Bright Spots

Cape Cod Weather Today: Overcast and *warm* - okay, it's 40 degrees, but it feels like a heat wave after the last several days in the teens and twenties. Yesterday was bright and sunny, but only 21 degrees with a chill wind. Today feels balmy and springlike, but like it's gonna rain any minute...

I should be busy working on my revisions - I told my editor I'd have them back to her by the end of the week - but I'm taking a few minutes to chat, especially since my dad says he checks my blog every day for new posts.

Hi Dad!

I received yet another rejection today on my middle grade fantasy, but it was a *really* nice one, urging me to seek another opinion, hopefully from someone with room on his/her roster. My "work certainly has merit, it simply isn't right for his list."

Right after getting home from the post office with that in hand, I read Janet Reid's blog, about going to a book reading and signing, where the author recognized her name. She had rejected his manuscript, saying it had merit, but she didn't know how to sell it. Another agent obviously did. And sold it to a great editor at a big publishing house. And here the author was, signing books for a standing-room only crowd in NYC.

The other "bright spots" in my week were actually in my eyes.

Tuesday night, I had an "occular episode" where I saw a halo of prisms surrounding my vision. It only occured in my left eye, not my right, but the effect was amazing - the rainbow sparkles and distortion of light were fascinating to watch, like when a child squints at the nightlight after bedtime and makes the light sparkle between their eyelashes... it was kinda fun, until the rainbows wouldn't go away.

Then I started to worry.

The sparkling lights lasted for almost twenty whole minutes, before disappearing a suddenly as they arrived. Needless to say I was a little freaked out by it all. I was left with normal vision, but a dull headache, which continued all day yesterday as an unsettled, headachey, oh-no-not-the-flu-again feeling.

I called my doctor. She told me to call an eye doctor Immediately for an Emergency appointment. I got scared.

I looked online for possibilities. Stroke... Hemmorage... Tumor... Retinal Tearing... Retinal Detachment... Surgery... Loss of Eyesight...

Scary. With great trepidation I drove myself to the doctor's office, wondering the whole time if I should even be driving with all the horrible possibilities that could be going on inside my head. Also nagging at me were the revisions sitting on my computer, which hurt to look at. Would I be able to write again? Today? Ever?

Turns out, I'm fine.

According to the eye doctor, what I experienced was an "occular migraine." Not common, but not all that uncommon. There was even a pamphlet about it in the waiting room. They thoroughly checked my vision and the muscles around my eyes for damage, but there was none. I'm fine. My vision is fine. It may happen again, it may not. Should it happen again, I'll know what it is, but they say I should still get it checked out next time, too.

But first I'll enjoy the rainbows, knowing they're not harbingers of doom. Only sparkling lights.