Here's a new medical issue

Okay now, this hit me when I was at lunch and I noticed a "floater" in my eye that wouldn't go away - like squiggly lines passing through my left eye continually.....it freaked me out big time at first as I thought maybe I was having a stroke or a brain hemmorage but then I looked online and it said that "floaters" in the eye sometimes increase with age (I'm 59) and are nothing to worry about.  But I've had those before and they pass whereas this just keeps happening.  And sometimes they're just those clear colored ones but a few times they almost seemed like blood colored that looked like they were leaking in my eye!  What the heck!!?  I have just finished up a slew of interviews for a full-time position at the company I'm temping in now and I suppose the stress could be a contributing factor but I really need to get this job, as I have NO insurance right now.  God willing I won't drop dead or have something too serious before I can land this and have insurance.  Anyone ever have what I'm describing....it's VERY annoying cuz you can't get away from it.(And keep in mind I've been a HUGE hypochondriac all my life but never had anything like this).

I've had similar things. The squiggly lines and even huge floating clouds in my left eye, rendering it blind.

When they first started happening with any regularity I had a C/T scan, EKG, and then wore a holter monitor for several days. Nothing came up. Eye exams also came back negative for glaucoma. Back then I NEVER went to the doctor...so you bet I was scared.

Mine are ocular migraines, and tend to be worse when I'm under stress or don't get enough sleep. I can go for weeks without having the huge opaque clouds, but the little squiggly things are pretty common. Even though I have anxiety I no longer worry about them. I'm 30, and the first time I can remember them happening I couldn't have been older than 20. I guess if something goes on long enough and you don't die from it, you just get used to it. Well, sometimes I feel a bit lightheaded with them and I do tend to freak out a little then.

But it's probably something like that. When you get insurance have it looked into just to be safe, but otherwise try not to worry. If you absolutely can't stop worrying, perhaps you can go to your local county hospital and have them take a look. I know it's hard to deal with because it's something you can see...it's right there in your eyes. It is kind of freaky when you're not used to it.

See if meditation helps. Give it a few minutes to work, though...if it's anything like mine they won't go away as soon as you're relaxed. Takes a few minutes more.

Thanks for all your kind words of encouragement....they certainly help.  I'm just concerned because NATURALLY I'm just in process of getting a full-time job offer here which will afford me insurance within thirty days and I'm so scared this eye thing will blow up before I land the job (or even jeopardize me getting it).  This is only in my left eye and the squiggly things used to always just be clear colored but they seem brown now....it's almost like someone has blown smoke in front on my eye or something.  Did I understand you correctly that these can be caused by anxiety - because I've had 5 different interviews for this position this past week and the squigglies seemed to get much worse while I was in the interview.  It's just so darn hard to believe something so real feeling can just be a symptom of anxiety - well I guess ALL the physical symptoms we get seem real.  Of course, being the "hypo" that I am, I am currently convinced it's diabetic retinopathy - now you'd think I wouldn't even know what that is, but NOOOOOOO, I check out ALL symptoms for an answer.  Interestingly, I haven't even been diagnosed with diabetes but am convinced I have that too, as my Dad did and I have certain symptoms of that too.  So the beat goes on...from one disease to another.  And then again, it could be a brain tumor.  Thank God my mother isn't still alive - I drove that poor woman so crazy with my self diagnosing.  Poor thing had so many illnesses herself but faced each one with fearlessness and courage.  She had an interesting theory regarding people like myself who are closet hypochondriac's yet won't venture to the doctor - she used to say that she thought I didn't want to go to the doc because he might tell me I DIDN'T have anything wrong and I would be left with nothing to worry about anymore..,that maybe I felt I deserved to have something wrong so needed that constant fear.  Interesting theory but who knows....just know I'm so darn tired of this fear feeling but seemingly having power to overcome it the mature way by going to the doc. 

Only in the left eye, huh? That's mine, too. Well, over the years they have happened in the right eye, but it's extremely rare. Once they happened in both eyes at the same time. Once in like eight or nine years, so....

I'm pretty sure what you and I are experiencing is the same thing. We may be describing it a bit differently, but it's probably the same. Check into ocular migraines when you get insurance coverage. They, of course, can definitely be caused by anxiety. It's a physical problem...you're not being a hypochondriac with it. When mine first started happening I was about the furthest thing from a hypochondriac there was.

It's basically a headache that doesn't present with pain. They get worse when I haven't slept or haven't eaten. Some fluorescent lights seem to help trigger them. And stress, of course. They tend to happen in groups. I may not experience it for weeks, then for a few days or a week I'll get them every day, sometimes several times. Mine only last for a few minutes, usually, and then it goes away or fades into the background where I don't notice it much.

All those visual things you talk about...I've experienced. I'm pretty sure they're migraines brought on by anxiety. Sounds like you're going though a lot of change right now. What is your blood pressure? Mine's normal and I still have them. And I said mine only last a few minutes, but that's not exactly accurate. They can last hours and hours to varying degrees, but the worst part is usually for 10 or 15 minutes and I'm literally blind in that eye while it's happening. Then the worst subsides and I still have visual phenomena going on...just not so much that it impairs my vision.

I suppose it could be something else, but it really does no good to worry about it since you can't have it checked out. See if you can convince yourself they're migraines for now. That's most likely what they are, anyway.

I have devised a plan for you to "steal" your medical care if you want, but it is not without risk. Have someone drop you off at the ER. Leave your wallet and all forms of identification behind. When you get to the desk, tell them you don't remember anything but you're having these visual phenomena. It won't be long before you get a very thorough check up, believe me. MRI, C/T scan of the brain, EKG...you name it. Then, once you get the results, just leave! They'll be none the wiser. The risk is that they could commit you, I guess, but you could get out of that easily enough. You'd just be stuck with an enormous bill then. But it might work out...and either way you'd have peace of mind!

I'm just kidding about all that, of course. It might actually work, but who knows. Imagine yourself doing it and you're guaranteed to laugh at least a little and that's the point.