone to agree with it.

I fully understand the banner placed on the Statue of Liberty. Two of my grandparents, my father's parents, were immigrants to this country. One from Germany, one from France. They came over here as youngsters, with their parents. They learned English, and became U.S. citizens. They were legal immigrants who were willing to do everything they could to become good citizens.

But what's happening now is something which is, and has been for decades, meant to handle illegal immigrants, those who come here, use our hospitals (one of which in Brownsville, TX had to close down due to the illegals crossing over to see that their babies were born in this country so that they would have a U.S. citizenship), attend our schools, and so forth, and don't pay income tax, Social Security tax, Medicare tax, and so on. They are here illegally. (Doesn't anyone know what that word means anymore?)

Those who are here legally have nothing to fear. And those in this country legally, who go through the process of attaining citizenship don't like what the illegal immigrants are doing. In fact, my husband said that the Hispanics here legally are more against the illegals than people who were born in this country.

As for refugees and others from the Mideast, is it too outlandish to think that some of them might be from ISIS, or even al-Qaeda? And one of those involved with 9-11 was a doctor in this country. Can't anyone connect the dots that show us that at this time in history, we need to be more cautious with who comes into our country not through normal channels?

I'm certain that the countries who've had problems with Mid-eastern refugees have learned to be cautious. Why don't we accept that we must learn some things through the lack of caution exhibited by these other countries to be more cautious, ourselves.

Yes, there are many good, honest people who want to come to America, both from south of the border, and from other countries. And our country would probably benefit highly from their being here. It's separating them from the ones who would do this country harm that's the problem, and one which probably will be despised by many. Yet what are we to do? Turn a blind eye? Ignore the possibly small chance and risk another 9-11 or even lesser, but just as deadly and destructive, events?

There will be no easy answer for this problem. Yet we need to remember that we need to be both vigilant and diligent as a nation, as we are individually when locking our doors at night, and not opening them unless we're certain of who's ringing the doorbell and seeking entrance. It's really the same thing, but on a larger scale, isn't it?

Earlier today, a group of protestors unfurled a large banner reading “Refugees Welcome” on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. A Twitter account, Alt Lady Liberty, began posting photos from the monument this afternoon, and noted that “patriots unfurled a massive banner at the foot of Lady Liberty.”

[darkagendalady]

The Affordable Care Act Lies

For those trying to influence Congress to keep Obamacare, there might be a few things that they don't know (or won't admit to knowing).

First, doctors and hospitals have the right to refuse care to patients on Obamacare. In Houston, TX, for example, most, if not all, doctors don't accept patients who have signed on to the Affordable Care Act. That's one of the largest cities in the country, folks. So if those who are on Obamacare can't find a doctor (or hospital, for that matter) that accepts the government insurance, the patient will need to travel to other cities to find care. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

Second, there are very high deductibles, no matter which plan is chosen. Ours was over $6,000. How many low-income families could come up with that if they had to? And then shell out the co-pay involved? Try to find the "affordable" part in Obamacare. One woman couldn't afford the diagnostic tests needed to show whether she needed surgery or not because it would fall under her deductible, which she couldn't afford. I'm more than certain that others are in the same fix.

Third, if you give up Obamacare due to not making enough in the year to qualify for it, such as retirement ahead of schedule, you might have to repay the premiums to the government. They really do take care of our interests, don't they?

Fourth, if you don't get Obamacare, you'll be penalized, and the cost of the penalty is going up each year. My husband and son both rejected the plans offered by their employers, because of the low payments the insurance would pay out, which was about half of what the bill would be. A rock on one side, and a hard place on another. We opted for the Obamacare, while our son opted for the penalty. Fortunately for us, we'll both be on Medicare this year. Unfortunately for our son, he won't be eligible for Medicare for over 25 years.

Fifth, my husband and I had, until recently, only heard about the hardships that people were facing due to our government's idea of health insurance. There have been many, many people who felt forced into taking the government insurance, but were either unable to use it (due mostly to the outrageous deductibles) or who didn't make enough money to be eligible for it (wasn't this insurance supposed to guarantee coverage for everyone?).

