STRESS! Oh my... I had a much different blog post planned for today than this one. But I think what I have to say many of you can relate to. It had been going on here for a few days, a feeling of soreness and tightness in my chest. An uncomfortable pain going around to my upper back and at times deep into my heart muscle.
Thinking it would just go away, I'd lay with a heating pad and tried resting on and off between writing Christmas cards, dealing with a stack of bills and continuing my daily rituals of insulin shots for my pooch with diabetes and on and on. With news on FaceBook of friends and family going through major difficulties, my mind just couldn't shut out all the problems close to home let alone those things going on in countries far far from here that I had absolutely NO control over!
After I started feeling pretty bad yesterday morning, I decided to give a triage nurse a call and talk over my symptoms... just to see if I should make an appointment with my Dr. I guess I should say it didn't surprise me when she was ready to call an ambulance right then and there!
I explained that I'd been having these symptoms for a few days and didn't think that I was in a full panic heart attack mode but she calmly explained that women are different. Our symptoms can be way more subtle than men's... not like you see on TV where they are grasping their chests and falling to the ground!
We then decided it was okay if Dave drove me to the hospital since we live only a mile or two away. .. and if he got me there in the next five minutes!
Soooo..
Dave was home from work in a few minutes and we were on our way to the ER where I was admitted faster than you can say Merry Christmas!
EKG buttons attached, X-rays ordered, blood tests and then a CT scan followed.
To make this story short and sweet.... I wasn't having a heart attack!
Whew! I dodged a bullet! What was causing all this distress and pain?
They did find that my esophagus had a little swelling...hence the feeling of fullness when I swallowed. And of course my old thyroid problems, which are chronic and for which I'm under a Dr.s care... sort of... may have contributed.
So I was released with orders to REST for a few days... follow up with my Doc after Christmas.
So today is my Birthday.
They noticed that on my records yesterday in the ER.
I told them I decided to make the call to come in and get checked as I didn't necessarily want to die on my Birthday!
Nurse laughs and says "my my, listen to miss negative here"!
Thinking of ways I can try and DEstress my life today... on my 63rd birthday.
I think it's time to quit all the nonsense of worrying about things I have absolutely NO control over and maybe UNPLUG from world news, FaceBook, phones and whatever..
Hard to do. I love my online friends and family and that seems to be the only way we keep in touch these days.
But maybe a little less of it... a little less working around the clock( with a business in your home you don't get much of a break).
The Winter Solstice ( which is what I had originally planned to write this post on) is a time to turn inward... maybe make a few of those changes. Think of precious little things surrounding us that get over looked in all the RUSH!
The word here folks should be "HUSH"....... notice the little birds flitting about in the snow and the rabbit who silently hopped across the backyard in the moonlight.
This great earth is turning on it's axis... ever so slowly in the vastness of space.
Our days are filled with magical happenings
far removed from the violence and the hatred.
I need and I suspect others reading these words need .. to take note.
So Celebrate the Season, Sing and Rejoice!
It' good for the heart!
We make the Choice!
Quiet Christmas Blessings Dearest Friends and Family!
Cathy G
Glad it was a false alarm. Yesterday I had an echocardiogram and today am having my carotids checked because I want to be sure my most important muscle in my body (the heart) is working well.
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like a little hooking to de-stress is in order. Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas.
I'm so very glad you were not having a heart attack, need to scold you for waiting so long , when it really could have been one and they would have been writing 62 ON YOUR HEAD STONE. OK with that said stop worrying about things you can not change and count your many blessing. This advise is from and professional worry wort. But try, so many of us need to have you in your warm and wooly world. MERRY BLESSED CHRISTMAS...We're in central WI enjoying a bit of winter with my mom and family for the holiday....
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and Happy Birthday, too!! Glad to hear all is well or at least better.. Stress can do horrible things to our bodies...especially when we get older. I'm really trying NOT to stress about things I have no control over and change the stressers that I do have control over....I, too, am enjoying the season...it will be here and gone in a wink.....take care and I hope you feel better!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI share your concern about all the stress and distress in the world. All most of us can do really is take care of our own, starting with ourselves (ahem). Glad you are okay(ish). Please see your doctor and for now rest, rest, rest.
I can so relate - I think our constant stream of negative news effects us much more than we realize. My birthday is tomorrow and this year I am going to try to live better - exercise more, no diet, but eat healthier --and to spend more time with friends.
ReplyDeleteHi Cathy,
ReplyDeleteWe, as women, can care SO MUCH, it can really take a toll on us! Thank you for your caring heart, because it makes you who you are, but please take care of it and do all those things that alleviate the stress in your life!!! So very happy your didn't have a heart attack and are still here to celebrate another Birthday!!
Happy Birthday, my friend, and hope you enjoy a Most Blessed and Wonderful Christmas, as well as a Healthy, Happy, and Stress free Year!!!
