I have been MIA the last part of this week. I spent Wednesday evening through Thursday afternoon in the hospital. It was in no way how I expected to spend that time. It's a long story but was having shortness of breath and heart palpitations and they continued for a while without stopping. I have never experienced anything like that before and it was pretty scary. My husband took me to the ER and they did EKG's and put me on oxygen and gave me fluids. My heart continued to beat erratically for a few hours. They told me that my heart seemed healthy and it was an arrhythmia and that if there was a "safe" arrhythmia that is what I had. They did admit me and I continued to have the arrhythmias throughout the night but eventually they seemed to subside for the most part. In the end they assured me that my heart is healthy. There are a number of things that could have caused it and I probably had several of them going on at once. It was an ordeal and I am thankful that everything came out okay. I am trying to recover from very little sleep in the hospital but other than that I feel fine.
I had a million thoughts go through my head while I was experiencing all of this. One of which was about how I have a draft I am working on writing about moms taking care of themselves so that they can take care of their families. I think I had to live it before I could share it. I have always believed that I need to take care of myself before I can fully give of myself but this week I got to experience a lot of the reasons why it is so important. Moms give so much of themselves and that is just part of the job most of the time. We have to make sure we are balancing that with our own needs though. When something happens to us everyone else suffers. So it is best to do the preventative things that keep us healthy physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, even if that means that something for someone else has to wait. I am slowing down now for sure. My list of priorities has to include my needs too. I would love to hear how you take care of yourself in the midst of serving your family.
Blessings...so sorry you went through this. You are so right, we need to keep ourselves as a priority because everyone else suffers when we aren't functioning. This was a conversation with a home school mom at my house the other day...we both talked about how we had become out of balance, leaving our own care behind.
ReplyDeleteBlessings as you find your balance and getting to feeling better.
Kristin,
ReplyDeleteGlad all is well in the end, but sorry for the ordeal! It does amaze me how it often takes these big things for us to take action in keeping things in balance. For myself, I know what to do, it's just doing it. Such a HUGE topic! Our kids learn so much by watching us take care of ourselves.
Hope you are having a peaceful, slow Monday!!
Leanne
How true that is. I am so glad you are better though...how scarry. I have learned the same lesson. I need to make sure I get my sleep so I don't get run down and end up sick because heaven knows I don't have time. One of the things I have also learned was to make sure that in my prayers that I also lift myself up and ask the Lord to help me through whatever is ahead of the day. I always pray for my kids and husband but I need to pray for myself also so that I am inline with my walk too.
ReplyDeleteAnne @ http://lessonsthrulife.com
That is scary, I have a heart arrythmia too and it really only acts up if I vomit or Im coming down with something, drink too much coffee or get really run down. You will learn what sets yours off. Did they give you medicine to take all the time or just when it starts racing? These meds usually are beta-blockers and you get quite a headache on the very top of your head for a few days until your body gets used to them. I have found that if you suck on ice (crushed ice or an iceblock)during runs of heart racing /palpitations it helps tremendously. I keep those ice cordial sticks in the plastice tubes in the freezer all year round and My cardiologist said that is because the ice calms the vagus nerve that lies really near your oesophagus and it helps reset the right pathways.
ReplyDeleteIt is tough when we learn that we are just that little bit vulnerable and any time in hospital is scary so Im praying for you as you get your mind around all of this,
Hugs
C
Kristin, I saw you dropped by and am a follower of yours:) I missed this one though, I don't know why. Hope you are doing better...when something like this it does take us to places we don't go very often in our head. Keep us updated on what is happening with you in this area. Thinking of you today!
ReplyDeleteI'm a new follower. Who helped your husband with all your children. I'm greatful to have friends nearby to help me with my daughter, but my family is either too busy or too far away to help.
ReplyDeleteI loved what you wrote on October 1st's blog. Sometimes we just have to say God..it's in your hands. I did that recently. Now I'm praying for guidance with one issue.
God Bless and glad you are doing better.
Katharine @ Kat's AlmostPurrfect World
http://katspurrfectboutique.blogspot.com