B
Bridgette
I'm glad to hear that things are looking up a bit for you and Chris.
Bridgette
Bridgette
Post Surgical Anger and Depression Problems...
- Thread starter PairoDocs
- Start date
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
Ahhh, good to see someone else who has to irrigate using the irrigation system. Our irrigation has been temporarily shut down due to the large amounts of rain we've had in the past week or so. Now, we're trying to deal with all the weeds that seem to have overtaken everything!
And, we have been known to "flood" our next door neighbors back yard once or twice! In fact, everytime they see my hubby watering, they just move their cars to the front of their house....... just in case!
And tell Chris to hang in there & not to let "depression" take over his life; we've all been there before & he will come out of it. Concentrate on the fact that he's alive & still able to do some of the things he & you both love to do!
Take care & best wishes!
hall
Well-known member
Glad to hear things are getting better. Prayers.
Laura:
Thanks for the update! Sounds like y'all have a lot to do this time of the year, without preparing entries for the fair.
Thanks for the update! Sounds like y'all have a lot to do this time of the year, without preparing entries for the fair.
PairoDocs
Well-known member
Yes, I wanted to confirm that I have been struggling with the summer version of the Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD--same definition as Laura's SADD). The winter version is bad, too, though not quite as severe. Poor sleep hygeine--basically I feel pretty cheerful and energetic about 11 pm onward, and find it difficult to sleep when all of a sudden I finally get interested in and have enough energy to do doing something--such as posting here--it's 10:56 pm btw here. Then I'm crabby and grumpy during the day--my poor children. I take them to daycare to spare them exposure to my surliness--also take advantage of the local swimming lesson program. I decided that after a good July in Tae Kwan Do (KC advanced to High Yellow and Jane to Low Yellow), we need a break. Jane seemed to be losing interest, and even KC was fidgety in class. The start of school and our trip to my mother's place would interrupt the class continuity. The swimming lessons also drain the kids so they're too tired for the afternoon class. Instead, I think I'll take them swimming some afternoons. When school is well underway, they'll resume in September.
The swimming, despite giving me a dehydration headache, helped lift my mood--of course I drank lots of water when I figured out what the problem was. I even did one 200 yard IM (fly, back, breast, free). It's the first attempt at butterfly stroke since the OHS. It was successful. I actually completed the full 50 yards and had enough strength left to do the backstroke part, though at a slower pace, then breast, and a reasonably fast freestyle (alternating arms with the flutter kick--same thing as the crawl stroke) at the end. Butterfly, in case some of you aren't familiar, consists of symmetrical arm and leg motions. Both arms clear the water as the forward part of the movement takes place. Simultaneously the legs move in sync in a 'dolphin kick'. This happens twice per stroke. The second kick occurs while the arms are moving swiftly underwater much like they do in breast stroke. Recovery from the IM took a bit, though, and my heart felt a bit 'funny' for a minute or two as it tried to adjust to the sudden physical effort. I sort of floated around in the shallow end for about five minutes until I knew I was safe. Then I did more normal swimming for about 10 laps, mostly breast stroke and freestyle--crawl stroke to finish cooling down. After going home for about an hour, I took the kids in for a swim for an additional hour--they barely can swim, so it was a bit stressful, but we did okay and got safely home. The chest area didn't pose any problem at all, and I woke up a bit stiff and sore this morning, but no more than expected after resuming a neglected exercise. Mood, sad to say, just sort of drags.
It seems that the depression part happens to me when it's hottest outside, or when I wake up sweaty from the downstairs (our bedrooms are in our basement) being too warm. I even got a haircut, but the shorter hair hasn't helped with the heat as much as I had hoped. Lawn is terribly neglected, but the fruit is being harvested and we should be able to do something positive with that at least--berries nearly done--about 40 lbs. raspberries so far, for example.
Irrigation (irritation??? ) water is slow this time, so I have to spend hours making sure everything that needs the water gets it without accidentally installing our "indoor swimming pool." Seems the house has cracked walls in the basement and if the irrigation water reaches the cracked areas, it just pours right on inside. The walls are covered with paneling and support studs for the bedroom walls, so we can't get to the cracks to fill and seal them. If we lived in a rainy climate, this would be a problem, but here the soil is never saturated enough by natural precipitation to threaten our basement. So it takes a good dose of Snake River water flowing too close to the house to do the job.
I'd appreciate continued prayer, as I want to do much more, but lack the motivation and energy to even get started. Once again the bills are building up, but I intend on getting them done tomorrow. Kids and Laura all going to the dentist tomorrow. I'm taking the kids (KC loves the dentist, so he's going first to encourage Jane, who was pretty uncooperative last year) at 9 am--30 minute drive so leave here 8:30 am. Their swimming lessons are at 11 am and the daycare wants them ready and dressed by 10:30, hence the early appointments. Laura's is at 3 pm--she's cracked a tooth and is afraid she may face another crown. Our savings and checking are low right now, so it will be a financial hardship, especially with the kids' school tuition and bus service (about $5500) coming due 8/13. It needs to be done, so we'll figure out something--pray for us that we can stay on top of our finances.
