Next up, our #WarriorOfTheWeek, Pedro! Hear this strong warrior’s #VSS story. ?
Spotlight on: Pedro Marques ? @pmxrques
“I’ve had Visual Snow since summer 2018. I was at the airport & wanted to watch my flight on the monitor. I could only read the numbers & names with great effort. Since I have myopia, I thought I just needed new glasses. I went to the ophthalmologist who said my eyes had worsened, but very minimally, so I couldn’t really tell the difference. They said maybe my eyes were just dry because of the air conditioning. This condition did not decrease & got stronger, so I went to another ophthalmologist. They gave me the VS diagnosis but there was nothing he could do. I got VS after a stressful time of final exams, driving exam, & the resulting panic attacks & anxiety. I just accepted the whole thing & since then I have not noticed the symptoms as much. The symptoms only increase when I’m more stressed than usual.
My symptoms: Photophobia, a little bit of palinopsia, flickering, floaters, impaired night vision, sometimes headache, dizziness & tinnitus.
I first thought I was suffering from a bad illness, such as MS or a tumor. I became a hypochondriac since every doctor told me that everything was fine, but I still had symptoms. I searched for the cause a lot on the Internet & went crazy. Today when I have something, I no longer Google but ask someone or go straight to the doctor. Last year I started my studies. Despite my panic attacks & difficulty concentrating, I got through the first semester with good grades. I have a happy relationship with the most wonderful person on earth for 3 ½ years, who has helped me in my worst time & still does. I distanced myself from everyone I loved because of my problems, but she was always close to me & got me out of this hole.
- Don‘t give any attention to your symptoms
- Find an activity which distracts you
- Try to live as stress-free as possible
- Don’t google your symptoms
- Talk to others about your problems”