But now it seems that everyone loves Obamacare, even though the penalty for not having it, or other equivalent insurance (still with a high deductible, which makes the insurance out of the reach of many). My husband is paying over $500 per month for his insurance until he reaches 65 this year, and yet the government won't see it as an alternative to Obamacare. Makes you want to scream, doesn't it?

So let's hear a bit of the truth along with the rest, shall we? Let's hear how the Affordable Care Act isn't for all of the people, as it was touted to be, but for those who can afford insurance and need some help. Which excludes anyone making under $16,000 per year, and there are plenty of those. As for Medicaid, I wonder how many people are being turned away because a state's Medicaid program is too full to accept them.

Let's face it. This government-funded (Medicare-funded, to be more precise) insurance isn't working the way it was promised it would. Just ask the guy on the street, or the cashiers and stockers and others who are having enough trouble paying their bills week to week and can't afford the "Affordable Care" Act's offerings. Obamacare is broken, and it needs fixing. Otherwise, as my son has said, many more will be treated as criminals and "fined" for not having insurance.

Put the brakes on the "it's so wonderful" chatter about Obamacare. It isn't. It's premise was good, but it went sour when Medicare money, which belongs to the elderly, was robbed to begin this insurance mess. And we older folks aren't even allowed to sign up for Obamacare. Maybe you need to think about the loss that Medicare is suffering due to Obama's Folly. Trillions, if it's left in place. In the high billions at least, if it's stopped now.

And that's my view on the "Keep Obamacare" protesters. Make of it what you will.

[darkagendalady]

Doctors need to have copies of the "adverse events" of vaccines to give to parents, as well as adults, so that they might be aware of what could happen when the vaccinations are administered. Period. Without this information, everyone is in danger of getting shots which could be detrimental, even fatal.

There has to be a solution to this madness. I only wish someone could figure out what that solution could be.

“Go ahead….Keep believing our healthcare system is working. Keep thinking Dr’s have all the answers….This is sickening! Do you think it is coincidence that babies get the Hep B vaccine within 24 hours of birth? Do you realize that newborns can’t even make antibodies until 3 months of age? So why are they giving a vaccine then? A vaccine is meant to trigger an immune response so the body makes antibodies. So we should be asking why we are injecting highly toxic chemicals into newborns for protection against a sexually transmitted disease when they CAN’T MAKE ANTIBODIES?!!!! Maybe if we started asking more questions less babies would be dying.“ Jami Oles

[darkagendalady]

A follow-up on my recent photophobia/migraine situation: Much better since last night. I'm convinced that I'll have to be very, very careful of light from here on out, since there is a problem (whatever the cause, although it all started with that eye exam on 9-2-11) with my eyes not expanding or contracting normally.

Which means I'll have to constantly remember to have on two pairs of sunglasses on when I go out, even on cloudy days, something which I wasn't doing consistently before) and using the green plastic adjustable visor I have indoors, which I have been lax in doing when my eyes haven't been troubling me. Thus I'll have to be acting as though I am having pain even when I'm not, just to not inadvertently cause myself any undue suffering from my own neglect.

I have read that anyone light sensitive shouldn't close things up, wear dark glasses all the time, and so on, because it can cause worsening photophobia. Well, I've had times when I didn't need the dark so much, when I was even thinking that I would be able to go to clear glasses indoors, only to have another bout of trouble when I "got" too much light or flashing glare from vehicles going by. Therefore, I'm assuming that my pupils will never go back to normal (for me, that is, since I have always preferred lower light).

I wonder. Could the dilation drops have made my natural photophobia worse? Could they have caused at least partial, if not full, paralysis of the ciliary muscle? My ophthalmologist just said he hadn't heard of anything like I was experiencing, making no mention of any underlying problem which could have caused it. Since eye exams are supposed to be able to uncover many health problems, I'm taking his response to my complaint as meaning there was nothing that he had seen in my eyes, even during the cataract surgery, which could have indicated that there was a health issue involved.

On a curious note: When I went in for a procedure over a year later to fix a new problem with my vision (seeing fuzzy halos around lights), the nurse came in to dilate my eyes. I told her no, not to dilate them, and she looked closely at my eyes. Then she said that I probably didn't need them, or something similar. Perhaps she just thought that my pupils were ordinarily large. Or perhaps (being Devil's advocate, here) she had seen my problem before, but knew better than to say more than that. At any rate, she didn't seem concerned, alarmed, or even curious. In other words, she was no help to me at all where my "mystery" was concerned.