Birthday and Christmas Hugs~
Julie
Happy birthday and glad to hear it isn't your heart. But something is wrong. Your body is telling you that. You need to listen and go back to your doctor again. It took me two years of going back and complaining before the right tests were done and I found out I had an extremely large, aggressive cancerous tumor in my colon. Happy to say I am now a survivor. Take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Cathy! Sorry you had such a scare. Yes, stress can affect our health more than many realize. Time to turn off the news, light a candle, make some camomile tea...and hook! When I get "over-done" I listen to Gregorian Chants on youtube...they are so soothing. Enjoy your day and have a very Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteRobyn
first, Happiest Birthdays to you! but, most importantly ~ please please do as yourself has prescribed: rest, less stress, think more positively and breathe deeply.....
ReplyDeleteMerry Winter Blessings to you sweet friend <3
L
Dear Cathy, HAPPY BIRTHDAY... Yes, it's a happy birthday because you didn't get a heart attack on your birthday, just a wake up call... It's time to take your own advice and live life at a bit slower pace. I found when I took a break from Social Media it was a wise decision. I'm back but with a much reduced capacity. My shoulders are no longer hurting because I don't carry the world on them anymore.
ReplyDeleteHave a Merry and Peaceful Christmas.
Warm hugs,
Julia
Better safe than sorry - so glad everything was okay. Hope you're able to rest up and regain your full health. And happy birthday! Mine is in about 10 days!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteOh Cathy, that must have been scary. Thank goodness you are OK. Stress can do so much damage both mentally and physically. The situation in our country and the rest of the world does not inspire confidence. I've had to limit my time on FB and block some people who just upset me too much.
Some days all I want to do is stay home, wrap up in a blanket, read and pet the kitties. There's peace in that.
HUGS to you and hopes for serenity now and in the new year.
Happy Birthday!...and glad you gave yourself the gift of "making sure!" To say we won't worry about things we can not control is easier said than done...Follow doctor's orders, relax...and enjoy the holidays! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteCathy,
ReplyDeleteSo happy to hear that you did not have a heart attack!!! Stress surely can wreak havoc with our bodies.
Happy, happy birthday to you and I hope you have the merriest Christmas ever.
Hugs :)
Lauren
Very happy to learn it wasn't a heart problem but it was a warning...a wake up call. One we can all learn from. Thank you for sharing with us. Merry Christmas! and Happy Birthday!!!
ReplyDeleteFeel better soon! Happy Birthday mindless Sunday🎂🎉🎊
ReplyDeleteFeel better soon! Happy Birthday mindless Sunday🎂🎉🎊
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you! And what a great gift you gave yourself to make the call and not let your symptoms go! Many people do just that and have a not so good outcome! Holiday time is so stressful for many including me ~ the reasons are numerous so I get it! Take good care of yourself and enjoy these next few days!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear all of your troubles. But you need to take care of you. keeping you in my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteCathy
Glad you are ok and sometimes it is things like that, that make us stop and think about what is really important in life. I hope you can remember to enjoy the little things in life and enjoy a wonderful Christmas with your family.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you got a warning, and I think you are right, turn off the drama, mean spiritedness, all that you can. You know, people almost always seem to take a nose dive, after losing someone.
Hugs, and hang in there, put up you feet, and just breathe!
Bless you, Merry Christmas!
cathy so sorry to hear you are not felling well. not suprising with every thing you have gone through this past year. easy to tell some one to unwind however we all know it is not that easy but please try we need you love and hugs and merry Christmas nancy
ReplyDeleteWhew! So glad this was not a heart issue! I agree with the "too much plugged in" and never letting the mind (or heart) rest... "Serenity Prayer"! That last note about the birds and rabbits... that relaxed my mind and blood pressure just by picturing those words! :-) Merry Peaceful Christmas to you!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday and Merry Christmas, please try and relax to enjoy the holidays.Blessings Francine.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! Sending you wishes for a peaceful day and weekend. I am so sorry you are not feeling well. Stress can be a terrible thing. Most of the things we stress over we cannot change are will not matter at the end of the day. Blessings, Glenda
ReplyDeleteWow Cathy - I hope by now you are feeling better. Stress is such a horrible thing to be going through.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and a very MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Karen
Cathy,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you weren't having a heart attack! Stress can cause so many issues. I think you made a good call going to the ER and deciding to unplug a bit from the goings on. I have to do that sometimes too. It seems so overwhelming at times but I know when we give it all over to the Lord, He gives us His peace. Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a 2017 with much less stress. Happy birthday too! Lori
I hope you are feeling better now. My goodness. My daughter in law is only 29 and she went to emergency with the same symptoms. They said the same thing she needed to destress. I also want to wish you a very Happy belated birthday. I hope now that the holidays are over you can just hook away and watch the snow. I drew out two huge patterns today, because I am going to hook now with no stress. Hugs from me to you.
ReplyDelete