Maybe if things get back on track, some of the more daunting chores will finally be accomplished--such as income taxes, decluttering, putting up shelves, etc. Until then, I'll just try to function as best as possible, and appreciatively await the results of God answering your various prayers for me--and I'll try to pray likewise for those who ask for prayer, too. We're all in this together--again thanks for the great encouraging words and support. You're great people and have made my healing a lot more bearable.
Thanks, Chris
The swimming, despite giving me a dehydration headache, helped lift my mood--of course I drank lots of water when I figured out what the problem was. I even did one 200 yard IM (fly, back, breast, free). It's the first attempt at butterfly stroke since the OHS. It was successful. I actually completed the full 50 yards and had enough strength left to do the backstroke part, though at a slower pace, then breast, and a reasonably fast freestyle (alternating arms with the flutter kick--same thing as the crawl stroke) at the end. Butterfly, in case some of you aren't familiar, consists of symmetrical arm and leg motions. Both arms clear the water as the forward part of the movement takes place. Simultaneously the legs move in sync in a 'dolphin kick'. This happens twice per stroke. The second kick occurs while the arms are moving swiftly underwater much like they do in breast stroke. Recovery from the IM took a bit, though, and my heart felt a bit 'funny' for a minute or two as it tried to adjust to the sudden physical effort. I sort of floated around in the shallow end for about five minutes until I knew I was safe. Then I did more normal swimming for about 10 laps, mostly breast stroke and freestyle--crawl stroke to finish cooling down. After going home for about an hour, I took the kids in for a swim for an additional hour--they barely can swim, so it was a bit stressful, but we did okay and got safely home. The chest area didn't pose any problem at all, and I woke up a bit stiff and sore this morning, but no more than expected after resuming a neglected exercise. Mood, sad to say, just sort of drags.
It seems that the depression part happens to me when it's hottest outside, or when I wake up sweaty from the downstairs (our bedrooms are in our basement) being too warm. I even got a haircut, but the shorter hair hasn't helped with the heat as much as I had hoped. Lawn is terribly neglected, but the fruit is being harvested and we should be able to do something positive with that at least--berries nearly done--about 40 lbs. raspberries so far, for example.
Irrigation (irritation???
) water is slow this time, so I have to spend hours making sure everything that needs the water gets it without accidentally installing our "indoor swimming pool." Seems the house has cracked walls in the basement and if the irrigation water reaches the cracked areas, it just pours right on inside. The walls are covered with paneling and support studs for the bedroom walls, so we can't get to the cracks to fill and seal them. If we lived in a rainy climate, this would be a problem, but here the soil is never saturated enough by natural precipitation to threaten our basement. So it takes a good dose of Snake River water flowing too close to the house to do the job.I'd appreciate continued prayer, as I want to do much more, but lack the motivation and energy to even get started. Once again the bills are building up, but I intend on getting them done tomorrow. Kids and Laura all going to the dentist tomorrow. I'm taking the kids (KC loves the dentist, so he's going first to encourage Jane, who was pretty uncooperative last year) at 9 am--30 minute drive so leave here 8:30 am. Their swimming lessons are at 11 am and the daycare wants them ready and dressed by 10:30, hence the early appointments. Laura's is at 3 pm--she's cracked a tooth and is afraid she may face another crown. Our savings and checking are low right now, so it will be a financial hardship, especially with the kids' school tuition and bus service (about $5500) coming due 8/13. It needs to be done, so we'll figure out something--pray for us that we can stay on top of our finances.
Maybe if things get back on track, some of the more daunting chores will finally be accomplished--such as income taxes, decluttering, putting up shelves, etc. Until then, I'll just try to function as best as possible, and appreciatively await the results of God answering your various prayers for me--and I'll try to pray likewise for those who ask for prayer, too. We're all in this together--again thanks for the great encouraging words and support. You're great people and have made my healing a lot more bearable.
Thanks, Chris
M
Mary
Chris,
I'm happy to read that you got a swim in. I started swimming on a regular basis 23 years ago, and when everything else is wrong in my life, I seek refuge in the pool. It is very theraputic for me. You didn't lollygag around either--starting off with the butterfly! I was reluctant to try even the backstroke my first post op swim.
Heat also bothers me a great deal. I get cranky when I'm hot, and I throw many irregular heartbeats. It seems to be a major source of stress on my heart. I have the same symptoms when I run a fever. We had an overhead fan installed in our bedroom, and I run it on high all year long.
My thoughts and prayers continue to be with all of you. Thanks for taking the time to update us on what's going on.
I'm happy to read that you got a swim in. I started swimming on a regular basis 23 years ago, and when everything else is wrong in my life, I seek refuge in the pool. It is very theraputic for me. You didn't lollygag around either--starting off with the butterfly!
I was reluctant to try even the backstroke my first post op swim. Heat also bothers me a great deal. I get cranky when I'm hot, and I throw many irregular heartbeats. It seems to be a major source of stress on my heart. I have the same symptoms when I run a fever. We had an overhead fan installed in our bedroom, and I run it on high all year long.
My thoughts and prayers continue to be with all of you. Thanks for taking the time to update us on what's going on.
billiejo
Active member
You'll be in myu prayers. Things WILL get better and you DESERVE better. You are in bad place and I will be praying that you find the light at the end of the tunnel.
