Multiple Sensitivities…of the Heart
Breathe. Don’t pass out. Keep moving forward. One foot in front of the other. Pay no attention to your pain. Focus on your breathing. Focus on your legs not giving out. Don’t fall down! Ok, throwing up would be the worst right now. Here come the shakes… Breath girl! The light? Do we have to do the light? Oh no, there goes your head. I can’t see, I can’t see… This hurts too much. I can’t do this. I have to do it. Okay, let’s do it.
*****
This was this morning in physical therapy. My physical therapist comes by once each week. Some days are good, some days are bad. Today was a great day, so we decided to do something I’ve never done before… at least not for almost 5 years: go outside.
When I go to doctor’s appointments, I’m usually taken out from my bed in a wheelchair. I have a face mask on, ear plugs, a head set, and I keep my head down between my knees to keep my blood pressure from plummeting, so I don’t faint. If I’m in the seated position too long, over with my head down, I have to get out of the chair and lay down on the ground with my knees tucked to regulate my blood pressure, breathing, and head pain. (Laying in an elevator or doctor’s office waiting room hasn’t made me any friends-yet.) When I get to the car, I lay in the backseat under pillows and blankets for arduous the drive.
Today, I wasn’t going anywhere but the porch. It was a warm overcast day, and happened to be very quiet on our road. What better day than this to do an “exposure” to sound and light? I don’t have OCD or an anxiety disorder and I’m not in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but desensitizing your body and brain to stressors and pain are very similar in traditional Physical Therapy. My PT uses Cardiac Rehab Therapy and Pain Rehab Therapy with me to get me stronger and moving… and it IS working. My fatigue is lessening, I’m stronger, I can tolerate more sound and light than I used to, I don’t pass out like before, and I’m progressing in general.
But today, there was another sensitivity I didn’t expect to encounter…
I bent over my brand new walker, slowly moving out toward the door for the first time, swapping my eye-mask for dark tinted sunglasses. Because I was pretty much blinded by the daylight, I was trying to maneuver awkwardly out the front door. My brother had joined in with my physical therapist to help me on my pilgrimage. I was so focused on all of the physical aspects written in the first paragraph that it caught me so off guard when my physical therapist wrapped his hand around my waste and grabbed my hand to help me out. That’s the moment I choked back tears. That’s the pain that hurt the worst.
It wasn’t the horrible pain in my head, the ringing in my ears, the screaming sound of birds chirping, or my heart racing from trying to be on my feet for too long, it was the caring touch of another person that reminded me so much of my ex-spouse… that almost took me down.
Maybe that sounds creepy to you, but if you have a condition like CRPS/RSD in which people around you are unsure where and how they can touch you, so much that they decide it’s best not to at all, you understand the touch aspect of this. Or, if you are no longer with your once-significant other, you will understand missing supportive touch, like a pat on the back, or an outreached hand when they notice you need help down a step.
Today was 2 firsts. I went out onto the porch successfully. I knocked out another goal! Wahoo! I turned my low pain day into a triumph. It was also a day I realized how much I miss supportive touch. I really want to find ways to incorporate touch back into my life, however physically painful, so it isn’t this emotionally painful to be without.
“Touch has a memory.”
― John Keats
Posted on February 4, 2016, in divorce, POTS/Dysautonomia, Recovery, Uncategorized and tagged Bedbound, bloglog, break up, breakup, cardiac rehab therapy, CFS/ME, Chiari, chronic disease, Chronic Illness, chronic migraine, Chronic pain, Cluster Headache, crps, disability, divorce, divorced, Dysautonomia, fainting, Fibro, fibromyalgia, finding peace, getting over it, homebound, journal, migraine, moving forward, moving on, MS, multiple sensitivities, neurological, neuropathic pain, passing out, physical therapy, POTS, rsd, Spoonie, Trigeminal Neuralgia. Bookmark the permalink. 7 Comments.
I’m so pleased you had a triumphant day!! Blessed be.
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Thank you very much!
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My heart aches for ya. Stay strong!
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Thank you, Vic. I will 💪
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You have definitely made your way into my heart because ever since I read your latest posts about your divorce I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I was heartbroken. I can’t imagine what you must be going through.
I too am very sensitive to touch. I can’t remember faces, but I remember every single touch. And I know what it feels like to be without it for long, and the impact – almost like a shock – that you experience when someone touches you with such care.
I’m very happy to read about your progress. And I’m hoping that the outdoors, even if challenging at first, will slowly flood you with healing energy.
PS – I may sometimes be quiet but I’m always here, and you’re always in my heart.
Oh, and if you need me to go after your ex-husband with an ax, like a mad serial killer or something, just say so. I can always say my MS left me temporarily insane. 😉
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First you had the tears come up, and then you made me laugh.
Thank you for understanding, E. It’s difficult to hit publish on these recent posts, and I really appreciate you reading, liking and for this heartfelt comment.
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Definitely not creepy at all! I so get that. I am cheering you on every breath, step of the way ❤ You inspire while reminding me what is important in life.
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