Thursday, August 25, 2022

My dioplopia (double vision) is basically gone

Not entirely.  It's there... almost 100% of the time.  It's just... mostly unnoticeable--because the double images are so close to one another. 

About two weeks ago or so I was very excited by the fact that the double images for far away objects were very close to one another.  Now, they're basically on top of one another.  The double vision is gone. 

It's an extremely exciting time for me.   This is, by far, the most exciting time in my life.  My nervous system is about to get a giant upgrade.  And it will be a permanent upgrade that I will have for the rest of my life.  Even when I'm a crusty 70-year old, I will be a crusty 70-year old who has stereopsis, and who has way better vision than he had when he was 13 years old. 

My vision has improved so much, it's amazing.  Objects are so vivid.  I still don't have stereopsis, but I feel that it is coming.  Maybe 2-3 more months--maybe sooner.  I feel like things are accelerating, due to the fact that I no longer have visual conflict: my eyes are now basically pointing at the same spot in space.  Now my brain is able to say 'hey, we can use this input now'.  So now the circuit is widening to allow in more information from the lazy eye.  I think the binocular neurons are getting primed, and are now taking up more real estate in the brain.  

In the past few days I've noticed some significant ringing in my ears.  This is tinnitus.  I've always had some small level of tinnitus, and it gets louder and quieter at certain points in my life.  I think this is normal.  It's a natural consequence of the way our brains work.  Basically, it's 'noise' from neurons that are nearby the auditory neurons.  I wonder if all of the activity and rewiring my brain is doing right now is causing it.  

Man, I want to nap.  But I told a friend I'd meet her for dinner soon... this is unbelievably exciting.  It's almost unbearable. 

Monday, August 22, 2022

A lot is in motion right now

 Things are moving fast.  I got a lot of sleep last night, and yet still I'm tired.  I think a lot is going on in the brain at the moment.  I'm finding that I'm able to get rid of the diplopia almost at will at this point.

When playing Pavlov VR, I'm noticing depth on certain close objects particularly on the rear of the M4 rifle.  Reading has gotten a lot of easier.  Things are moving fast. 

Friday, August 19, 2022

Still making rapid progress with reading and VR

 The way I know I'm making progress is with the changed disparity in the double images for objects that are far away (like, as in infinity where the eyes' lines of direction should be nearly parallel to one another).  Also, when I change from one object to another, the double images are getting closer to one another--still.  

Recently, I've been reading a biography about Steve Jobs.  What an asshole maniac that guy was.  But also a fascinating read.  Weird that a guy that so many people look up to in pop-culture was, in fact, a giant piece of shit.  Of course, that's not the full story.  But it is hard to go through a page without thinking to myself 'Man this guy is a dick.'.  Anyway... as I  continue writing this on my Macbook. 

My reading has indeed improved quite a bit.  It seems that if I read over a certain number of hours (like two, for instance) within a single sitting, the diplopia goes away.  I'll notice this, while simultaneously realizing that I am indeed reading in the correct way as well.  It seems there is a bit of a ramp-up period that I need in order to get to this place, and with each sitting (after rest) this ramp-up period gets less and less.  This is learning: real and actual improvement.  

It seems like as I get better at reading, I find new ways to improve.  I feel like being sure that I'm using both eyes on each line read slowly brought the eyes closer to parity with one another, and more integrated in the larger system.  But still, I'm fixing with one eye at a time--or so it seems.  With this new improvement, I think the next step is going to be to slowly get closer and closer to using both eyes all of the time, without switching.  It feels like this may what is happening after the hour-or-so ramp-up period.  Where this seemed impossible before I see this as becoming more and more possible, and indeed likely--and indeed inevitable.  This is what needs to happen.  One thing at a time.  

It's weird to think that I could be focusing with a dominant eye, and then creep in control of the other eye, so that both are actually working and actively pointing at the same spot in space--and that I'm inching closer and closer to this ability.  It's weird, because using your eyes properly is a binary thing.  You're either doing it, or you're not.  You either have both of your eyes on target, even as the target moves, or you don't.  There's no halfway.  But for me, there kind of is a half-way, and indeed there must be--otherwise there would be no path for improvement and no means of getting to the end goal.  It is some weird shit.  There has to be a weird semi-control of the lazy eye where the eyes are kind of both on target--okay, they're not--but they get closer and closer to that point.  It is weird.  And yet, it is where I am.  It is where I have to be in order to get to the next level.  Splitting the attention between the eyes, and exploring the space in between--distributing the attention--building the gap, so there is no longer any switching.  There is only 'on'.