Peter Gachot

Jim C Hasstedt

Hairfish

Artist's Website

Hairfish, Scintillating Scotoma, 2003. © 2005 Hairfish (Lost webpage http://hairfish.com/share/ss.jpg, July 11, 2003)

"The feeling I'm having right now is one of overwhelming relief. I'm 44, female, and have been having these 'episodes' for several years, but never knew the name of them - or that anyone else had them - until I finally searched the internet tonight. I was in the middle of a particularly large SS [Scintillating Scotoma] and was feeling a bit panicky. They used to come on maybe once every couple of weeks, but I had one last night and again tonight. Never had two so close together.

I'm a computer artist, and have tried several times to capture the jagged bright lights graphically, but it's just so hard to get that dazzling effect - you all know what I mean. I'm going to try an animation once the pressure in my head lifts. I seldom get headaches, and never right after an SS... just this pressure, as if someone's hands are on either side of my head, pressing firmly, but not quite painfully. [...]

I'm just relieved to have finally found a name to put to this experience, and to know that it's relatively harmless in most cases. I will see my doctor as soon as I can get in for an appointment, but in the meantime, I won't worry so much. Thank you for that, everyone... especially Edith. (I've bookmarked this site.)"

(Edith Frost's Home Page, June 5, 2003)

"An SS started a couple of minutes ago, and I came right here! Took a bit of work to read the posts, of course... I tried that animation, but it turned out to be such a huge file, I settled for a single picture. As soon as this thing clears up, I'll send it. [...] Ack - this one seems to have a little taggy piece off to one side. Anyone else had them with 'satellites'???"

(Edith Frost's Home Page, June 16, 2003)

"Here's my view of the Scintillating Scotoma: [Lost webpage]. The odd thing is... the SS in the picture points right, but the one I'm currently 'seeing' points left (it's quite a spectacular shimmer, but almost out of view now). Are there any theories about why they point one way or the other? They remind me of the carats %G‹%@ %G›%@ used in HTML code. Weirder and weirder..."

(Edith Frost's Home Page, June 16, 2003)

"I found your new website fascinating! Looking at the pictures under 'Definite Migraine,' I had several moments of 'Yes! That's it!' I no longer have the image I made of my own experience with migraine. I can't remember why I removed it from my server; perhaps to move it, I don't know. But the original was lost in a hard disk crash last year. I DO plan to re-create the image, and maybe capture it even more accurately this time. When I do, I will send you a link to it, and you can download it for use on your website. I would be honored to be included in your study, as I still experience these strange visual phenomena from time to time."

(Email to Klaus Podoll, June 6, 2004)

"Thank you so much for sending me the 'lost' image file! Seeing it again... I would say it's still quite accurate. Since I don't suffer any outright pain from mine, I'm able to say it's 'pretty.' I can only imagine how agonizing it must be to have severe pain associated with these ~ to 'see it coming' with such spectacular brilliance. I'm glad of supporting your migraine aura website, because I think many people will find the images intriguing. Once there is some visual reference, and others have their own 'That's it!' moments, the medical community may find that this is not such a rare and unusual phenomenon as they thought. Perhaps it will result in more research."

(Email to Klaus Podoll, June 7, 2004)

Author: Klaus Podoll
Last modification of this page: Sunday March 13. 2005

Peter Gachot

Jim C Hasstedt

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