Re: Stress and Pain to Louie

[Guest guest]

Dear Louie,

It's true that I have wondered about not hearing from you. Heavens, woman,

you have too many stressful crisis' on your plate right now, and I don't know

how you've been able to hold yourself together so well through all of your

family's illnesses. What you told me really does validate my suspicion that

stress can cause us an attack, and after what you've been going through, I'm

surprised you haven't been hospitalized a dozen times since summer!

I'm sorry that you're having so many troubles and such responsibilities. It

does sound like the Lord has given you more to care for than any one person

can do, but I do believe like you that He only gives us what he knows we can

handle. I will pray that you will have the strength to keep pace with all of

this

going on, and still remain healthy yourself.

That's a great idea about going to a CDNE with your husband...you can take

advantage of the refresher and he can learn what he needs to know to take

care of himself. You need to be firm now and make sure he learns what he

needs to, and doesn't expect you to do all the learning so he won't have to.

Don't let him take advantage of your good nature, he needs to know all the

diabetic does and don't's for himself! It may make cooking a bit more fun

now, since you'll both be needing to stick to the same way of eating; low on

the carbs, etc. If you both have to eat for a diabetic diet, there won't be any

temptations or two different types of meals to cook when you are eating

together.

I had to laugh at what he rated his pain level at....a 2! I'm like you, it's

always

a 4-5 or higher. I've been keeping a daily pain diary for the last three weeks,

and my pen doesn't even know how to write a 2.....that's not even worth

mentioning! But I do believe that all of us with CP have a much higher

tolerance for pain than other people, unless they, too, have chronic pain

illnesses. Since we have to live with it day in and day out, we're toughened

up more, I believe. Your husband's 2 is probably as bad as our 6-7 as far as

he's concerned because he's probably so unaccustomed to continual pain.

Thanks for your answer. I'm sorry things have been so tough on you, but am

so glad that you took the time to write back. I've missed your normal,

supportive and cheerful self, but surely understand now why you haven't

been able to write to the group.

You just take care of yourself now as best as you can, keep strong and try to

stay away from the stresses as much as you can.

With love and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and should never be

substituted for consultation with a medical professional.

> Hi Heidi,

> You are certainly right about stress causing an attack. I never realized

> that it caused an attack for me until this past November when I found out

> that my sister surgery revealed that she had staged 3 Ovarian Cancer and

it

> was more advanced than anyone had expected and she had to under go

Chemo.

> But she is doing very well with it and only has one more treatment to go,

> before they will do test on her.

> Well, when I found out this I went into a major attack, due to the stress of

> the situation. And then at Christmas time when my sister-in-law who has

> lung and bone Cancer, had to have emergency surgery and they didn't

even

> think she would make it out of the hospital, I had another attack. And now

> this past week I have been battling another attack, after we found out that

> my Mother-in-law has Non- Hodgkin's Lymphoma, but the good new is it

very

> low

> grade and a very slow progressing Cancer and so far she doesn't even

need

> treatment. I had to take her for a Ct Scan this past Wednesday and I have

> to

> take her back to the Doctors to get the results this Friday and Next Monday

> I have to take her to another doctor to get a second opinion. My

> sister-in-law and Husband want me to take her to all the appointments,

> because I have been thought so much and understand we had the doctors

are

> talking about. My mother-in-la calls me her doctor, because I understand

> so much. What make thinks so hard on me is she is a very nervous person

and

> worries about every little thing, even just a test, send her over the top.

