First, as 2017 comes to a close, here is a health update. My last iron test was favorable, and I am not getting frequent infusions. Stomach pain has increased dramatically since the surgery. I will have a follow-up upper endoscopy in a few months. At this time, the best option for the hernia may be surgery. I could lose weight. I try everything possible and eat well. More on that possible reason later.
My blood thinners are all over the map. A few weeks ago, I had a severe headache for a few days; I had significant confusion, weakness, and numbness. I was dizzy and off-balance, which resulted in a fall down the stairs. Fortunately, only a few steps, so I was bruised and confused, yet OK. When I went to the Doctor to check the issues, I had an INR of 5.9. That was not good. So, I started twice weekly checks to get back on track. Time will tell.
Finally, my legs hurt and are very swollen most of the time. My calves often feel like they have clots with centralized pain. I am looking for answers where no answer seems to be found. I have been in so much pain, and I look like the older man at the nursing home walking. I can’t take anything for the pain without having more significant stomach pain. Just getting tired of all these medical complexities and want to recover, but I can’t get back on the right path.
I have been reading so much lately, trying to figure out why I am attracted to stress and how it impacts me significantly. An odd situation is actually happening.
I often wonder how I manage to get through a particularly stressful period – an intense deadline at work or a spate of holiday houseguests – only to get sick after the stress has lifted? When are my iron levels back to normal, and are my blood thinners balanced? Then I get sick.
I read it’s not a fluke. It’s a phenomenon often referred to as “the let-down effect,” a pattern in which people come down with an illness or develop flare-ups of a chronic condition not during a concentrated period of stress but after it dissipates. Research has linked the let-down of perceived stress with an increase in flare-ups of pain and other ailments. I read a study that found people experience more panic attacks on the weekends, and a 2015 study from Taiwan found that holidays and Sundays have more emergency room admissions for peptic ulcers than weekdays do.
So, is this why I look forward to the stress? I feel better? It seems odd, yet it appears there is some validity. I have so much less pain when I am in a high-stress situation.
I read there is a rise in cortisol and other stress hormones that can protect me against the perception of pain, which is helpful at the moment because it can help me reach safety in a dangerous situation without being hindered by pain. Similarly, a post-stress drop in cortisol could trigger a flare-up of other forms of chronic pain, such as fibromyalgia and arthritis.
I read a study that stated emotional and physical stress kick up the same inflammatory response, which opens the door to illness or the let-down effect. After either type of stress dies down, there’s a down-regulation of the immune system and suppression of the immune response [as a reaction] to easing anxiety. Besides, the surge-and-fall of stress hormones could knock down dopamine levels in the brain, which can trigger overeating, which I have a massive issue with!
The best way to address the issue is to seek the proper physical and mental stimulation intensity. For physical stimulation, I can do moderate exercise in quick bursts – such as jogging or walking stairs for five or six minutes at a time, several times a day – can help. For mental stimulation, I can do challenging math problems, crossword puzzles or computer games, or play chess under time pressure. I read I should do these activities for three days after a stressful period as that’s the critical window.
So, it is a new year, and you think I will get it. I am still determining. The older I get, the higher my stupidity climbs, so I will keep trying.
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