When I was little, I used to lay in my room and see what I thought was called “sand,” and I would say, “Oh, the sand is here,” because it would be dark, and I would see static-like patterns everywhere. As time went on and I got older, things just became different and worse. Now I see static all the time—day and night—even with my eyes closed. I also see floaters, afterimages, and palinopsia. I have a problem with contrast; sometimes colors look brighter, and I have a really hard time with lighting, especially at night. I usually have to sleep with a light on next to my bed to try to filter out some of the visual snow, but it doesn’t really work.
I suffer from patterns moving, and words on white paper with black writing seem to shift. Reading is hard because it feels like things are moving. I also experience my own skin looking faded. It’s difficult to go anywhere with fluorescent lights, as I see flickering all day. I also see what I call a “heat wave” effect. Life has been very hard. I’ve been to many neurologists, ophthalmologists, and optometrists, but none of them have been able to help me at all. I pray that soon there will be a cure for all of us, or at least something to manage these symptoms.