To one and all, I issue this warning: Beware of all eye dilation and bright light, especially if the light is already something of a bother. Something is going on in the field of ophthalmology, and it's frightening. And painful, too. Express your concern to the people in the doctor's office. If they blow you off, as one nurse did after I told her I'd had problems as a child with having my eyes dilated, be more assertive. I don't care who you are, what you've done, or what you think. Protect your eyes, and do so at the risk of causing those trying to force you into "doing what the doctor says" to become ticked off with you. For me, there's no going back. Because my eye doctor is considered "good" by those in other offices, and if a "good" doctor can ruin my eyes, then think of what a "bad" doctor could do, and I'm sure there are plenty of those out there. Nobody deserves to be put into the position I'm in. Nobody. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Take care of yourself, your family, your friends. Spread the word about this ignorant abuse of over-dilating the eyes. Ask, or demand, that you have the lowest possible dilution of the drops if your eyes have to be dilated. That's the only protection you can have against those who use such toxic "medicine" willy-nilly.

Too bad that I, and others, learned this lesson too late.

[darkagendalady]

Glasses, Hats, and Coloring White Clothing: Help for Photophobia

I've made a discovery concerning fit over sunglasses. And, as I promised I would, I'm going to relate my findings here to help others who have problems with photophobia, migraine, and even with prolonged light sensitivity following an eye exam.

I had read that the "brown" lens glasses were good for keeping out the light. I have several pairs of copper/brown/amber fit over glasses, as well as green ones. The green ones feel the best, and I have used those over amber bifocals when outside. Plus hats, of course. But after this most recent bout of migraine due to exposure to very bright light (even my husband said that the light was unusually bright that day), I decided that I needed something even darker to cut the light down to a tolerable amount.

Now, my husband has fit over and bifocals mostly in smoke color, and I can't bear to wear them because it seems they let in too much light for me. However, I found that there are black fit overs, and, in looking at the images on Amazon, saw that they are much harder to see through than the ones I've been using and the smoke lens.

So I bought some (polarized, and at a decent price). One pair I didn't care for much, but my husband quickly took them for "mowing" glasses. While he doesn't have light sensitivity, he does have the start of cataracts, and so is trying to keep as much light as possible. One pair is black-yellow, or a dark gray-green, and is letting me see even the sunny sky without wincing (used over my amber bifocals, of course). I have some coming that are supposedly very dark black, and certainly do look that way when I saw the image on their Amazon page. I could hardly see the ear piece through the lens. Those will probably be the ones I use the most.

Should wearing 2 pairs of glasses at one time result in my having difficulty seeing in the stores, I can always raise up the fit over glasses to read what I need to. I'm doing that now with the pair of black fit overs I'm using over my computer glasses. I've had to up the bars on the brightness, but I'm sitting at 4 now instead of 1 or 2, just to be able to read the screen. And I'm not feeling that "pull" that means my eyes don't like the amount of light they're getting.

And why did I wait so long before exploring black fit overs? Because I thought they wouldn't be "good" for my eyes, that they would feel like the smoke lens when I wore them. My not wearing the darkest lens I could find could be why I've been having recurrent problems with my eyes and the light. Last year, I made a post about the reflected light from the crushed limestone we had put in our driveway, and how it had, after a few days exposure even with my wearing my usual 2 pairs outside, produced a bout of migraine that lasted for at least a couple of weeks. Had I had on the fit over black glasses, I might have had little or even no problems with that.

The hats are another important factor in my self-help regimen. I've gotten the wide-brimmed visors I had ordered, and they'll do for cloudy days, but the brims are sort of see-through. So I've ordered others that have similar brims (haven't arrived yet), and feel that they will keep extra light out from the front and sides, as the brims are about 2-3 inches wider than the ones I've been using.

Lastly, I've decided to try to dye my white outer clothing rather than leaving them "tea" dyed. Eventually, the tea will be washed away, the way it has on a small towel stained with tea. But I made sure to order non-toxic dye rather than the national brand. And since my sweater and vest were only lightly stained, I think that a permanent dye will be not just better but prettier, as well. I found a set of 8 2-oz spray-on dyes that should do the job quite well. And for just under $13. It's supposed to be easy to use, too. I'm already planning what I can do with them. Like the 4 3-quarter sleeved baseball shirts I have. The sleeves are different colors, but the rest is white. As in not good for my eyes. So, I'll spray the white part with whatever color will go with the sleeve color, and bye-bye painful reflection.

