*sigh*

[arguchik]

now the nurse practitioner i see for primary care and annual exams doesn't like the sound of my heart, and wants me to have an echocardiogram sometime soon. i've had a heart murmur for a long, long time; she thinks it's more pronounced now than it has been previously. naturally, i've been worrying about that all afternoon.

my body is falling apart! i just internalize stress badly, i think...turn it against myself instead of dealing with it productively. either way, i need to reduce the stress in my life, and refuse (continue refusing, i mean) to take on things that make it worse. i should say that not all stress is created equally, in my case--some kinds of stress are energizing and make life interesting. i guess that kind of stress is called "excitement," and can be opposed to "worry" or even "anxiety."

i need to schedule my first mammogram, too. the CT scan of my abdomen is set for february 20th. hopefully today's pap test will come out ok.

this week: i need to look into taking up either yoga or meditation, to help me learn how to manage *all* kinds of stress better.

Comments

[boutell.livejournal.com]

Ech-. Hope all goes smoothly.

[arguchik.livejournal.com]

thanks. the heart thing is probably nothing--most heart murmurs are harmless. i think it's just the confluence of all this stuff...and the fact that my 40th birthday is around the corner...it's stressing me out, man! which, of course, stresses me out even more because stress is bad for my heart. and so on... ;-)

back to work with me!

[costco77.livejournal.com]

compared to many people of your age I know, you're actually the relatively healthy. Keeping thin and exercising, not smoking, and not drinking too much alcohol will keep you looking and feeling younger than anything.

Don't worry, your warranty hasn't run out yet...

[marina-82.livejournal.com]

When I did my stress management course last year as part of my teaching degree, thy said that yoga was one of the best methods to manage stress...a few others are tai che, exercising- walks, runs, cognitively appraising your thoughts and ideas, and also making sure you have adequate sleep, because usually thats something people do not get enough of...perhaps cut down on the coffee if its something you have regularly...

The heart arrhythmia you're getting may not be fatal, but its your body's way of telling you to slow down...so maybe thats something you have to actively do to make sure you are getting some rest...