Life can really throw you a curve when you least expect it and cause you to lose heart. This is what happened to me.
Work has been really stressful lately and I am not handling it well. Recently, I have been experiencing chest pains. I wasn't worried because 14 years ago, I was diagnosed with a problem that affects, what the MD said was the electrical wiring in my heart. It is like the wiring is crossed or short circuited. This creates an additional beat in my heart. When stressed or I have had to much caffeine, I also get a wobble. I have been able to control this for the most part over the years by limiting my caffeine and practicing relaxation techniques when I felt stressed.
The stress at work is so bad right now that I am not doing a good job with either of these things. The end result, the wobble is back, Blood pressure is elevated and I have been having chest pains that I am not able to stop, because I can't relax enough.
Last Friday, I came home with chest pains and tried to relax, hoping they would stop. They didn't, they kept getting worse. I was also experiencing dizziness. OK - no laughing here, it was more dizziness than my normal dizzy self. Asked Mike to take me to the ER to get checked out.
The good news in all of this is that I was not having heart attacks and there is no damage to my heart at this point. The bad news is that there is a problem in the left ventricle of my heart that is causing the chest pain and my heart to continue to wobble around quite severely in my chest.
I will be having a stress test and an electrocardiogram on Thursday, Feb 19 to figure out what is happening and what I am going to need to do to take care of this. I know that this is probably the end to my coffee habit. I am so going to miss that morning cup.
This whole experience has made me tired. But at least I know why my creative juices have dried up. Hard to be creative when you are just plain tired. Typically I don't share this kind of information about myself, especially on the Internet where anyone can read it. I do have a reason for deciding to do this now.
Life is to short to let people that you have no emotional attachment with get to you to the point that you suffer extreme stress. Work is necessary, but it is just a paycheck. There are more important things in your life and that is what you should focus on. Family is important, friends are important, being able to have a life outside of work that you enjoy is important. I let my work become the most important thing in my life to the extent that it has now caused me a health problem that will not go away easily.
My point here is to remind everyone that in these stressful and uncertain times, don't forget what is truly important in your life. Keep those things close to you. I don't know when I lost track of this, but I am back on track. I got heart.
9 comments:
Annie, I am so sorry to hear that you are not feeling well and I certainly hope that the fix will be non-invasive and easy. I totally agree with you on your comments regarding what is important in life. Bummer about the coffee though. Sending long distance hugs and keeping you in my prayers.
Annie- What is going ON!? I feel bad that you are not doing great health wise. You really bring up a good point, and a great reminder to keep it simple. I needed a pep talk, and you did it!
Praying for you and thinking of you!
Keri
Hey Annie,
I hope you are all right. Do take good care of your health.
Sending a big hug Annie! The kind of hug that you just relax right into. Don't let rotten work stress you out, you're right that life is just too short for that nonsense, and we need you to be healthy and happy for a long time yet! I hope your appointment goes well next week.
I am so sorry to hear you haven't been feeling very well. But, I am glad to hear you're getting checked out by the drs and realize the cause behind your illness...it's the first step on your road to recovery.
Annie, hugs to you! Hope everything goes smoothly on the 19th and that you will soon be back to your sweet self. I truly understand work vs health. Hang in there, put yourself first.
Annie, I am so sorry about all you are going through!!! I will be thinking about you. Relax, and if you have to give up the coffee, I will send you a coffee scented candle!! Hugs are coming your way!
Annie...I am so sorry that you've been dealing with so much stress that it has resulted in health issues. I hope your tests went ok yesterday and totally agree with your message. Life is too short to not do what you want to do, the way you want to do it, with people you want to share your life with.
Big HUGE Canadian Bear hugs coming your way!! Take care of yourself and the rest will fall into place.
oh annie - i hope all the tests went well. I'm with you on what's important. We get so wrapped up in these jobs - while they pay the bills it starts getting ridiculous! they get us sucked into their priorities and we end up doing damage - for what? will the world stop spinning? yet, in the moment, we're almost convinced it will kwim?
(work, btw, is what's kept me from doing things like reading blogs :-) i'm doing ketchup tonite!)
You are what is important - to your family and to those of us that love you :-)
the coffee - well that does stink.
give us an update ok?
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