I hope some of this I'm writing will help those who are in misery with the light, due to whatever cause. It all comes down to finding out how to keep our eyes comfortable. And if it's one thing those of us with sensitivity to light need, it's more comfort.

[darkagendalady]

Homeopathy for Photophobia

As those of you who read my posts know, I'm keen on homeopathic remedies. I use BHI Migraine for my migraines and photophobia. It has 15 different remedies in each tablet, which is a savings over buying each one separately (as well as saving a lot of time in not taking so many separate ones).

Well, I made a discovery just yesterday. I also take the single remedy Arsenicum Alb, since it's for congestion and food poisoning, and it's one of my remedies for the times that my sinuses act up. Since I'm trying to give up my OTC allergy medicines, I've been using it more often. And all at once it hit me: my eyes felt better when I was taking it.

I checked over the ingredients in the BHI Migraine tablets, and saw Arsenicum listed among them. I probably had the first time I looked through the ingredients, but hadn't thought that much about it then. I got out my Materia Medica book (the homeopathy remedies "Bible"), checked on what it had under the "Eyes" section, and saw that it was for "intense photophobia." As that was shown in italics, I realized that it really was helping my photophobia. As well, it's for ciliary neuralgia, and the ciliary muscle is what dilation drops do, they paralyze it so that they can see inside the eye.

A note here: When my mother was in the cardiac unit for a while during the last few weeks of her life, the head nurse told her that a bright light should never be shined into a dilated eye. (I have yet to try to follow up on this with an online search, but evidently it is something which the ophthalmologists don't know, or just ignore.) And Mama had her cataracts done several years before mine, only her photophobia struck immediately after the surgery. Since she had had problems with the light before the surgery, and her lens had been darkish brown, we assumed that changing the lens had brought on the extra light sensitivity. Her pupils didn't stay dilated nearly so long as mine, but the pain and suffering she went through was exactly like what I later experienced. Thus my helping her deal with the pain (buying her hats, sunglasses, putting tinted film on her storm door and windows, changing out her CFL bulbs for LED ones, etc.) helped me with my own suffering when the photophobia and resultant migraines began.

So I called in an order to Washington Homeopathics this a.m. after checking their site, http://www.homeopathyworks.com, for the Arsenicum Alb. While they no longer list the 4 oz. size, the do have the 2 oz. size available, but it's more expensive, $17-something instead of $27-something for the 4 oz. But I asked about the 4 oz. and was told that they still had some, and in the size-15 pellets (supposedly over 80,000 pellets in a 4 oz. bottle, which means that a 4 oz. bottle contains 20,000 doses), which I was able to get at the old price. I'm taking these along with the BHI Migraine, and it's working quite well.

Not that I'm halting any of my tried-and-true methods of blocking out the light. I'm still wearing my hats and sunglasses, and being aware of any glare and doing what I can (or what my husband can, as he's the handyman around here; I'm just his assistant) to keep excess light out of my eyes.

Any other discoveries I make on my path to lessening the effects of the migraines/photophobia will be posted on my blog. Self-help is a big thing in my life, and is much cheaper and healthier than any doctor can prescribe. Although, it seems that eye specialists are denying that they hadn't heard anything about the condition which can develop during an eye exam (my doctor's words almost verbatim), or that they don't know what causes it and that it shouldn't cause any problems (from www.healthboards.com/boards/eye-vision/390740-pupil-dilation-after-cataract-surgery.html). If light hurts the eyes, it's a problem, as it causes pain, suffering, and anxiety as to the next time the light is bright, how to escape the light, and how long the resulting exposure to the light will cause the eyes and head to hurt.

On the plus side: I'm improving on an almost daily basis. While homeopathic remedies might not "cure" problems, they do lessen the effects of what they're being taken to relieve. Which, really, is only what OTC or prescription drugs do. But homeopathic remedies can also help the body "repair" itself naturally, and without any "side effects." The best kind of medicine, to my way of thinking.

