Chronic Pain Lifestyle

A New England Childhood; a Story in Fragments

         A New England Childhood is crafted against the seasons, particularly Winter.  I cannot imagine that many other children could become what we became; we lived one or two generations and often only a few miles from the warm drift of the Gulf Stream, which slides up the Eastern seaboard gently carrying warm water touching against The Cape out to the Great Banks.  At the same time, in the same place, a bitter cold North Atlantic rill drops straight down the coast to Boston Harbor.  These are as two rivers within the Atlantic, literally flowing in opposite directions.  Imagine these great "rivers" side by side describing a metaphorical "river bank" where cold water and colder air meets warm and water.  It's an interesting phenomena. 

     The fish seem to like it, hence the New England long-line fishing industry.  George Clooney, bad accent and all, died stupidly in the movie, "A Perfect Storm" when one of our more famous Nor'Easters scuppered his boat.  Once in a while the infamous "Nor'easter" (winds are named whence they came): cold arctic air slamming head-on into the wet, rainy Gulf Stream culminates into a whipping, driving two to five day event best witnessed from on shore.  Ask George Clooney.   New England can be a place of odd contradictions.  Meteorologic ally, it's a place of contradictions, a place of kinesics.

     A true Nor'easter is rare; conditions have to be just so for a real bomb to hit.  New Englanders remember these unnamed storms for decades. 

     The period childhood was like one of these rare storms: the warm and gentle '70's were slammed by the bitter '60's ; I was 10 years old in 1969.  If there were ever a place less prepared, more ill-suited for this cultural perfect storm, I don't know of it.

     The cultural storm hit and like a big Nor'eastern pushed inland and kept going, pushing hard against the firmament of our culture, our parents and the Church, who were the flinty, quirky New Englanders of the past.  Most of them were twenty miles and one generation from the city.  In their minds, they had fought hard to build a quiet suburban life for their families, far from the city, a safe place for all.  Our parents were hard people and although the place did ultimately change, every inch of change was fought over.  I know; I was there.

    I hope to build upon this start.  I loved my childhood and deeply regret that my children did not experience what may have been the last time of streets teeming with children who knew that our home, New England, was unique and would become, as a birthright, our own.

      But, it was also imperfect in many ways; it was troubled as most families were.  Despite the cultural accelerant I'vee described, we'd not have escaped change...but we'd have tried.

       What remained after the storm blew-out was a vague image of what New England had been.  My memory has held fast to that strange time of my youth; I wish New England had survived the storm.  Or, maybe it did and I was too busy passing from childhood to adulthood to notice that the place of my youth hasn't changed instead I have.  I don't think so.  Yeah, life's hard; but it's harder when your stupid.  The olde place is gone.  I know.  I watched it pass.

Welcome to New England, now go home.      

More follows...

Another Condition That's Hard to Accept

Hi,

I did a search for a certain medical term (meconium) but only came up with a web site called DrNautra. I wondered why so I decided to read the advertisement. It is about natural or holistic medicine. I know what they have to say is true because I've heard about things like this for years but I would never try any of the products suggested to do this. What is this? "It" is cleansing out our intestinal system, AKA colon cleansing. Most of us have problems with constipation so I'm sending this one sentence from their web page. I don't know anything about their product and I'm not advocating for people to use it. However I think what they have to say is important and is good to know even if you aren't interested.

Personally I have my own system using Miralax but this isn't a cleansing, it's a laxative. However I am going to ask my doctor about this but I don't see him until next month.

After I wrote the paragraph above I went to www.drnatura and came up with an entirely different site. I found the last quote on one of the links I found there. I also found a list of all the colon cleansing products in the US and their us information.

QUOTE #1:

"Don't believe it? (The statement was that death begins in the colon.) Ask any coroner. Autopsies often reveal colons that are plugged up to 80 percent with waste material." - Vegetarian Times, March, 1998" www.drnatura.com

QUOTE #2

"Did you know that it is possible to store up to 10 pounds of built-up waste in your colon? This waste contains harmful, poisonous toxins that can lead to disease and sickness. The retention of this fecal matter can lead to the absorption of toxins into your bloodstream, therefore spreading the toxicity on a systemic basis."

Those of us with constipation know that we don't ever get rid of all we need to. I just don't know how this would fit in with my other medical problems. Maybe it would help them. I'll ask. There are some really gross pictures of what people have passed after using the Colonix program. The links are there on the .com address.

