Stress response

[[Ga...]]

Hello one and all, especially Shayna and Deanna2020, with whom I have been lucky enough to share many posts with over the past several years.  I am sorry we have to meet once again as long-haulers, but I do appreciate the sharing and caring with you♥️

STRESS:  This topic is near and dear to my heart…and body right now!!!  I seem to be one of the long-haulers who can have great windows for good periods of time, but stress or “not so good for me” foods can cause a setback, flare or wave within a couple of days.  I just re-read the four phases and I am definitely still in phase 3, the sensitivity phase.

Case in point:  Two weeks ago while in a nice window my hubby awoke with some concerning health issues, which within an hours time saw him having to visit the  ER, while at the exact same time our washing machine decided to malfunction, causing it to overflow into a long hallway and a guest bedroom.  I had to stay home to greet the water repair workmen, so I had to have a friend take my husband to the ER:   He was admitted for an overnight stay after being diagnosed with Afib.  I picked him up the next day and since then we have been living with ruined carpets, damaged wall boards and floorboards.  I am now dealing with our insurance company so the repair men can come and put everything back to its normal state.  I held up pretty well and had no headaches or other symptoms while all this unfolded.

And, as planned for several months my husband and I went to a friend’s house to dog-sit for two nights and three days.  While there I felt great and enjoyed their lovely house on a lake, enjoyed walking their dog, and even entertained another couple one night.  Unfortunately, the night we entertained I fell down a step on a back deck, and ended up limping around and taking Tylenol for the evening and the next day.  When I returned home I still felt pretty good except for some sore knees!  Unfortunately, the day after we returned home, I fell down some steps to a powder room, landing on the opposite knee and arm from the first fall.  I decided to stick it out as a trip to the ER always sets my panic button to GO.  I must also add that my eating has been pretty bad as I enjoyed feeling good and in the spirit of entertaining friends in a lovely setting, I indulged in some unhealthy treats.

Now it appears my luck has run out and I am quite symptomatic today and have been since Wednesday with head pain and the good old benzo flu feeling.  I think the final insult to my body was when I drank diet root beer which has aspartame in it!  

I guess the good news (?) is that this wave or setback will probably not last long, as this has been my overall pattern of late.  I must also admit that I am having some temper tantrums as I am now in my 41st month and growing weary of the tease of windows followed by waves.  Oh, and I saw my neurologist on Tuesday to review my last batch of MRI’s, MRA’s and EEG’s, all done in the last two months.  I was found to be completely healthy and a physical exam revealed that I am quite strong and have no balance issues.  Actually the neurologist (female) knew quite a bit about benzos and the harm they can cause!

Thanks for listening to this long woeful story.  I pray we will all soon leave the waves behind and our windows will never close again!

Hugs,

GG

[[Ga...]]

P.S.   Dr. Jennifer Leigh just alerted those on her subscribed email list about an article re benzos published today in The Washington Post.   It is a good one and worth reading!

 

GG