Good News
October 6, 2011 
Tomatoes have nothing to do with this post.
So, why did I use a picture of tomatoes for this post?
Because I really don't have any pictures that would go along with this particular topic, so I decided simply to choose a picture of something pretty.
And because I can't write a post without throwing in a pretty picture of something.
And because I have more pictures of tomatoes on my hard drive than I could ever know what to do with.
So, there you have it.
Tomatoes.
What I wanted to share today is a little personal health update. In case you don't remember, awhile back I mentioned that I was having dizziness, as well as some numbness in my hands and feet. I had a MRI, which came back negative. Which is positive. Does anyone else find this confusing?
I wasn't sure what direction to go next, so in the meantime, I've just kind of been thinking and praying about it, and I've been feeling pretty good. The numbness has been gone. The dizziness, it comes and goes. My doctor suggested the dizziness may be caused by an allergy that affects my inner ear, and to try Zyrtec or Claritin to help my ears to drain. I tried Zyrtec -- a quarter of a pill, mind you -- and it made me want to take a nap for two days straight. I wan't really keen on that deal. But the dizziness did go away for awhile. The dizziness came back a few weeks ago, and I tried Claritin instead of the Zyrtec, and this worked much better for me. I had to take it for about five days, but it didn't make me tired at all. And the dizziness has subsided almost completely.
I'm so thankful for this.
So thankful.
It just feels good to kind of get these things figured out.
It's hard to be a dizzy mama!
So, today I went in for my yearly physical, and I saw a new physicians assistant. I really liked her, and I told her about these things I've had going on. She agreed about the dizziness likely being from allergies. Toward the end of our appointment, I asked her if she had any thoughts on the numbness.
"Did the numbness occur during any times of anxiety?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied. "Actually it did." I kind of suspected this, and I was impressed that she would make the connection. Evidently this can be a symptom of anxiety.
So, I want to talk about this anxiety a little bit. If you know me, you might not think I'm an overly anxious person. I'm pretty laid back. However, round about the time this numbness began to occur, I had been going through several years of tremendous stress... My job at the resort in Colorado, as an event planner, was draining. If you have kids who have gotten married, imagine how exhausting it might have been for you to help them plan and execute their wedding. Then imagine doing this one weekend after another, sometimes twice in one weekend, for about thirty times in a row. Then imagine trying to make it all happen while in a mountain environment with limited help.
StressFULL.
At the time I was doing that job, I was able to do it and I even enjoyed it immensely. But over time, it really began to take its toll.
Then we had a couple of kids, lost massive amounts of sleep, my dad became sick and passed away, and we made the decision to move from Colorado back to Minnesota.
I realize now that I'm out of the thick of it, that this was a rolling ball of events that just wrapped me in more and more anxiety, until I think I just came to remain in a somewhat permanent anxious state.
You maybe wouldn't know this, to look at me, at that time. Or maybe you would have. I really don't know. All I know for sure is that I was.
I wanted to share all this with you for a couple of reasons...
#1: Because I shared these problems a few months back, and I didn't want to simply drop the issue without letting you know how things have progressed.
#2: Because a lot of you offered kind words, encouragement, and prayers -- either here on my blog, or in person -- and I just want to say thank you!
#3: Because I'm becoming a firm believer that we need to share our struggles, and we also need to share our praises when God blesses us.
So thanks be to God, and thanks be to you!
Health & Wellness
Reader Comments (2)
I am delighted to hear you are feeling better. I have to admit though that my first thought when I read 'good news' was that you were going to say "good news... I am having a baby!" but then most of those symptoms would return. LOL. I hope you continue to feel better. God's Blessings. Talk to you soon.
Hah hah, Terri! Oh no... If I were pregnant, I'd be much more cagey than that about revealing it. ;)