[darkagendalady]

"Side Effect" of Cataract Surgery: Photophobia Due to Eye Dilation

I found out  my problem with photophobia is, indeed, a better-known issue than my ophthalmologist would explain to me. Others who have had cataract surgery do have issues with enlarged pupils, and thus light. And they aren't admitting it to the patients. In fact one person's doctor said that while he didn't know how it came about, it shouldn't be a problem.

For reference the site is http://www.healthboards.com/boards/eye-vision/390740-pupil-dilation-after-cataract-surgery.html. The first post describes exactly the problem I've been having, that the matter of my pupils being still dilated, although not  fully so, is painful and distressing. But it does help that now I know I'm not the only one with an "iffy" doctor, and one who's probably not even writing down my issues due to his being fearful of a lawsuit.

And for those who have yet to discover the lovely after-effects of cataract surgery (even if they don't arise until after the 6-month follow-up visit, as mine did), be aware that in preparing for the surgery, the eye being worked on will receive a lot of dilation drops. I'm beginning to think that my eyes were at least somewhat damaged by the lights then, and on the 6-month follow-up visit, the damage became full-blown. Just guessing, here, but by following the dots, that's my conclusion.

For anyone who's already had the surgery and experiencing prolonged recovery from the dilation drops, get online (or have someone do it for you), and get sunglasses, fit over sunglasses, and hats. Wear 2 a pair of fit over sunglasses over another pair of sunglasses (and these do come in bifocal, thankfully). Green fit over glasses feel best to me, but I also have some dark browns and I've ordered some black ones, which are more dark gray-green, thinking they'll be better on very bright days. Turn down the brightness on the TV, the computer, and try to avoid light no matter what it's source, even from LED bulbs. Get rid of all fluorescent bulbs, as these are less irritating to the eyes. Think desk lamps instead of overhead lights. Buy a couple of adjustable green visors. These work great indoors. Don't wear white outer clothing; it reflects light too well, which will result in more pain. Dye white shirts or pants or wear them only on cloudy days.

In other words, look around and see where improvements can be made where sources of pain can be found. For instance, my desk lamps have some kind of venting at the top. I've put some masking tape around them on my lamp in the living room, and used a marker to paint the light areas with a green tint. Really helps. I've left the one on my desk next to my laptop, however, but I will always have the option of taping the vented area and coloring the masking tape later, if I feel it necessary. I've done he one in the living room because it bothers me more; the light from it comes in at the side instead of where my glasses would block the light.

Maybe I can't change what's happened to my eyes, and maybe it can't be corrected, but I sure as bleep can take the steps necessary to make my life more comfortable. And that can only come from keeping light out of my eyes as much as possible.

[darkagendalady]

Migraine, Photophobia, and "Frozen" Pupils

A bit of good news on the migraine/photophobia front: I took my white shirts, sweatshirts, sweater, and vest, and put them in a bath of instant tea and water to see if that would ease the brightness somewhat. I made the tea path strong, so that it was more like dark coffee than tea.

At first, I was disappointed in the outcome, for the cotton things and sweatshirt were streaked when they line-dried. But I put them into the wash this a.m., and they all came out a lovely bone or off-white, which means I won't be having to get rid of them. And let's face it, a jar of instant tea is bunches cheaper than even a couple of tees. As well, there are no harmful chemicals in the tea. As a added plus, beige/off-white go with everything.

Another trick I'm trying to keep the light out is sunscreen, the kind you can put up to block sunlight. My husband and son put some up on the front door and 2 living room windows, and it's already keeping out a lot of light. 40% or so is what the sunscreen says it will block. If you go this route, get the tan, not the green. While we have the green already on the back door to keep the storage/laundry room from letting in so much morning light, we put up the tan just today. I forget how much it was at Lowe's, but it does lower the brightness, and it's probably going to help a great deal with glare, as well.

So there are my current findings. In intend to say in near-dark conditions, as I had to do after my eye exam on 9-2-11, so that the irritation that the light has once more brought on settles down more. Since I have had times when the light hasn't troubled me nearly so much, I know that this is possible and not a matter of staying in the dark making my eyes more sensitive to the light. And that wouldn't explain the way my pupils have frozen in place (fortunately at much less dilation than right after my traumatic exam), would it?