A word of warning here. Never do something like this without consulting your doctor. One time I did do the olive oil/lemon cleanse. My doctor told me to call him BEFORE I started the oil/lemon mix. That way if I had trouble he'd know what to tell the ER staff if I got into trouble.Thankfully I did OK but that was many years ago.

Happy reading or just delete,

Wanda

In Pain and In Trouble

     I'd written this about "new" pain we experience and how doctors need to keep listening to us after my last disastrous time in the hospital two weeks ago.I think we can ignore pain changes to our peril. The first doctor I had cost me three additional days of hospitalization and untold agony. She might have cost me my life if I had been "bleeding out" from LAM tumors.

       Many more untoward things happened on this stay but I though this had the most relevance to the CPL readers -- PAIN, and health care providers. I know it's long and I've got shorter, more upbeat things in the hopper but this was really on my mind. If it works out great. I won't be so long winded again. Since I'm trying to get some strength back and my arm is still bruised and swollen it is hard to forget what happened.

In Pain and in Big Trouble

     Those of us living with constant pain try to find ways to deal with it and continue. We become so used to our pain "level" that new pain can be ignored for a while until it takes us down. It just happened to me.

The little pain chart with the unhappy or smiley faces and the 1-10 scale are usually a good way of relaying how much pain you are in to health care providers. Unfortunately for those of us in constant, excruciating pain there is no rating of "13" or a screaming, agonized face portrayed, however. But doctors and nurses are always supposed to believe you about pain. You feel what you feel and just how strongly you feel it. When they don't listen and don't believe it's bad enough. When they don't care and SAY they don't care you are in trouble.

     I was in the hospital and in trouble. My lungs had shut down from smoke inhalation and a really terrible asthma attack. I was truly writhing in pain from my right flank, making it difficult to keep the oxygen mask on. I'd received great ER care. I'd gotten a lung CAT scan to check for blood clots, O2, breathing treatments, and they'd insisted on giving me more IV pain meds (as watching my pain made them uncomfortable.) They wanted me admitted to find the very real cause of the NEW, severe pain. They feared LAM, which can cause tumors on your kidneys, had. Those tumors might be bleeding out. Only a kidney CAT scan with contrast would show that. I also needed a PICC line for IVs, blood draws, inserting meds, etc., as my veins were collapsing.       The ER staff was efficient, caring and concerned.

     Once admitted however, I ran into Dr. J. H. - a brick wall. She flatly stated, "It's not my job to treat you. I'm not interested. It's my job just to watch you until Monday. I don't care if you are in pain. It's not my problem." She went on to tell me that our regional TRAUMA center didn't run CAT scans, routine tests, put in PICC lines, or administer many pain meds (read narcotics) over the weekend. According to her the weekend began Fri. morning. I'd collapsed and been admitted Thurs. night.

     Of course the trauma center does routinely do all of those things, but only if your doctor orders them. I'd been assigned this doc by the vagaries of both the hospital and Medicare. I was stuck with her until I could gather myself enough to call outside the hospital and raise a fuss. I was having trouble breathing, let alone raising "a fuss" on my own behalf.

     I did manage to say I was concerned about bleeding out from kidney tumors. She said again she was "not interested." Most LAM women carry not only their medical records with them but a small booklet for docs explaining the disease. It has a 1-page chart listing complications and appropriate tests. But she said, "Let me be clear.  I am not going to read the booklet. I am not going to look at the chart. I am not going to even look at the cover of the booklet. I'm going to do nothing for you and neither is the hospital until Monday, if they do then ... If you want something else check out and go to the Mayo Clinic." She turned and left never even introducing herself. I had no idea what her name was. I only knew she had said she would do nothing until Monday.

     But, even that was not true. She cut the IV pain med down to almost nothing. My pain continued to rise uncontrollably. It rose far above my "normal" levels. It rose beyond that of all the natural childbirth pain I'd ever experienced having 3 kids during long labors without any pain meds. It rose beyond the ability to practice relaxation, distraction, or rational thinking. I retreated to a small corner of my mind and soul. I became an unthinking thing repeating small prayers when I came around for a few seconds.

     Meanwhile, they could no longer get any blood from me (for the blood tests supposedly not being run.) I kept blowing IVs and they couldn't keep me hydrated. The team from the trauma center's emergency, lifeflight helicopter was called in to do blood draws and try to get in IV lines. Finally even they asked to stop trying. My veins just kept disintegrating. My arm was a mass of huge, deep purple bruises and they also feared blood clots. I really needed to be taken to surgery to have that PICC line put in.

