Health Updates

[lighter]

Cleaning out my late father's house is one gut punch after another....but gentle punches.

All the reminders and reminders are here.

All I can do about it is live my life focused on the important stuff. 

We know better now, ((Hops. ))

Lighter

[Hopalong]

Hope some hugs come along with the gut punches, Lighter.

I told my T one effect of the health-scare week was to motivate me more
about downsizing/sorta-minimizing and getting my life in better order.

The idea of someone finding everything decluttered, neat and
pleasant makes the fear of the end much smaller. Like leaving
a present behind. (Which of course I am, for my D.)

hugs
Hops

[lighter]

Hops:

Something shifted for me.  Things are much better......moving forward.  No regrets.  Fully grounded in the here and now: )

Lighter

[Hopalong]

Good for you, Lighter.
Pulled yourself out of a painful past.
I don't know what that hurt was, but I'm
sorry you ever had to carry it.

hugs
Hops

[Hopalong]

I've been short of breath with shooting chest pains (related to the SOB and muscle tightness) all day.

It's the election. Verrrrrry hard to step away from watching and worrying.

I think we're turning the corner toward sanity, but not celebrating yet. PTSD from the previous election.

We have years of struggle ahead to educate and calm extremists on either side, and some will never be moved and are dangerous. Plus we have to rebuild so much that got broken.

Meanwhile, I took CBD oil and have a friend coming by later.

So much stress and tension in the U.S. for so very long. If the right outcome happens, I hope the whole country (including me) learns to breathe again. And be kind to each other. I worry that the internet will just continue to misinform and feed conspiracy, knownothingitis (no trusting science or educated "elites", resentments galore). I believe FOX News is evil and its advertisers should be boycotted. They're irredeemably disingenuous and have harmed this country terribly. Same goes for other media, even many I like, because of the sexism they unleashed on HRC and how readily they lapped up DJT's "entertainment" and drama and used it as news.

All that doesn't belong on a health updates thread (and I apologize for not keeping it apolitical, which is a positive practice here) but it's all of a piece. Stress is a health issue. These anxiety symptoms are scary and painful but it will get better. CBD oil has already helped a good bit. Venting here helps always. Thanks!

Not needing advice, just wanted to let it out.

hugs
Hops

[Twoapenny]

No advice, Hops, but empathy in spades.  I agree that media, in all it's forms, has become very toxic and disingenuous over the years.  In the UK (I don't know if it's the same over there) I feel there has been a lot of 'dumbing down' in the general population over the last thirty years or so.  A lot of people seem to wait to be told what to do instead of trying to figure things out for themselves or finding another way to do something, but also educational standards seem to have dropped.  There seems to be a lack of critical thinking or even robust questioning now (and I don't mean that to sound like anyone who has a different opinion to me must be wrong, just that some of the arguments I hear could be dismantled by a reasonably competent twelve year old or five minutes of fact checking online).

I hope the chest pains recede; never nice to experience those.  And that you have a nice time when your friend comes over later xx

[lighter]

FOX seems to be resisting irrational reactivity, imo.

I'm with you, Hops.....the country needs healing.  What are we modeling for future generations?  I hope we can remember we're all connected.

I see how...that's pretty naive.

Lots of combative energy and blind reactive rage and divisiveness won't be healed quickly.

We can model grace and humility....I'll strive to be as consistently compassionate as you, ((Hops.))

Breathe.  Ask your pain what it needs you to look at.  Listen to it.

Lighter

[Hopalong]

At 70, it's harder to convince yourself that chest pains and shortness of breath are heartburn and asthma, but even if that's so....they build into free-floating anxiety and even panic mode. Ugh.

I thought I'd never get to sleep because the shooting pains are so random and often happen as I try to sleep. Played a hypnosis YouTube all night and it helped.

In the past when I had SO much anxiety this kind of symptom pileup would go on for days/weeks/months. Hope I can continue to self-calm and not panic at each jab.

Don't need advice or instructions on how to meditate/breathe etc -- just the comfort of my friends!

hugs
Hops

[lighter]

How scary for you, ((Hops.))