> It's hard to get her to relax and not worry so much. Her blood pressure

> goes thru the roof just going to her PCP, for a routine check-up. I ok with

> her at the time, but I'm the type of person who doesn't show any kind of

> upset, I keep everything inside, which is very hard of the CP and causes

> major flares up. I feel like I'm the one who has to keep the whole family

> going, no matter what is going on. No-one realizes what stress does to me,

> even my husband can't figure this out. He can tell when I don't feel good

> along with my daughters, but no-one realizes that Stress sends me into a

> major attack. I finally got my husband to a new doctor this past Monday

and

> I was right about his sugar being so height 3 weeks ago. It was 384, and it

> has come down all lot, but the doctor still started him on a diabetes

> medicine and I have requested that we both see an Diabetic Educator, as I

> need a refresher course for me along with him now. So I worried about

him,

> too. He has a birthday this coming Tuesday and will be 55, and now ever

> ache and pain he get he thinks something is wrong with him. He was going

> around the house the other day saying how bad his side and back hurt. I

ask

> him on a scale of 1-10 how bad it was, I was expecting a 6 or higher and

he

> said about a 2, Well I kind of lost it, which I know I know I should not

> have and ask him how he would like to live daily with a 4-5 level pain. I

> know I should be more sympathetic with him because his dad died from

Cancer

> in 89 and now he worried because his mother has it too. He told me the

> other day he'll probable be next. I told him he'll be ok, if he takes care

> of himself and now he wants to loose weights. He says he lost 14 pounds,

> which is great. He still weights 275 and he only 5'6 " , which is very heavy

> for him. So I very delighted that he is finally doing something about his

> weight. My daughter was very sick this past Tues and Wednesday and had

to go

> to the doctor and we found out that she had the flu very bad and isn't

> allowed to go back to work until tomorrow. So it seems that it has been

> just one thing after another since November. I also found out this past

> week that my sister-in-law the one with the cancer has had a relapse from

> her December surgery and now has abscesses and not eating again and is

back

> in the hospital. If this isn't bad enough, My mother has had some health

> problems too. I'm the only one who lives closes to her. She lives next

> door. My brother is about 2 hours away and they don't see each other, but

> that another story and his wife is the one with bone and lung cancer, so he

> has his hands full too and my sister is under Chemo in FL , so she has her

> hands full too. Things have to get better, I really don't think it can get

> much worse. I sorry that this has turned into a book, but I needed to vent

> and let you all know why I haven't been online much lately. Someday I feel

> like I would like to just run away and then everything would be ok, But I

> know Life and God doesn't give you more than you can handle, but lately I

> think he is testing me just a little, to see how much can take before I do

> end up in the Hospital with a major attack. I guess the really it hasn't

> happen yet is, I don't had the time for me lately. Maybe I shouldn't keep my

> feeling all bottled up. Well, I must let you all know that one very nice

> thing has happen to me lately. I'm now a Great Aunt. My niece in FL had

> her baby Boy, , on March 5th and Mother and Baby are both doing

great.

> So I do guess good things do happen too. Thanks for letting me vent and

> you all are such great listeners. And better days are surely due to come our

> way.

> Take Care,

> Louie in WV

> Stress and Pain

>

>

> > Hi Y'all,

> >

> > All your well wishes and prayers worked well, after my near death pains

on

> > Thursday night I woke Friday weak and drained, but clearly over the hill.

> I

> > haven't a clue what brought that episode to a peak so suddenly, but am

> just

> > as thankful that it disappeared as quickly as it came. I rested Friday,

> only

> > stirring to give Austin's room a thorough dusting and opened all the

> windows

> > to let in fresh air......until I saw that our horrible puce green pollen

> dust was

> > settling on all the newly dusted furniture! Alas, SPRING is truly here,

> and with

> > it comes the pollen from all the southern pines that our fine state is so

> > abundant in! Next it will be the azaela's in bloom, and I will be walking

> about

> > with nose running and eyes watering, for this poor tranplanted Yankee girl

> is

> > allergic to both the pine pollen and azaela's, much to my southern born

> > husband's disbelief. 'Tis only fitting, though, as he is just as allergic

> to snow!

> >

> > I woke with excitement on Saturday, my pleasure slightly squashed when

I

> > did my FBG test and it was 175! Oh, the joys of brittle diabetes! On a

> regular

> > day it's around 80-90 when I rise. So I corrected it, dosing insulin as I

> > normally would for that high a BG and an hour later was down to 30.....so

> I

> > knew the whole day was going to be one long battle juggling with my

levels

> > and needing to test every couple of hours. Oh well, no problem!! I had

> all

> > day to wait, with nothing to do anyway, but count the hours, until it was

> time

> > for me to go to the airport to pick up Austin. I stopped at the weekly

> antiques

> > auction site which is on the way to the airport. On their website I'd

> seen a

> > gorgeous antique mahogany ton rice planter's four poster bed

that I

> > was interested in bidding on as a wedding gift for my daughter and future

> SIL.

> > It still hadn't come up for bidding when it was time for me to leave for

> the

> > airport, then while I was in the ladies room checking my BG's and

shooting

> > yet once again before I got on the road....yup, you guessed it....I could

> hear

> > over the loudspeakers that it came up! Before I could get myself buttoned

> > back up and out to the auction floor, it was snapped up for a steal at

> $700.

> >

> > It seems that my bad episode Wednesday night may have been brought

on

> > my unconscious anticipation (stress) about my grandson's arrival. You all

> > know that stress seems to effect us in a negative manner. Even though

the

> > doctor's don't acknowledge this as a cause, I do. Whether this stress

> could

> > actually CAUSE an attack is what I'd be interested in seeing researched.

> I

> > remember back to October and my anticipation about our trip to Belize,

> which

> > intensified the closer the arrival date approached, bringing me into a

> full acute

> > attack by the time we were flying in the airplane halfway to Belize. It

> really

> > makes me wonder, because of what happened then, and a smaller

episode

> > so similar now.

> >

> > Can any of you think of any times that you've had an acute attack that

may

> > have been brought on purely by stress? I'd be interested to see if

> there's any

> > solid correlation there.

> >

> > BTW, my boy's here and we're doing just fine. He's already got one of

> his

> > buddy's from school here for the afternoon and he's asked his grandad to

> > cook up a big steak on the grill as his welcome home dinner tonight (I've

> got

> > some grouper in the frig).

> >

> > Jac, that was a very observant post that you made to me, and I do think

> you

> > are so right. It's not the arrival that is so stressful, it's the

> knowledge that in

> > less than a week I'll be back at that airport kissing him goodbye, which

> is the

> > hardest part to do. Your gentle, understanding analysis was right on the

> > mark....it will be so difficult, but I plan to enjoy every minute until

> then.

> >

> > So you may not hear too much from me this week, or at least not until

> after

> > bedtime. Thanks to all of you!

> >

> > With hope and prayers,

> > Heidi

> >

> > Heidi H. Griffeth

> > South Carolina

> > SC & SE Regional Rep.

> > PAI, Intl.

> >

> > Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and should never

> be

> > substituted for consultation with a medical professional.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Louie,

Oh you poor baby, having to deal with so much. Yes, stress certainly

does affect our pancreas and I had at least one case that was definitely

caused by stress, so I can certainly see how stress can cause you to

have a major attack. And you certainly have a lot on your plate to be

stressed about. Just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you and

wishing you some peaceful, unstressfuls days soon to come.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Note: All advice given is personal opinion, not equal to that of a licensed

physician or health care professional.