photosensitivity and airports

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lonnie

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I was just beside a friend of mine who is very concerned. Her grown daughter and grandchild are scheduled to come for a visit via plane this next week. Her daughter just had a grand-mal seizure while working around some electronic machine. She has only had one other seizure in her life (as a teenager) and it was diagnosed as being something involved with photo-sensitivity.

It is too early to have an EEG done and the report back yet.

My friend is concerned whether there is anything at the airport that could trigger a seizure if she is indeed having them from electronic photo sensitivity.

Is there anything she could or should avoid? I told this concerned mother I would ask.

The seizure she just had ended up with a terribly bitten tongue and she needed CPR. The good news was that she is a nurse and was at work at the time so they were able to help her right away. bad news is she works in the pre-mature infant intensive care ward.. Other wonderful news though is that she was not holding one of the babies at the time.

I told my friend I would contact this site to see what you have to say about the airport. Thank you Lonnie
 
Hi Lonnie

Ahh, my specialty lol

From reading in CWE, it seems there are variations about what triggers us photosensitives off, but here are some tips from my trip to the US last year, when I spent an awful lot of time in airports and on planes:
- try to look at the scheduling boards as briefly as possible, especially if they are in your trigger colour (my trigger colour is blue)
- there are helpers (can't remember what they are called now) everywhere, to assist you with those little machines for check-in - use them! Tell them you don't do well with machines, they don't care. It's their job to help you. This will prevent you from having to look at the screens too much.
- even if it's a lie, tell the helpers you aren't familiar with an airport, and ask "where is...?" so that you avoid looking at the LCD boards. Again, it's their job to help you, and from my experience, they do it with a smile. "I'm lost" works every time.
- Beware the rollaways with the blue flashing lights on their wheels. As they roll away from you, they flash electric blue. A major trigger for me.
- Don't watch the big TVs.
- I found reading a magazine in a couple of the airports set me off - must have been the frequency of the fluorescent lighting ("cool white" fluorescent lights set me off, but warmer tones don't).
- One store in particular had lighting I couldn't cope with, but I can't remember which airport (has to be one I went to more than once, e.g. San Francisco, LA), so be prepared to pay and run, if you start feeling seizurey.
- The only airport I found with slot machines with Las Vegas, but there may be others??? They're a big no-no for me (made going to Las Vegas difficult!).
- I didn't find many stores with flashing lights, but if they did have, I just looked away quickly. Some jewellery (jewelry) stores are very brightly lit, so that might be a problem.
- In the aircraft, you may not be able to watch the little TVs (if you have one).

These are all the precautions I can remember from my trip, but if I think of any others, will add them.
 
wow ! sounds like airports basically suck if your photosensitive ! another good reason for me NEVER TO FLY IN A PLNE ! works for me
 
I have found lately that at church I would feel like I could have a seizure. I couldn't understand.
Our church music is more like rock and roll. they turn the main Lights off, flicking lights and a big screen jumping from one scene to another to go with the music.

I called the church and told them, thinking I could not be the only one there that was having problems like this.

They told me to sit in the back, I was already sitting there.

I just quit going.

I know people who haven't deal with this don't understand. And they are trying to reach the young people.

Anyway one day I will find another church.
 
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