     God is good. Caring others advocated for me and at 12:30 a.m. Sun. morning I got an additional doctor -- Dr. Wendy, a pulmonoligist, who listened, observed and CARED. She read the booklet, chart and lung scan. She got a kidney CAT scan done. She found out I had kidney stones. Kidney stones are very painful. (No kidding.) I currently don't have any kidney tumors. At least now I know.  She immediately really increased the pain medication and scheduled a pain specialist as well as surgery for a PICC line on Mon. She is referring me to a reputable "pulm", she trusts because it is so hard to find one who even wants to learn about LAM. She took the time and listened. Then she acted, acted to help me.

     Dr. Wendy followed what I thought was the first thing doctors were supposed to do according to their oath. I believed it was, "first, do no harm."* It is always important to be listened to. When you are in pain it is important to find the cause. When you are in constant, chronic pain it is even more important our health care providers continue to listen to us, the patient, as to how we feel. They need to respond when our pain becomes intractable, changes, or needs another method of care. We may always be in pain from our injuries or illnesses. That's what chronic pain is, isn't it? But when those who are supposed to care for us are "not interested" even in caring, let alone caring for us, perhaps it is time for them to find another profession. Maybe they should work at a car wash where inanimate objects don't tend to feel as much as humans do. If the pain we feel changes that should never be ignored by those who care for our health.

     Dr. Wendy got that. She also knows what it means to be truly human. I believe she was God sent. And she's learned and practiced what we'd all best remember:

     "How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these."

           George Washington Carver

     Our life doesn't end here but our chance to interact with and assist others does to some extent. I'd like to go far with God's help. Just like Dr. Wendy. God bless everyone. Breathe in Peace, Kathy

*  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/doctors/oath_classical.html 

Subject: Attitude

       This post is submitted by a reader, by email, to me.  Without the expressed permission of the writer, it is posted anonymously.  I like it so much that I urge the writer to drop me another note claiming authorship.

     This writer "gets it."  Sure, we suffer pain.  In truth it's hard for me to consistently view this pain as simply a state of the human condition, as another writer suggests in a comment beneath the post, Pain Unto Despair."  As both writer's suggest, the spiritual choice at our daily fork in the road is best made with the faith and knowledge that God only gives us what we are able to handle, no more no less.  Let's face that choice with a smile and a prayer of thanks.  His will be done.

Subject: Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

"Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today!" So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. "H-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today!" So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail!" So she
did and she had a fun, fun day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head.

"YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"

Attitude is everything. Have a Good Day!

Things to Do with the Body He Gave You

    Special moments occur daily in my life.  Just today for example:

• I went to the Burke Rehab Hospital; I go twice a week, and "worked-out".  What that means is that I broke a sweat, burned some cal's, yacked with some of the folks, learned some new Tai Chi excercises that I'm able to do, and continued to make new friends.  My feet and ankles burned like the devil's own anvil.
• Did some small errands, like going to the bank and the store.  I caught my reflection in a mirror at the supermarket.  I was smiling.  My toes went from numb to super-sensetive.
• I paid some bills.  laughed at myself when I put a stamp on an envelope upsidedown.  Wrote a coumple of thank you notes and sent an apology that was long overdue.  The arches of my feet hurt; it felt like someone was jabbing me with knitting needles.  My lower back was aching.  I'd been sitting too much.  I put on a Lidocaine patch.
• I went to the shrink.
• I checked my calendar, the one one my Treo.  The whole thing was blank.  Kids, again.  At one, I was tired and lay down.  I nap every day.
• I woke-up and sent some emails.  The stimulator in my back is a God-send; I cranked it and fell back asleep.
• Didn't watch any TV today, but I did have a tuna sandwich and smoked a few butts.  My ankles and toes were kicking (ha,ha) up a fuss.
• I read. I'm a voracious reader of eclectic taste.  I'm reading history.
• I'm posting.  I stopped for a while because I'd gotten bored, now I've got all of these bottled-up thoughts.

     I wrote this in this style just to see what it would look like.  When I think about it, I could fill-in many more interesting things that fill my days.  This happens to be a boring day.

  Despite the incessant pain in my feet, legs, back and the overwhelming exhaustion I feel every day.  Now, unlike before when I was too busy feeling sorry for myself to do anything, I do things every day.