I've never experienced ongoing fear my heart was going to fail....only hours, never days or weeks.  Just terrifying. 

I'm glad the YouTube hypnosis vid helped.

Lighter

[Twoapenny]

At 70, it's harder to convince yourself that chest pains and shortness of breath are heartburn and asthma, but even if that's so....they build into free-floating anxiety and even panic mode. Ugh.

I thought I'd never get to sleep because the shooting pains are so random and often happen as I try to sleep. Played a hypnosis YouTube all night and it helped.

In the past when I had SO much anxiety this kind of symptom pileup would go on for days/weeks/months. Hope I can continue to self-calm and not panic at each jab.

Don't need advice or instructions on how to meditate/breathe etc -- just the comfort of my friends!

hugs
Hops

Well we just got the election result here, Hopsie, so I'm hoping that will ease your breathing and chest pains now xx

[Hopalong]

Chest is still a little tight but I've had many good, full breaths since the news and the pings and pangs are nowhere to be found.

Funny how an election can affect health but god, what a relief. Really enjoying the scenes of joy in the streets...WAY too close together but they're all wearing masks!

Loooooong road ahead. This is just a break, a day to feel the relief.

My young ex-Muslim friend and her raised-Hindu hubby are coming over at 2:00 to hang out and yak and drink beer.

Sun's out!

hugs
Hops

[Twoapenny]

Glad it's easing off, Hopsie, and that you're feeling a little better.  Hope you enjoyed your time with your friends xx

[sKePTiKal]

The theory about psychosomatic reactions is a pretty danged REAL thing Hops. In some people, even stronger than the placebo effect.

I half suspect, that one of the influences on Buck's improving health is that he's no longer contemplating the end of his life totally alone and miserable. Because of a series of betrayals - across the spectrum of severity - he also was feeling abandonment. There is some lingering insecurity; a conviction that somehow it's his fault. But it's starting to fall away now. And he's coming out of his shell. Kinda mirrors something I've noticed about me, too.

I've been a bit under the weather this week too. My mistake was working outside in the gale force wind in the cold; all the old pollen in the woods got stirred up and I just stayed in bed feeding my body's production of copious amounts of snot - when I wasn't sneezing - and being a total slug. The total chaos & uncertainty surrounding the election didn't help one bit.  Validity matters more to me, than who wins - IF it's fair & square.

Respect for Rule of Law - and equal application of it - matters more to me than that. Western civilization is built on that principle - since the Magna Carta. (Not that it was always adhered to throughout history.)

[Hopalong]

Amen to that, Amber!

Psychosomatic illness is still illness, beyond theoretical. The thing is, whether it's anxiety or asthma or some combo that first triggers the difficulty breathing, you're actually having difficulty breathing...and that strains the heart, if unresolved contributes to sedentaritude, and even can cause other cascades of real problems.

I had MAJOR breathlessness and relentless chest pain over and over in my 20s, enough to seek help. Once I understood more about panic attacks (and breathing into a bag to slow the hyperventilation and fix the blood chemistry) it became less frightening. But the SOB and pain were real.

Just as they were the other night. Fortunately the pain eased once I used the sleep/hypnosis program and I knew at the time it was all election-anxiety symptoms. But I don't view those as "psychosomatic" exactly. Real is real, whatever the initial prompt. Like PTSD.

Semantics. I share your joy that Buck is doing better, and the reasons make so much sense!! He's with you, in beauty and nature, and feeling freedom after such a long time. I'm really so verrrrry happy for him and you both.

No more Amazon-in-cold-gale-laboring, 'kay? Nothing to prove. Nothing so urgent it can't be postponed. Be good to yourself.

hugs
Hops

[Bettyanne]

Oh gosh Hopalong I sure hope your ok.......and I think its good you have this monitor and I am sure eating right or should I say the right foods will help.......I surely hope.
I grew up in a house where food was something my dad threw together as the boss my mother did next to nothing.......
But what's important here is YOU.....and I pray you will be OK....
Love,
Bettyanne