Oh. I tried from many angles to find info on an eye exam causing extreme photophobia and the dilating drops used resulting in paralysis of the pupil, but the info I had gotten before seems to be, well, gone. I've drawn my own conclusions on that, and I'll allow you to draw your own.

At least we have some self-help we can use, which is more help than my ophthalmologist ever offered.

[darkagendalady]

Migraines and Photophobia

As I've written before, I have problems with migraines. While I've had some bad headaches in my life (possibly, migraines ran in my family), the worst by far began on 9-2-11, when I had a 6-month follow-up exam following cataract surgery on both eyes. Now, nearly 6 years later, my pupils are "frozen," meaning they don't contract and they don't expand. And my ophthalmologist stated that he had never heard of anyone having this problem following such an exam (dilation with a bright light shone into the eyes; felt like having the nerves punched, to me). Plus he told me that at some point he would have to dilate my eyes again (I wonder if that would even be possible, given that I can cover my eyes with my hands for 10-15 seconds, look into the mirror, and my pupils are the same as they were before I covered my eyes).

Normally, I don't have much trouble with "ordinary" sunlight now, since I wear a hat with a brim about 3" and two pairs of sunglasses while outdoors. However, glare, especially when reflected off of car windows and chrome, even if it's fleeting, can cause me to wince in pain. And several days ago, while my husband and I were out shopping, I discovered that if I wore a white sweatshirt when it was especially bright out, there was no way I could hide from the painful light, not even when I took my hat off and held it over my face.

The result was days of pain, especially the first three. My eyes were throbbing. Even so, I got online (with tinted computer glasses on, the brightness on the computer turned down to the first bar, and a low-wattage LED bulb in the desk lamp) and began searching for some darker glasses and better hats. Plus, I told my husband to remind me not to wear a white sweatshirt (or any light-color shirt, for that matter) when I'll be outside for long, especially while we're going somewhere.

I found some sun visors for women with a 5-inch brim on Amazon, along with some dark fit over glasses (as in black lens dark). With my eyes the way they are, prevention is what I need, although I do have the BHI Migraine homeopathic remedy that I use instead of any OTC pain reliever, and only use acetaminophen when I do hurt enough to take anything extra (which I have been since our shopping trip). The visors and glasses will be arriving soon (the hats tomorrow). If I can barely see where I'm going, that'll be fine with me. It's no fun lying down, my eyes throbbing, and having a men's black crew sock over my eyes to block out the light (white socks just won't cut it). But at times, that's the only way I can calm down the nerves in my eyes. Of course, I'll also walk into our bedroom, which is kept dark, and let my eyes rest a bit that way. Anything to keep my eyes out of too much light.

Another thing I've found to cut out light is to have one of our indoor drying lines between me and the open blinds and have a towel or shirt hanging on it. Makes an easy, effective curtain, giving me a nice, dark corner where I can have on my desk lamp and read or watch TV. We have the brightness down on the TV, as well, which helps a lot. Plus I don't just sit and watch it. I'll have something or other to do, such as reading a book, so I don't look at the screen that much.

We're going to be painting the inside of the front door, back door, and a couple of windows that have blinds we keep open to look out. We found some Krylon summer green spray paint that we think will help keep more glare out. Unfortunately, the weather isn't cooperating; it was 28 here last night and might get up into the upper 60's but that's just a guess on my part. The temperature and humidity have to be just right. At least I'll have the visors and dark glasses before our next outing. And I won't be wearing a white shirt of any sort. (Hmm. I'll need to think about my light sweater and vest; they're both white, too. At least I have a sweater that's a bit heavier in olive, a vest that's a neutral color, and a heavy jacket that's a navy, plus sweatshirts and "go-to-the-store" plain shirts that aren't white.)

Six years. And I'm still finding things out through trial and error. And oh, boy, do those errors hurt. But what can I, or anyone else who has similar trouble, do but keep on keeping on? As for my ophthalmologist, well, even though he came highly recommended, I wonder how knowledgeable he is about atropine drops if he doesn't know, as I found out through research, that the drops can paralyze the ciliary muscles in the eyes? Or was he merely lying to me, so that I wouldn't sue him for pain and suffering? One never knows, does one?