   My body's pretty messed-up, but He gave me one and I smashed it up.  I expect that he still want's me to do something with it.  For crying out loud, it's the model made in his image; I better get busy.

   After all, He knows my name.  God bless, Colin

A Young Woman's View of Her Father's Illness

     As the New Year awaits sunset, I share an essay my 17 year old daughter, Sarah, wrote on her college request for admission to Amherst College.  I ask myself, "How much more love can be visitted on one man?"

“Young as she is, the stuff
Of her life is a great cargo, and some of it heavy:
I wish her a lucky passage. "
From The Writer by Richard Wilbur,

Amherst

Class of 1942, 1987 Poet Laureate of the

United States

 

            

            I will never again mistake one of life’s ordinary, everyday inconveniences for a genuine problem. My life was close to perfect; I had never experienced hardship of any kind, and my family and I were happy. Before I really had a chance to appreciate my life and my family, everything changed. Three years ago, my father lived an ordinary but happy life. He got up every morning, put on a suit, and went to work. On the weekends, he usually ran back and forth between the different sports games that my siblings and I played in, and when it was warm outside, he and I would play catch in our front yard for hours. On one snowy day three winters ago, everything came to a screeching halt.

            On that infamous day, several inches of snow had built up and frozen on our roof, and the ceiling in my parents’ bedroom had begun to leak. In an attempt to get the snow and ice off the roof, my dad, who was home with only my younger brother, leaned out a window and tried to smash the ice into pieces and knock it off the roof. When my mom, my sister, and I returned home, we found my father lying on his bed in absolute agony. He had thrown out his back trying to clean the roof. Three failed back surgeries later, he is now disabled and must deal with a back condition called arachnoiditis that will not ever improve. He is forty-seven years old, and the life that he once led is over. Life for my father is now a daily battle with pain. My strong, fearless father now spends more time lying down in bed than doing anything else.

            At times, I cannot even tell that my life has changed. I still spend my days at school, doing homework, or going out with my friends. However, there are moments when I cannot even remember what my life used to be like because so much has changed. The past three years have forced me to grow up very quickly; I am no longer a child, for instead of allowing myself to be taken care of by my parents, I must help provide the care. I play a major role in caring for my younger siblings; I have to help drive car pools, supervise them while they do homework, help them get ready for bed, and make sure their everyday lives run smoothly. I also have to care for my father who needs help with even the most ordinary of tasks, such as driving to the store or making himself lunch. There are no lazy weekend afternoons playing catch, there are no family vacations, and there are no trips to the movie theater because my dad cannot even sit through a movie. Business as usual does not exist; there is nothing normal about the way our family functions now. The truth of the matter is that my dad has a problem that none of us can fix.

When I look at my father, it is impossible for me to complain about my life. He has to experience pain all the time without any real form of relief. I have my entire life ahead of me, and there is no telling what may be in store for me. My father has the rest of his life ahead of him too, but he knows exactly what awaits him. He works to find ways to carry his burden each day, and he does so without self-pity or complaint. Although both our lives are now so very different, my father has taught me that we are still blessed. We have come to appreciate the extraordinary comfort of life’s ordinary pleasures. Despite how heavy our cargo may be, it cannot sink the ship. We will find safe passage together.

Get Ready for Christmas

    I notice about this year and the past couple, when I became disabled, that this season although unseasonably warm, brings to my life good cheer, beauty, and hope for the new year.  Not much of significance changes from Christmas to Christmas.  Every Christmas is festive.  People are nicer.  Everyone seems to make an effort to spruce things up, and decorate.  Heck, even my local newsstand looks pretty; lights are blinking along the top of the Instant Lottery scratch-off tickets display.

     Getting ready for Christmas...lots of shopping...crowds at the mall. Last minute plans to visit my folks.

     Although it looks more like March than December, I can visit the snowy Christmases of the past.  This is my 47th.  I'm at or past that midpoint, now.  Forty seven more will mean I lived into my mid nineties; if I make it 'til then, God willing, I'll be a Great Grandfather and probably waiting for my Red Sox to match the heroics of that great team of '04.  The year will be 2063.  My wife will ask me if I remembered to pay the phone bill.

     I'll have a new home.  I hope it will overlook the ocean and that I'll have a porch.  I'll drink coffee and read the paper in the morning. Before lunch, I'll sit in my rocker and shoot my hunting rifle at the whales.

