Friday, October 2, 2009

Sick. Again?

I am sick again, and I can’t believe it. I honestly can’t. What on earth is wrong with me?

About three weeks ago, I was disabled by a brutal sinus infection. Then, last Saturday, husband and I worked on the shed. He is making it bigger. So I helped, screwing boards, nailing shingles on the roof, carrying stuff, etc. After 12 hours of that, I was dead tired. I told him that I felt like an Israelite in Egypt, and that he was the slave driver.

Early on Sunday we headed to Victoria, BC, to a British Museum exhibit. It was awesome, because it had a little bit of several cultures through time, up to the present. There was a replica of the Rosetta stone. I will write something on the other blog about aha moments I had while going through the exhibit.

That night, at about midnight, I woke up with abdominal pain, suffered in silence for two hours, and then woke my husband up and asked him to take me to the ER. Shaking in pain, I even had trouble talking and putting my clothes on.

We finally left, and just before arriving at the hospital, I threw up. After that, the pain faded slowly, and since the ER was busy, we headed back to the hotel after a few hours, having never seen a Dr. So, I don’t know what happened.

Thursday night (yesterday), I was picking up stuff off the floor in the bathroom, and when I stood up, my lower back hurt like crazy. I could hardly walk. But I went to the gym anyway. I figured that the steam room, the hot tub, and the swimming pool would cure me. They didn’t.

It was hard to sleep last night, because turning over and getting up hurt. It felt (still does) as if I was carrying a back of rocks on my lower back.

Being sick continually for three-to-four weeks is extremely frustrating. I was happy yesterday, because I was able to catch up with housework. I baked two loaves of bread and one cake, made ice cream, cleaned the kitchen (it is reasonably large), and did the laundry.

I put in a few hours of moderate work, and I get injured. How frustrating that feels is hard to put into words. It sends me back to the reason I haven’t made an effort to find work all these years. I am always getting sick with something.

Is it possible at all that deep down inside I don’t want to be out there in the world struggling to earn a living like every one else? Am I unconsciously making myself sick?

I doubt it. I want to be healthy so bad that, for the last three months, I’ve become a vegetarian. I’ve been eating my fruit and my vegetables and doing everything in my power to feel better. But I am not feeling better. I’m feeling worse.

It’s so frustrating that I’ve been thinking that I will surrender my fibroid-filled uterus to the knife, hoping that it is some fibroid which is pressing a nerve and causing the pain. Women who have gone through the change already don’t know how good they have it.

In the last two-or-three days, I’ve gone back to feeling sorry for myself. Most careers don’t appeal to me, and I just want to stay home and away from people.

Professionals I’ve been having information interviews with tell me that the way to get into any field is via networking. I’m supposed to be out there talking to all kinds of people telling them what I can do, and I don’t feel like doing that at all.

Is there a career that suits depression-prone people? I think there is: computer programming. Maybe I was in the right career all along. Maybe I should go back to that. But Husband was surprised to hear me say that. He knows how much I love writing.

Maybe just maybe, I will rest my thoughts for a week and see how I feel then. I shouldn’t be trying to make decisions when my spine hurts from top to bottom, my lower back is sore from hip to hip, and my feet and my arms hurt for whatever reason.

It just occurred to me that maybe I should see a doctor. Trouble is that I don’t trust them, but I will go tomorrow anyway. At least whatever I’m feeling will be on record, and perhaps they can eventually put the puzzle together and tell me what is wrong with me.

But, I always decide to go to the doctor at night and change my mind in the morning. Let’s see what mood the morning finds me in.

8 comments:

Temaskian said...

Same here, I hate seeing doctors too. At least I have an excuse over here, which is to save on expenses, but you have free healthcare over there, so you do not have the luxury of that excuse.

You definitely just need to rest more.

I'm turning vegetarian too, since I suspect myself of being diabetic. In fact, I'm going vegan. I'm following a diet that's touted to be capable of reversing diabetes.

Also, laughter is the best medicine. Watch more comedies and laugh at life more.

Unrepentant said...

Yes, I need to laugh. I'll if I can find something.

I'm just gloomy these days.

Anonymous said...

goodness, i'm so sorry you've been so sick and hurt and feeling low :(

i think, if you don't have to work now, then take it easy. sounds like that is what your body is telling you to do anyway.

and if you can find a good doctor you like and trust, then that sounds like a good thing too. it's good to have a doctor that you feel comfortable with, for when the going gets tough. and it sounds like you're in some tough times lately.

but yes, overall, i say just nurture yourself and take good care.

you deserve it~~

Zoe said...

UR,

This year, back in January I went on an anti-inflammatory diet. (By diet I don't mean to loose weight.) For interest sake, I followed the diet in the book, Stop Inflammation NOW!; A Step-by-Step Plan to Prevent, Treat, and Reverse Inflammation - the Leading Cause of Heart Disease and Related Conditions, by Richard M. Fleming, M.D. The diet is basically fruits and vegetables for three weeks. I got sick with all kinds of crap coming out of me. What I'm going to say next is gross. Be prepared.

It was like pus, garbage &/or toxins were coming out of every orifice in my body.

I called my Naturopathic Doctor and her very strong opinion was that I was in what is called a Healing Crisis. I was detoxing. In Dr. Fleming's book he talks about such a crisis when after so long on the diet, the cholesterol literally starts coming out of you. (I have high cholesterol. Skinny as a rail but still high cholesterol.)

At first I wanted to deny this whole detoxing of cholesterol thing but what was happening to me was spot-on with what the Dr. mentions in his book and what I've experienced with other detoxing.

I wanted to share this with you for your consideration to see if you might consider if that's what's happening to you, especially since you've been doing the vegetarian stuff.

Let me know what you think.

Lorena said...

MMM
===
Thank you for your support. I can use a pat on the back.

Zoe
====
It is possible that it is all detox, but I haven't been "good enough" to blame it on detox. However, it is a strong possibility: sinus infection, throwing up... it makes a whole lot of sense, because the back pain could be an enlarged uterus due to even more discharges.

Interesting that you would have high cholesterol being skinny, and I won't, being about 50 pounds overweight.

Question: did the detoxification help your aches and pains?

Interestingly, I have also been reading a book on inflammation and diet, but I've gotten distracted with reading other stuff and looking for work.

Maybe everybody is right and I need to rest. But I also need to go back to eating more fruits and veggies. The disappointment of ending up in the ER made me fall away.

Cheers to fruits and vegetables and to my strength to keep it up!

Anonymous said...

here's a little something for you~ i hope you feel better soon!

http://writingforreallife.blogspot.com/2009/10/choosing-happiness.html

Zoe said...

Yes, the anti-inflammatory diet helped ease the pain in the joints. The most profound help was to my heart and lungs. As I finished the first phase and started the second phase, I started my TMJ treatment and the whole thing fell apart.

I know you haven't been feeling well, but the ER visit was making me think that, that particular episode may have been related to a detox.

I'm really struggling right now and I think for me there are a number of things going on that concern me and I know I have to get back on a healthier diet.

I'm gloomy as well. This is not a good time of year for me. :-(

Unrepentant said...

Zoe,

I'm gloomy too :(

For me the reason is that I want back in the workforce and I don't.

When I remember my health struggles, I swear it off. But then I remember that working helps me forget, and that's good.

On the other hand, when I work I eat terrible stuff that makes me sicker, and I experience stress that also makes me sicker.

It makes me mad, though, that less smart and skilled people are out there accomplishing and making money.

It is almost as if I walk around the house de-petaling a flower all day long: I should work, I should work not.