Sick - been there done that
After several weeks of "rest" I am attempting to return to some of my old schedule. It is difficult to write a health column when you are sick.
There are two important reasons why writing about health becomes almost impossible when you are sick. The first is the obvious -- you don't feel good and you are tired all the time. the second is a mental attitude.
If I write about being healthy and living a healthy lifestyle, then it follows that I must walk the talk. I should be healthy.
Just like too many people, I work too much and rest too little. I generally get my 6-8 hours of sleep but my waking hours are filled with too many need to do things.
When I was attacked by allergies, something I almost never have to deal with, my sinuses became clogged and my sleep suffered. If you can't breathe and you wake up coughing, you are not getting restful healing sleep. That started a down hill spiral. I was still trying to do all the so called necessary things every day - and failing. that leads to guilt and that leads to worry and that leads to even less restful healing sleep.
We had our vacation scheduled for the last 2 weeks of September. We have a time share condo in Ruidoso New Mexico. We have not been there in the last 12 years because we have either traded it out or rented it out.
So poor sick me, feeling sorry for myself and feeling guilty, took off for the mountains. Shock -- I have become a flat lander and going to an elevation of 7000 feet really put my ability to breathe on challenge mode. I found myself walking much slower. My by now sinus infection left me breathing through my mouth and sleeping on a concrete hard bed reduced my sleep time to about 3 hours total.
For the first 3 days, I fretted. I had nothing to do with my hands, I had no computer. I had the constant nagging feeling that I should be doing something.
A mountain hike that once took only 30 minutes doubled in time and effort. I could see all those around me having the same problem, but some how felt I should be different.
I love the mountains and the smell of pine. Our condo is at the very top of a mountain and when it storms as it did one night, the clouds come right to the deck. That was the only time I could smell the pines. We went from a climate that is normally 60% humidity to one that was less than 10%. Seems like everyone was suffering from dry nose.
After stopping for a few days with relatives in New Mexico we are home. Thank God for my water bed and a return to a good nights sleep. Being back to my normal elevation of 800 feet has almost returned my breathing to normal. Still struggling with the allergies and my sinus infection.
For the last week, I have not made a daily to do list. I have gone to work as required but that is the only thing I have made myself do. I am so far behind I will never catch up --- so the only thing to do is not try to catch up.
I am not starting over, I am just living today and doing what I can do today. Yesterday I moved some furniture around and last night when my husband got home from work he remarked that I must be feeling better.
Today I will put in my shift at the store and when I get home, if I am exhausted, I will rest not force myself to do housework or yard work. I hope this allergy season will soon pass and that the next one will not be a bother to me. I have a deeper appreciation to how my husband and so many people I know suffer from allergies.
And I have come to terms with writing about health when my own health is not optimum. I am living proof that doing all the right things sometimes cannot keep you healthy. I have not had a cold in years. But the body changes every 7 years and I will now have to deal with allergies at some times.
I will continue to live my life changing and modifying what I do to cope with the changes in the environment around me. And I will continue to write about health. I will continue to read and share with you what I learn, what I know from personal experience, and what I question in mainstream medicine.
When my head finally clears up and my old energy is back, I will probably return to trying to do to much. I hope not, I hope I have learned to just take some time and do nothing.
until next time smile
Sharon
(c) Answers For Your Health
There are two important reasons why writing about health becomes almost impossible when you are sick. The first is the obvious -- you don't feel good and you are tired all the time. the second is a mental attitude.
If I write about being healthy and living a healthy lifestyle, then it follows that I must walk the talk. I should be healthy.
Just like too many people, I work too much and rest too little. I generally get my 6-8 hours of sleep but my waking hours are filled with too many need to do things.
When I was attacked by allergies, something I almost never have to deal with, my sinuses became clogged and my sleep suffered. If you can't breathe and you wake up coughing, you are not getting restful healing sleep. That started a down hill spiral. I was still trying to do all the so called necessary things every day - and failing. that leads to guilt and that leads to worry and that leads to even less restful healing sleep.
We had our vacation scheduled for the last 2 weeks of September. We have a time share condo in Ruidoso New Mexico. We have not been there in the last 12 years because we have either traded it out or rented it out.
So poor sick me, feeling sorry for myself and feeling guilty, took off for the mountains. Shock -- I have become a flat lander and going to an elevation of 7000 feet really put my ability to breathe on challenge mode. I found myself walking much slower. My by now sinus infection left me breathing through my mouth and sleeping on a concrete hard bed reduced my sleep time to about 3 hours total.
For the first 3 days, I fretted. I had nothing to do with my hands, I had no computer. I had the constant nagging feeling that I should be doing something.
A mountain hike that once took only 30 minutes doubled in time and effort. I could see all those around me having the same problem, but some how felt I should be different.
I love the mountains and the smell of pine. Our condo is at the very top of a mountain and when it storms as it did one night, the clouds come right to the deck. That was the only time I could smell the pines. We went from a climate that is normally 60% humidity to one that was less than 10%. Seems like everyone was suffering from dry nose.
After stopping for a few days with relatives in New Mexico we are home. Thank God for my water bed and a return to a good nights sleep. Being back to my normal elevation of 800 feet has almost returned my breathing to normal. Still struggling with the allergies and my sinus infection.
For the last week, I have not made a daily to do list. I have gone to work as required but that is the only thing I have made myself do. I am so far behind I will never catch up --- so the only thing to do is not try to catch up.
I am not starting over, I am just living today and doing what I can do today. Yesterday I moved some furniture around and last night when my husband got home from work he remarked that I must be feeling better.
Today I will put in my shift at the store and when I get home, if I am exhausted, I will rest not force myself to do housework or yard work. I hope this allergy season will soon pass and that the next one will not be a bother to me. I have a deeper appreciation to how my husband and so many people I know suffer from allergies.
And I have come to terms with writing about health when my own health is not optimum. I am living proof that doing all the right things sometimes cannot keep you healthy. I have not had a cold in years. But the body changes every 7 years and I will now have to deal with allergies at some times.
I will continue to live my life changing and modifying what I do to cope with the changes in the environment around me. And I will continue to write about health. I will continue to read and share with you what I learn, what I know from personal experience, and what I question in mainstream medicine.
When my head finally clears up and my old energy is back, I will probably return to trying to do to much. I hope not, I hope I have learned to just take some time and do nothing.
until next time smile
Sharon
(c) Answers For Your Health
Labels: Stress
posted by sharono at 7:12 AM
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1 Comments:
Smile. I believe SOME sickness is part of the human condition, and it often serves a useful purpose.
For instance, forcing us to slow down, or allowing us to be looked after for a bit instead of always being the care giver.
I also believe in getting the most teaching possible out of the least pain possible. The true test of health is not never getting ill, it is how do you cope when you do?
Do you bounce back, or do you spiral down into chronic dis-ease?
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