Peaceful thoughts help on a painful day
I tend to react to physical pain like a little girl. There have been the nearly debilitating headaches, achy knees, backaches and more. Most times I handle them in this order: Griping, whining (and in rare cases, crying) but eventually I get to the phase where I learn to live with it. After all, isn’t there someone out there hurting more?
As the years melt from one into another, I’m still not close enough in age to qualify for Medicare and I’m a bit light (as in having none) in the health insurance department. Hence my “so-what?” approach to my own health.
Back in 2001 and for the next three years I watched my father-in-law deal with shingles and their painful aftermath. There were too many times I prayed his pain away and prayed no one I loved would ever go through that.
In late November I began waking up with a stabbing, burning pain just below my neck. My right arm felt like someone gave it a violent twist—it felt sprung. Then the three red spots appeared on my right arm; down a bit on the back of my hand was a bright red rash. Instead of going to a doctor or telling anyone, I headed for WebMD. Hey, it’s available 24/7 and there’s no waiting.
I saw it right away, and I knew there was no “living with it” like I do with headaches and such. It didn’t take me long to mention the problem to hubby and he told me to get to a doctor right away.
Ever notice when you’re in pain how hard it is to focus on anything else? This wouldn’t do, so off I went.
There are probably rules of some kind about mentioning which particular medical personnel and facilities one uses, so I’ll follow along. That said, I couldn’t have picked a better place to go.
From the first person I met who handed me the inevitable paperwork to fill out, to the one who asked me to step on the scale (next to getting blood drawn, this is my least favorite thing) to the doctor, my experiences there have been more than positive. And that includes the two who have drawn blood; it didn’t hurt that they told me they love their job.
The doctor and I were hoping we’d caught the shingles in time, because for some folks these can turn into a never-ending pain known as post-herpetic neuralgia. The medicines worked, but they caused a sleepiness I’d never experienced. In the end, it was worth it.
As most of us know, once we make that trip into the medical world other things will come up. We’re going to try a regimen of diet and exercise to lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, so once the chocolate stash is gone from the house, it’s gone. Cutting back on salt will be hard, but not impossible. Walking will become a part of my lifestyle once I find something that works for the pain.
The last few weeks of 2011 ended in terrible pain and sleeplessness, but it could have been worse. And now I’ve found a place to go where dedicated, compassionate and knowledgeable people know how to make their patients feel good—in more ways than one.
Margi
