It’s not just machines that don’t always work the way we want them to. The consensus last time was worrying is a waste of time. But as Val pointed out, sometimes just saying that isn’t enough. Sometimes we have to work at it.
I have a bag of tricks to use when I need them. My primary ones are the Traits of Stress-Hardy, Resilient People and the Stress Eraser. And when things get really scary I say and write the mantra
I have all the courage I need.
What, if anything, do you use?
I either
1. do what I can to deal with whatever it is and then don’t worry about it, or
2. ignore it in the hope that it will go away, which it most often does.
Mike,
For me the hardest thing is when it’s not clear if we need to do something or not. I’m thinking especially of possible medical emergencies. Been there, done that…but for myself, thank goodness. A fellow blogger had to do that with her five-year-old son. He needed a major operation but they got him there in time. In the future they will be more on edge every time he has a stomach ache. Decisions like that aren’t easy.
Yeah, unfortunately, with medical issues, sometimes it just doesn’t “go away” on it’s own. Reluctantly, I’ve moved that more in the category of “doing what I can about it,” though not always. I’ve been to see the doctor more times in the last 6 years than ever before in my life.
I request the resident geek to attend to it or get and pay for professional attention.
having had my health completely buggered up by some lazy primary care doctors – I am more into saying “well so you don’t know what is happening…remember last time” – my current one has the evidence on file that I was having trouble with breathing at least a decade ago…and he failed miserably to deal with it! That was because I had not gone to the chest clinic for breathing problems but rather a chest x-ray that showed some problem – finally the problem was solved…apparently I have a natural swelling where a swelling aughtn’t to be. The regular “coming into clinic” tests showed the other problem…
the breathing problems got out in the real world when I went away to stay with a family member who was worried about me…I tried to get some pharmacy/chemist the help the next day but they decided I needed to see a professional…this lead along a pathway that got in front of my own doctor (above) when I got home and he was somewhat stunned when things did not improve…
I believe my breathing is about the level of a teenager now having got down to a 3mth old baby level…wish I had the body to go with the teenager!!
So I am more aware of certain things and hope that I can keep topside for many more years…remembering to take Asthma meds daily and keeping a check on things if I should get a hint of a sore throat.
Next week, going to get my winter flu’ jab that is free for people like me 🙂
good grief Jean
I didn’t mean you had to try out the hospital system in quite that way 🙁
but I’m glad you didn’t say to yourself “oh I had this pain before and all it turned out be was xyz” – as we age we have to become practical over “she’ll be right, mate”
(this saying common slang term which I think is self-explanatory)
Oh god, Jean. That is awful. I am so glad you are back – as you know I don’t gush easily. But will make exception in this case.
Look forward to your next “stresstopower” if on a painful subject.
Affectionately,
Ursula
I’ll write more about my experience in future posts, but I went to the emergency room Monday morning for chest pains/feeling extremely sick. I’ve decided I’m not the consistent pessimist I’ve been making myself out to be. I fully expected they would do something to make me feel better and send me home. I did feel better by the afternoon, but they wouldn’t let me go home for two days.
Like Mike, I don’t ignore things/watchfully wait for as long as I used to when I was younger. The reason I used to put things off as long as possible, rummuser, is even professionals make mistakes and their “cures” can sometimes cause more problems. Cathy, it turns out they thing my problem was a breathing one, too: pneumonia.
Tomorrow’s post at Transforming Stress is entitled, Now Comes the Scary Part. The potential side effects of the antibiotic they put me on, Avelox, are especially scary. And it just so happens that’s the drug that almost killed my daughter. More tomorrow. Now it’s time for bed again. 🙂
I am quite disturbed. I hope that you are back to normal soon. My best wishes for that.
rummuser,
Thank you!
Cathy and Ursula,
Thank you. Now Comes the Scary Part is mainly about taking antibiotics. I was fairly relaxed about the whole hospital thing (I would rather have been home, of course). I actually laughed when they put some nitroglycerin under my tongue (as a diagnostic) and my blood pressure plummeted to 70/40. I’ll write about that here this weekend. It was too funny not to share. I’m off to bed again.
I say I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And I can.
You certainly have a lot to cope with at times. I admire you.