Science and Research Pages Site Chronic Pain Lifestyle

      Within the past several months, Chronic Pain Lifestyle has been cited by two important scientific web pages:

     Genetics and Health, in an article describing the"GCH-1" gene that appears in an enzyme for human pain, described in an article in Scientific American, ( http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=0006C34A-11EF-153D-91EF83414B7F0000 ), that linking the GCH-1 to pain is "... unprecedented and represents a marked shift in our understanding," according to pain researcher Dr. Mark Salter, at the University of Toronto.    

     The scientific and medical communities are directed to Chronic Pain Lifestyle "...For a personal perspective on chronic pain" by Hsien-Hsein Lei, PhD.  http://www.geneticsandhealth.com/2006/10/25/gch1-gene-for-pain/#more-1183 , This prominent site sports a Technorati rank 8100.

     Also, Disability Studies, Temple U. has referenced Chronic Pain Lifestyle twice in the last four months, http://disstud.blogspot.com/ .  Site publisher, Michael Dorn, PhD. has indicated on Technorati the we are among his favorite sites.

     Temple U. is a must stop site for everyone.  While it's nice to be mentioned by the "heavy" science guys, many of those sites are best suited to readers who have a particular knowledge or expertise in those disciplines. Colin

Dear Anne,

     Time passes, memories don't. Dallis, God's mercy in the Sweet By and By.  Your Friends

Your Body, it works!

  Hi,
This is a little long but it contains really good information on how certain
body systems work. There is a really good explanation of what happens to the
immune system when we are under stress or stress from illness---like AA.
This is one to print off or else save on disc.
Wanda
Article on Stress by Mayo Clinic

