Hello, and welcome (or welcome back)!
I hope everyone is doing well and feeling safe, healthy, and happy :).
On this week’s blog, we are going to talk about my tips for coping with stress and pain.
Every year brings its own set of challenges, but 2020 appears to have brought an 8-piece luggage set of challenges, and it is staying for the long haul.
Stress can be taxing on everyone’s health, and with Sickle Cell Disease it is amplified with the addition of pain. Stress is a known pain crises trigger for Sickle Cell patients (yay!). But it is okay, because like all individuals with a chronic illness, we find the methods that work for us and hold on tightly. My methods vary by the severity of my pain, but I usually go through 4 levels of stress and pain management. Once I reach the 4th level, if I am still in a lot of pain or really stressed, I need to seek medical attention. Note: you need to do what is best for you. Listen to your own body and the advice of your medical professionals. My tips might not work for your specific situation.
- Level One: My level 1 of stress and pain is the lowest level. This typically means I saw something annoying on the Internet and it is making my neck tense up a little. It’s nothing serious, but I want to nip it in the bud before it does become something serious.
- My treatment? Get off of the Internet! The Internet can be a fun and informative place, but it can also be an aggravating one. At this point, I also put a hot neck wrap on. I bought mine from my local nail salon; they make the neck wraps in house. Inside the neck wrap is an oatmeal and lavender fragrance blend that becomes aromatic once you warm up the wrap in the microwave.
- Level Two: My level 2 of stress and pain is mild and more noticeable. The stress trigger is when the weather is too hot or too cold or too humid on a particular day. Extreme weather is another main trigger for Sickle Cell patients.
- My treatment? Try and find a place inside where you can control the temperature. If you are cold, bundle up; if you are warm, turn off the lights and put the fan or air on the lowest power setting. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. I would also put on some calming music at this point, as well. At level 2, I am also experiencing mild joint pain, so I would employ a heating pad or a Salon Pas patch (sold at most pharmaceuticals). I have also found that a lavender epsom salt bubble bath helps at this level, as well.
- Level Three: My level 3 of stress and pain is the next to highest level. This stress is caused by an abundance of mental stress from work, family, friends…you name it. Mental stress can take a taxing toll on your body, and my body has certainly paid the price many times.
- My treatment? If the stress can not be dealt with in a simple solution, then I will make a plan to resolve it once I take care of myself. Write down your goals of how you want to eliminate the stressors, and once you have a plan that you are happy with, put everything aside so that you can eliminate your pain. Go to a quiet place (preferably your bedroom), grab a heating pad and an OTC medication, make sure you have at least 2 bottles of water and a snack, put on your favorite movie or TV show, and try to relax.
- Level Four: Level 4 of stress and pain is my breaking point. It is the rare combination of when the world, the weather, and my personal life all come together to mentally and physically drain me. It feels as if I am trying to swim to the top of the ocean and something keeps dragging me back down.
- My treatment? Level 4 is the point where no amount of non-medicated distraction will help me. I HATE prescription painkillers with a passion. I do not like the side effects that they have on me, such as nausea, fatigue, etc. But if the pain becomes too severe, I do take them. If I am at work and I reach a level 4, I have to go home. Once I am home, I put on my pj’s, put on a comforting movie or tv show (mostly for background noise), take the medicine and fall asleep. If the medicine does not work after a few hours, I would at this point go to the hospital.
I am a firm believer that there are always plans A-Z before you give up or give in. My giving up/in point is going to the hospital. I will use every weapon in my arsenal before I get to that point, as you can see. What stress and pain methods are in your arsenal? Let me know!
Until next time….
Stay safe and stay magical!
Ashley, MCT
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