OPEN MIC: Competition
My mad plans:
To start selling prints via imagekind. I'd had little luck with cafepress years ago, and my blurb book has had rather piddly sales thus far, but as my mother says "if you throw enough shit, something will stick." I'm probably going to try mashing up my photographs with some filtered drawings, or text, or (finally learning) illustrator elements.
My week in internet land:
A photograph of mine has been chosen as one of 15 finalists for a competition of pictures of Brooklyn. I've tried to spread the word, and the reception I've gotten, between the kind emails, people retweeting the link, and votes upon votes... well, I'm feeling rather warm and fuzzy inside.
My week in doctor land:
Yesterday I went to a neuro opthamologist. The visit was supposed to happen on Thursday, but his office was struck by lightening, and I was rescheduled for the following day. The doctor was swamped, but after I'd waited for 2 hours, he spent about 4 hours working with me, and actually stayed and discussed things with me long after everyone else on that floor of the hospital had gone home for the weekend. He actually went through all my records (which I've scanned in and print out the 80 or so pages for each doctor I see), explained things to me like I'm not an idiot, and tested me for a whole host of possible disorders. (He was rather certain I'd have Horner's Syndrome, for example, of which David Bowie is afflicted, but it seems I don't.)
The conclusion?
My eyeballs are healthy and "robust", which is really awesome. I'm only slightly nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other, so subtly that prescription glasses aren't needed (Interestingly, it seems that this explains the "seeing more red in one eye and more blue in the other"). My vision problems are purely of the neuro-muscular variety, which is a far better diagnosis.
The underlying cause still has yet to be determined. I may have a congenital disorder, either of being just "wired differently" (what with the history of tourette's and OCD and Aspergers and ADD and schizophrenia and bipolar in my family), or as a late-onset complication from my premature birth (born at 6 months, weighing 2lb 6oz), or a variety of Myasthenia Gravis. The latter I find rather fascinating, as it actually explains the asymmetric weakness AND eye issues AND scoliosis AND clumsiness. It's tested with this drug called Tensilon, which reduces the neurological weakness instantly, but the effects last only for a few minutes. However, the drug was taken off the market a year and a half ago, and has only recently been re-introduced, which means there's quite a back-log on avaialability.
So in the meantime... MORE BRAIN MRIs!!! sigh...
All in all, I'm rather pleased. I already knew I had neurological issues, and now at least I don't have to fear that my eyeballs are deteriorating. It put things into perspective, really. I stopped caring about the pain and the weakness, and realised I could live with it all, as long as my hands will draw and my eyes can see. With proper glass prism lenses (instead of these plastic discount deals), I may be able to see well.
Me... yesterday... waiting...
(hearing an infant get his eyeballs prodded is probably the most terrible screaming I've ever heard.)
To start selling prints via imagekind. I'd had little luck with cafepress years ago, and my blurb book has had rather piddly sales thus far, but as my mother says "if you throw enough shit, something will stick." I'm probably going to try mashing up my photographs with some filtered drawings, or text, or (finally learning) illustrator elements.
My week in internet land:
A photograph of mine has been chosen as one of 15 finalists for a competition of pictures of Brooklyn. I've tried to spread the word, and the reception I've gotten, between the kind emails, people retweeting the link, and votes upon votes... well, I'm feeling rather warm and fuzzy inside.
My week in doctor land:
Yesterday I went to a neuro opthamologist. The visit was supposed to happen on Thursday, but his office was struck by lightening, and I was rescheduled for the following day. The doctor was swamped, but after I'd waited for 2 hours, he spent about 4 hours working with me, and actually stayed and discussed things with me long after everyone else on that floor of the hospital had gone home for the weekend. He actually went through all my records (which I've scanned in and print out the 80 or so pages for each doctor I see), explained things to me like I'm not an idiot, and tested me for a whole host of possible disorders. (He was rather certain I'd have Horner's Syndrome, for example, of which David Bowie is afflicted, but it seems I don't.)
The conclusion?
My eyeballs are healthy and "robust", which is really awesome. I'm only slightly nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other, so subtly that prescription glasses aren't needed (Interestingly, it seems that this explains the "seeing more red in one eye and more blue in the other"). My vision problems are purely of the neuro-muscular variety, which is a far better diagnosis.
The underlying cause still has yet to be determined. I may have a congenital disorder, either of being just "wired differently" (what with the history of tourette's and OCD and Aspergers and ADD and schizophrenia and bipolar in my family), or as a late-onset complication from my premature birth (born at 6 months, weighing 2lb 6oz), or a variety of Myasthenia Gravis. The latter I find rather fascinating, as it actually explains the asymmetric weakness AND eye issues AND scoliosis AND clumsiness. It's tested with this drug called Tensilon, which reduces the neurological weakness instantly, but the effects last only for a few minutes. However, the drug was taken off the market a year and a half ago, and has only recently been re-introduced, which means there's quite a back-log on avaialability.
So in the meantime... MORE BRAIN MRIs!!! sigh...
All in all, I'm rather pleased. I already knew I had neurological issues, and now at least I don't have to fear that my eyeballs are deteriorating. It put things into perspective, really. I stopped caring about the pain and the weakness, and realised I could live with it all, as long as my hands will draw and my eyes can see. With proper glass prism lenses (instead of these plastic discount deals), I may be able to see well.
Me... yesterday... waiting...
(hearing an infant get his eyeballs prodded is probably the most terrible screaming I've ever heard.)