My Photosensitivity is useful if people listened

[Crazy Monkey]

I always knew that I was photosensitive but I never knew to what extent. Recently we have been undergoing office refurbishment and one of the areas that has been changed is the lights, we now have 160 fluorescent tubes in our office, which is about 80ft long, by mid afternoon when my morning meds have started to wear off the room is flashing like strobes in a disco.

People started to complain about headaches, I could see the lights flashing so I was in a position to help as I knew what the problem was, I reported it in to the managers, they had trouble believing what I was seeing, so I thought of a way too show them, I used my cell phone so that it slowed the image, that way they were able to view the lights for themselves, I also showed them the reflection/stripes the tubes caused on our desks.

The lights are on a sensor activated by movement, so we have no control over them, I have requested a key so that I am able to switch them off if they flicker too much, accept I trialed the key and the emergency switches have been wired the wrong way round, so we cannot shut them off manually, only turn them on, our electrical manager said that he will change that next week.

Problem is, the job is done now using poor quality starters, so there is nothing that anyone can do about it so I am stuck with 160 flashing tubes for 8 hours a day which is causing my seizures to skyrocket beyond my expected limit of approx 50 a day, they have risen 100+ nearly every day since these new lights were fitted, but at least I have a secret key which should work next week.

Take a look at my pic below, I sketch at lunchtimes and you can see the stripes across my picture, people just don't realise the damage that these lights can be causing to our eyes.

[Meetz1064]

a mess, and a pain in the arse, CM. I just wish that they would change out the light bulbs, and change the wiring properly so that you can go back to far less seizures....What a bummer deal....

I'm soooo sorry. (((((HUGS)))))

[Nakamova]

We are so used to accepting the environments we work in without noticing what they do to us. Good for you for "opening the eyes" of the managers to the fluorescent light problem. Maybe they can set aside something in the budget to redo the lights properly.

[PhylisFeinerJohnson]

I feel your pain, CM! First I was given a flourescent lamp at work. That was easy to switch. Buy a new lamp and bingo! One problem solved. Then one night, I was working late and the company electrician came in and started unscrewing my ceiling light fixtures -- "to put in cheaper, less voltage florescent bulbs." Fortunately the creative director was there too. He came in and made a huge stink, telling this buffoon (whom, I'm sure was just following orders), "Don't you know that these people have to sit at their desks and WRITE all day? How can they write if they have migraines...etc." (I never admitted to having seizures. I wanted to keep my job!)

[seizingbeauty]

The lights suck ... but on a sidebar note Really cool drawing!

[danjor]

Ughh Icky. Those lights are the biggest pain in the butt. My school uses them and our janitors refuse to keep up with them, so as soon as they begin to go out they start to flicker. It not only gives everyone in the class a headache, but causes the other 7 kids with epilepsy to possibly have a problem.

*Nice drawing btw

[joan]

My daughter not photosensitive and yet those flickering school lights will give her a headache. If one fickers in her class, because of her E, they do change it right away. If your school is aware if your hardship, it really should be fixing things asap.

I wish you well
joan*

[brain]

I am now officially photic and was formerly
semi-photic, proof that seizures do change.

NOW - permit me to say that CM and I have
been on web-cams, and strangely, we both
being photic, have experienced strange things
such as those who are truly photic, for example
such as ceiling fans ... *laughing*

While her family member saw it running just
fine, we saw it differently. While I had a graphic
test, I sent CM a couple of them, and oops ...

I didn't mean to trip her off, but CM insisted,
as the purpose was finding out what were the
triggers and here I am yelling at CM to STOP!
(Living proof CM doesn't listen - LOL! KIDDING!
Mesmerizing!) And *blush* I should had known
better than to turn it on myself for I tripped myself
off.



CM and I have had great and unique discussions
about those Flu-Tubes ... it's unique how people
who are photic have the abilities to see things
while normal people don't. What a wonderful
conversation that was! (And for those who are
wondering how such communication can be,
when I am profoundly deaf - I talk, CM types.)

We have had really unique déjà vu experiences
and CM calls it telepathic - but I doubt it ...
considering we are 5,000+ miles away from
each other! And there's been times, no web-cams
at all, and I would be typing to CM before CM
says anything - because I already know, and
vice versa ... which brings forth jamis vu. It
does get kind of "freaky", but it is very unique.

One would know before the other would and
likewise, the unique connections that I cannot
describe nor explain. While our seizures are
differing, but yet - "we know in hand".

Epilepsy is indeed strange, the seizures aren't
lovely - but it is unique in many ways as well
as very interesting.