> This is a new article from Mayo Clinic.
> "When you experience chronic stress, some features of your immune system
may
> remain suppressed, making you susceptible to infections. Other features of
> the immune system may be permitted to run unchecked, increasing your risk
of
> autoimmune diseases, in which your immune system attacks your body's own
> healthy cells.
> Stress may also worsen the symptoms of an autoimmune disease. For example,
> stress can trigger lupus flare-ups."
>
> Original Article:http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/SR00001
>
>
> Stress: Unhealthy response to the pressures of life
>
> Today's news includes round-the-clock coverage of natural and man-made
> disasters. Earthquakes and floods. Wars and terrorist attacks. Just 10
> minutes of watching the news can make your stress level soar.
>
> Compounding matters, you've got a big presentation in an hour, and you've
> hardly had a chance to prepare. Urgent e-mails keep popping onto your
> display screen, each one sending a stab of anxiety through your chest. As
> you frantically scribble notes for the presentation, your heart races,
your
> palms sweat and your head pounds.
>
> Physical reactions you experience when you're stressed are no accident.
The
> human body developed these defense mechanisms to deal with the threat of
> predators and aggressors. But modern life is full of new threats. Your
> body's well-adapted defenses against physical dangers may not be as
> effective at dealing with the stress you feel while managing a huge
> workload, making ends meet, or taking care of an ill parent or child.
> Instead of protecting you, your body's response to stress, if constantly
> activated, may make you more vulnerable to life-threatening health
problems.
> What is the stress response?
>
> Stress response, often referred to as the "fight-or-flight" reaction, is
> your body's rapid and automatic switch into "high gear." It's easy to
> imagine how this reaction helps you deal with a physical threat. You need
> the energy, speed, concentration and agility either to protect yourself or
> to run as fast as possible.
> When you encounter such a threat, the hypothalamus, a tiny region at the
> base of your brain, sets off an alarm system in your body. Through a
> combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your
adrenal
> glands, situated atop your kidneys, to release a surge of hormones - the
> most abundant being adrenaline and cortisol.
>
> Adrenaline increases your heart rate, elevates your blood pressure and
> boosts energy supplies. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, increases
> sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhances the brain's use of glucose
and
> increases the availability of substances that repair tissues.
>
> Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or detrimental in
a
> fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and
suppresses
> the digestive system, the reproductive system and growth processes.
>
> The complex alarm system also communicates with regions of the brain that
> control mood, motivation and fear.
>
> Stress response working overtime
>
> The stress-response system is self-regulating. It decreases hormone levels
> and enables your body to return to normal once a crisis has passed. As
> levels of the hormones in your bloodstream decline, your heart rate and
> blood pressure return to normal, and other systems resume their regular
> activities.
> But physical threats aren't the only events that trigger the stress
> response. Psychological "threats" - such as the stress associated with
work,
> interpersonal relationships, major life changes, illness or the death of a
> loved one - can set off the same alarm system. The less control you have
> over these potentially stress-inducing events and the more uncertainty
they
> create, the more likely you are to feel stressed. Even the typical
> day-to-day demands of living can contribute to your body's stress
response.
>
> Also, many of our modern stressful circumstances, unlike most physical
> threats, tend to be prolonged. Consequently, you may be running on the
> fight-or-flight reaction longer than it's intended to operate. What's good
> for your body in a short-term crisis can be very harmful over long
periods.
>
> The long-term activation of the stress-response system - and the
subsequent
> overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones - can disrupt almost
all
> your body's processes, increasing your risk of obesity, insomnia,
digestive
> problems, heart disease, depression, memory impairment, physical illnesses
> and other complications.
>
> Digestive system
>
> It's common to have a stomachache or diarrhea when you're stressed. This
> happens because stress hormones slow the release of stomach acid and the
> emptying of the stomach. The same hormones also stimulate the colon, which
> speeds the passage of its contents. Chronic hormone-induced changes can
> increase your appetite and put you at risk of weight gain.
>
> Immune system
>
> Your immune system is a complex balancing act between components that
> operate as an all-purpose emergency crew and more specialized components
> that deal with specific disease agents. The immune system, like the
hormone
> system, evolved so that it could quickly deal with physical threats.
Indeed,
> cortisol is one factor that prompts the system to reprioritize its tasks.
> These shifting priorities are essential for priming the immune system to
> respond quickly to injuries, like creating inflammation around a bite or
> puncture wound, but these changes are not beneficial in the long run. When
> you experience chronic stress, some features of your immune system may
> remain suppressed, making you susceptible to infections. Other features of
> the immune system may be permitted to run unchecked, increasing your risk
of
> autoimmune diseases, in which your immune system attacks your body's own
> healthy cells.
>
> Stress may also worsen the symptoms of an autoimmune disease. For example,
> stress can trigger lupus flare-ups.
>
> Nervous system
>
> Certain byproducts of cortisol act as sedatives, which can contribute to
an
> overall feeling of depression. If your fight-or-flight response never
shuts
> off, the stress hormones may contribute to persistent and severe
depression,
> as well as feelings of anxiety, helplessness and impending doom.
> Such stress-induced depression often results in sleep disturbances, loss
of
> sex drive and loss of appetite. It also may make you more vulnerable to
> developing certain personality or behavioral disorders.
>
> Studies also suggest that chronic activation of stress hormones may alter
> the operation and structure of brain cells that are critical for memory
> formation and function.
>
> Cardiovascular system
>
> Chronic activation of stress hormones can raise your heart rate and
increase
> your blood pressure and blood lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) levels.
> These are risk factors for both heart disease and stroke.
>
> Cortisol levels also appear to play a role in the accumulation of
abdominal
> fat, which gives some people an "apple" shape. People with apple body
shapes
> have a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes than do people with
"pear"
> body shapes, in which weight is more concentrated in the hips.
>
> Other systems
>
> Stress worsens many skin conditions - such as psoriasis, eczema, hives and
> acne - and can trigger asthma attacks.
>
> Individual reactions to stress
>
> Your reaction to a potentially stressful event is different from anyone
> else's. Some people are naturally laid-back about almost everything, while
> others react strongly at the slightest hint of stress - but most fall
> somewhere between those extremes.
> Genetic variations may partly explain the differences. The genes that
> control the stress response keep most people on a fairly even keel, only
> occasionally priming the body for fight or flight. Overactive or
underactive
> stress responses may stem from slight differences in these genes.
> Life experiences may increase your sensitivity to stress as well. Strong
> stress reactions sometimes can be traced to early environmental factors.
> People who were exposed to extremely stressful events as children, such as
> neglect or abuse, tend to be particularly vulnerable to stress as adults.
>
> Managing stress
>
> Stressful events are a fact of life, but you can take steps to manage the
> impact these events have on you. You can learn to identify what stresses
you
> out, how to take control of some stress-inducing circumstances, and how to
> take care of yourself physically and emotionally when you face events you
> can't control.
> These strategies can include exercise, relaxation techniques, healthy
> nutritional choices, social support networks and professional
psychotherapy.
> The payoff of managing stress is peace of mind and - perhaps - a longer,
> healthier life.
>
> By Mayo Clinic Staff
>
> Check out their Stress center for more information and tips on coping.
> http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/SR99999
>
> .