But on the brighter side (sorry, more productive side), I've looked up niacin and migraines, and found that niacin can help relieve migraines. At a dose of 300-500 mg. Wow. That's a lot. And it's the nicotinic acid (flush kind) that helps. I'm not up to a hundred mg. as yet. But as I'm not getting the flush at 75 mg. per day (started niacin, I'm going to up it today. Anything, even a red face, is worth getting off the light-then-pain cycle.

[darkagendalady]

I've heard about this before, but thought it deserved a reblog for anyone who doesn't know about it.

This is the most important thing to do in order keep the person alive until professional help arrives!

[darkagendalady]

A nice, easy way to help ourselves. We need all of the self-help we can get.

Rub a Certain Finger For 60 Seconds And See What Will Happen To Your Body…

[darkagendalady]

Aw. What an adorable little frog! Indeed, the little things in nature are so intriguing, so relaxing to be near. Want to lower your blood pressure, reduce stress? Take a walk outside, and notice the tiny creatures, the little wildflowers (especially the ones that look like miniature orchids; so lovely). With the nearness of trees, clouds, and little frogs, who could ever remain unsettled for long?

“Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous to be understood.

How grass can be nourishing in the mouths of the lambs. How rivers and stones are forever in allegiance with gravity while we ourselves dream of rising. How two hands touch and the bonds will never be broken. How people come, from delight or the scars of damage, to the comfort of a poem.

Let me keep my distance, always, from those who think they have the answers.

Let me keep company always with those who say “Look!” and laugh in astonishment, and bow their heads.”

Mary Oliver

[darkagendalady]

An about-face. Hmm. And an 8-year stretch of coming down on those who wanted only to reveal the truth? Knock-knock. Anyone out there connecting the dots??

[darkagendalady]

Read this full article. It's very revealing about the media. Someone who might not be aware of what's happening in the changing of the leadership when one president goes out and another comes in wouldn't know that it's a routine happening each time a new leader takes over the White House.

Or else it's some fear-mongering, just shy of a media false flag, one could say. In either event, unless we educate ourselves about the goings-on in politics, we'll fall victim to mainstream media's deceptive "news" and constantly be afraid.

And speaking of fear, I'm thinking that those in Congress are more than likely quaking in their boots (or high heels) with how quickly Trump has begun to try to make good on his campaign promises. He's upsetting the status quo. But isn't that what we need? A change from the "business as usual" that has gotten our country into this mess? Just an opinion, so like it or not.

[darkagendalady]

About 17 of these fit me. The other two, well, don't. Like I've said before, I would be happy being a recluse, hermit, or whatever other name there might be for it. Hey. Introvert. Yeah. That's a good one. What the world needs is not only more introverts but retreats where we don't have to do anything but enjoy the spacious countryside, doing whatever our creative little minds want to do (alone, most probably, or with one or 2 others like us), and just relax into ourselves.

Nice dream. If there were such retreats, we'd have to face the seemingly vast majority of extroverts when we emerged back into the world again. Ah, well. At least we can keep the dream.

19 Signs You’re Introverted, Not Shy

From http://facthacker.com/signs-youre-introverted-not-shy/

Many people mistake being introverted for being shy. It is true that introverts can be shy, but that is not what defines them. Rather, introverts are people who are energized by being alone and become drained by being around other people without breaks.

Introverts are often misunderstood. While they love thinking and exploring their thoughts and feelings, they may come across as reclusive, shy or even depressed.

Below are 19 signs you are an introvert, not shy:

1. You are Creative

Introverts tend to be creative. They absorb the information they receive and create.

2. You’re a Great Listener and You Value Listening

Introverts tend to be great listeners. They hear what is said and take time to process it, rather than respond without thinking. They want to understand. They also tend to fully think through their ideas before sharing with others. Introverts also really appreciate others who truly listen. Likewise, introverts can be annoyed by others that respond without thinking or that aren’t really listening.

3. You Enjoy Time Alone

Introverts don’t just enjoy time alone, they need it! You love to spend time by yourself in order to re-energize.

4. You Have a Small Group of Close Friends

Introverts like to have friendships, but they are more about having deep and close relationships with a select few, rather than multiple casual ties. Introverts make great friends because they are close with the ones they have.

Read more >>

[darkagendalady]

I like things like this. Interesting, fun, and so appropriate to life.