Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Visit to the Doctor always sobering


I went for my periodic checkup to the doctor and was very disappointed to find out I had gained back the weight I lost and then some, but I knew it was happening because of stress. Stress causes symptoms of chronic fatigue which make me feel weak, and when I feel weak I have this overwhelming urge to eat for strength.
I experienced about a two month period of stress over the migration because I felt it was upsetting not only me but a lot of others who had been part of this community far longer. I was especially concerned about Donna because she had so much trouble trying to migrate her blog, and I have felt she was overworked for quite a while. She is a perfectionist, which you can certainly see when you look at the wedding photos she took for a family member that are just beautiful, her last big project before her heart attack. I know the heart attack will change her life, causing her to have to cut back on activities.
I have had to cut back on my blog rounds, making them more infrequently. I just have to do this so as to cut back on stress, as I tend to get upset everytime somebody gets sick or somebody in their family does. I went back to Cindy's Life blog and found out Dan, her SIL who had such a horrendous 18 story fall, is still experiencing terrible post traumatic stress. I know he couldn't help it, seeing blood come out of the walls or some such, so he just got hospitalized again.
I did think that handling the stress of getting involved in so many lives was sort of an occupational hazard of being a blogger in J-land. I don't think the AOL people realized they had to make room for adjustments, and just decided to scuttle the whole thing, which I think they will regret. I think it strained a company like AOL to deal with the problems of journaling and real live human beings, and the powers that be in the company wanted to distance them.
I find blogspot quite a soothing place. Of course, we won't trust quite so much, wondering if they might shut down, too. I have read that other companies were shutting down their blog features. However, I am going to take advantage of blogspot as long as possible, because I think blogging on the whole is pure pleasure. And is here to stay.
My health report was not really bad, as none of my medications had to be changed. I am still running sugar but not enough for meds, he said, and I know I can do better in the eating department. I still have enough iron in my blood and B-12 despite my vegan diet, so I seem to be getting the right thing. He recommended more green leafy vegetables. But he wants me in for a yearly sonogram next week on my heart because of three factors, overweight, blood pressure, and age, plus colesteral ran a little high, not enough for meds either, and that had to do with weight gain.
The stress has eased since the election despite the bad economic news and stuff like the firestorm in Los Angeles. However, I could feel that I was overreaching to plan a trip to Los Angeles. The trip to San Francisco was wonderful but stressful, so I am going to have to tell Pam I hope she will get acquainted with Raymond through his blog, and maybe she will feel like going to his show! But she also has a lot of stress factors, too, and that must be taken into consideration. I worry if she gets sick. I know having to change jobs because of stress factors is not easy, but it is very smart to do it. You have to slow down on taking these demanding jobs as you get older if you are going to stay healthy until retirement age. Disability before then as she well knows is a horrible hassle.
I was very encouraged with Raymond's progress in coming back from his burnout. He seems very healthy at the moment, has been walking 4 miles a day, rehabilitating his hip since surgery. He also found out that he had had a hip fracture at some point and just walked around on it in pain, not realizing that his pain was coming from a new source, a fracture. He does not remember falling or doing anything that acould have caused it. It is a mystery, but it has healed. So his hip can act like a normal hip after replacement surgery!
Connie, who sent me the graphic of the horse, is not posting and her e-mail box is full. Does anyone know what has happened. When a journalist does not post for a while you have to wonder.

3 comments:

Jeanie said...

Hello Gerry,
Sorry to read that your check up didn't go as you wished. It is so easy to put weight on when we eat for comfort. It's sooo good at the time though..isn't it?
I wish your son a happy new life in Los Angeles.I'm glad his operation has gone well. Thank goodness no more pain for him on the near horizon.
Meanwhile..isn't it fortunate that you don't need anything for your sugars or statins for your cholestrol? That's brilliant!
Hugs to you my friend. I hope to visit you again more often.
Love
Jeanie xx

Pamela said...

I'm sorry your weight has increased. It sounds like everything else is going ok with your health, though.
If you change your mind about coming out here let me know, ok?
Pam

Carlene Noggle said...

HI GERRY,
SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE DOING PRETTY GOOD EXCEPT FOR THE WEIGHT GAIN AND I WOULDN'T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT THAT...I THINK YOU DO EXTREMELY WELL! YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT STRESS...AND THE AOL JOURNALS BEING SHUT DOWN.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF .
LOVE YA,
CARLENE


Herrad

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