REDUCING STRESS.....for the moment anyway.....

I learned to play the piano at age 8; it became not only my passion, but ultimately was key in relieving stress - getting lost in the physical activity of it all, as well as the sounds of beautiful music.

I say beautiful music, but as a young student, 'beautiful' wasn't always the case. In the process of learning (being impatient as well), I had to put in hours of practice in order to perfect the song. To me - at the age of 8, and the age of 67 as I am now, 'perfection' was imperative. Perfection not only in playing the piano, but every thing I did in life. Perfection - something my doctor said can never be achieved, and said I should strive for 'excellence'.

Well to me 'excellence' was being perfect - so you can see, I'm my own worst critic and enemy; a perfect beginning for adrenal failure and even periodic times of depression when I didn't love up to MY expectations!

Over the years, I read some of the factors that adversely affect the adrenal system, and boy was it obvious to me that I was at the 'top of the list' when I noted my own personal issues as they compared to those factors!

I guess you could say I'm a 'perfect' case of adrenal failure....

Let's list those factors that were outlined to me by not only various doctors, but that are often listend in books; on medical web-sites, etc., and I'll show you just how 'perfect' I was (and am).

INFECTION: I nearly died from pneumonia before the age of 1. I had asthma, hay fever, eczema. I had diptheria; whooping cough - german measles, mumps, rheumatic fever, and scarlet fever all by the age of 5. Of course I'm not counting the flu'; colds, and bronchitis in this.

I was also allergic to so many foods, that my diet from birth was soy-bean milk formula; bananas, rice pudding and tea. My mother spent the first 3 years fretting about how thin I was and the very limited diet she had to keep me on so I wouldn't break out in hives; have an asthma attack and start wheezing. Back then, the doctors would give me adrenalin shots; the frequency created heart problems and I wound up with a heart murmur after rheumatic fever.

I remember my 5th birthday - 3 doctors came to the party - all claimed they had worried I'd never see that special moment.....

Age 6, I came down with polio; ultimately recovered with little damage to my legs - just weakness and fatigue and had trouble running and playing for any length of time.

Age 10, a serious back injury in a farm accident - couldn't walk for 4 months; talk about stress - a young girl who loves to run and play, being confined.

By age 12, a few sprained ankles; putting a spike through my foot playing basketball up in the barn where dad had piled old wood with nails in it, another few weeks of having a severed tendon and couldn't walk. Falling out of a few trees; continuing with my constant illnesses of pneumonia and flu' - then being allergic to various foods; cats, horses, pollen - didn't help.

Frankly, I think I must have jumped up and said, "Hey, disease - wanna play with me; I'm game"......... Not a fun game to be sure...........

When I was 16, after nearly a year of ear pain and misery, a tumor came peeking out of my right ear - it was removed; I sat on the table while they cut it out - my mom crying because they couldn't give me a local anesthetic because of the proximity to the brain and we couldn't afford to have regular surgery except as an out-patient.

When I had my first child, I developed eclampsia; my first daughter was ill from it as well, so she was in isolation and I had been in terrible ill health for about a month before she was born. Always worried about that affecting her health, but she's now almost 49 and was never sick or in any way damaged by that experience. In fact all of my kids are as healthy as I was sick - it was my learning about good diets and proper child care that helped keep them that way.

I had toxemia with my second pregnancy; pulled the groin muscles while changing the mattress on the bed, and wore a support for 6 weeks before my first son was born. Lucky for me, the last 2 pregnancies went perfect!

In 1975 I had uterine cancer; the cancer was removed - ovaries stayed, and I remained on my sound eating diet/program, so I bounced back very quickly. Once the uterus had been removed, I felt like a new person - still think it was probably a 'drag' on me long before the cancer showed up, so injury and ill health do drain the entire body; you just keep running on 'the fumes', and don't often notice it.

LACK OF GOOD FOOD: Well with a restricted and limited diet, guess that started me off on the wrong foot when I was but a wee babe.

Because I grew to be a picky eater; a thin skinny kid who didn't like much of any of the new foods the doctors said I could try, that was the next step toward ultimately finding a diet that I could ultimately prepare (as an adult) - that took me 25 years to figure that one out.

I'm grateful for the fact I could finally eat vegetables; fruits, and pretty much have eaten vegetarian most of my life because I often get sick on meat; particularly pork and bacon - sausage puts me in bed with vomitting; cramps, and flu'-like symptoms.

OVER-EXERTION: I was a hyper kid - didn't sleep; didn't like to eat, and loved to run and play on the farm. I rode my bike; my horse - ran with my dog - enjoyed my many pets, and would hit the bed drained at the end of every day.

As a teen-ager, I had to try everything; sports - music, art, photography - I wanted to be the best student, so long hours of study exhausted me, but I pushed forward.

I had four children; worked for 36 years - a working mom who also was involved in community affairs; presided over the PTO; PTA, 4-H leader - and gave piano lessons.....just to mention a few of my constant activities.

As a kid I worked in the fields; dad didn't have a son to help him, so I had to pitch in. I worked in the garden with mother; she often needed me to babysit the younger kids, so I was a 'replacement mom' many many times.

We were poor, so we had to make our own clothes; sewing and cooking - helping as needed, was an early part of my life.

During my adult life, I've moved 37 times - that's a lot of packing; unpacking, settling and adjusting to new surroundings. I won't detail that - it would tire me to write about it, and anyone reading this to do so.

By this time, you can see I fell to another one of those 'factors' - it's called PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS. Not only was I stressed out from physical exertion, but the mental aspects of all this, was also overwhelming at times.

FINANCIAL PRESSURES: Of course I was born into a family who suffered terribly from financial difficulties. When I married the first time, we had little - I worked 2 jobs as did my husband; it was stressful, but it helped relieve the financial problems.

Over the years, the ups and downs of financial security; raising a family, have kept my mind in a constant state of 'concern' - I admit, I'm addicted to savings; to keeping a tight budget, and never seem to feel confident that the finances are 'in order' (but, frankly they are quite good at this stage of my life).

MARITAL STRESS is another factor. Well, I'm now on my 6th husband, so you can understand this has played a big part in my life.

Keeping it simple; minimal, husband #1 abandoned me and my 2 children for a career in driving race cars. A rough time indeed!

Husband #2 - fine for a few years; then his drinking habits and marital infidelity caused a second divorce - now I had 4 children; a full-time job, and financial worries to boot.

Husband #3 - wonderful for 2 years; then he popped up with a drug habit as well as an alcohol habit - I said goodbye again......

Husband #4 - a joy for 3 years; my life was the happiest it has ever been! Sadly, we relocated to a new state where he became involved with people who enjoyed doing drugs; he fell to drugs - alcohol, and I became a 'victim' of his 'war' and failure to overcome his addictions.

Husband #5 - I loved this guy, but failed to check into his background and ended up with a wife-beater; an alcoholic, and a man who brought a pile of bills to me that had to be paid. This short and difficult union, ended up with me being beaten; hospitaized, and it required my moving a far distance from him because of his threats and constant negative interference in my life.

I waited 7 years after that divorce before I married again. Now I have a steady guy; there's peace in the house, but I was 58 years old before I knew the comfort of what being married could be - that's a lot of years of trauma and heart-ache, before finally getting some 'marital comfort'.

INJURY: Goodness, the list is long on that one. I've been in 6 car accidents; one that nearly killed me - the rehabilitation took 5 years. Another took 3 years of rehabilitation. From whip-lash; broken ribs - brain injury; arm and leg injuries as well as back injuries, it seems the only thing that has not been injured are my precious 10 fingers - the ones I use to play the piano with!

On top of that, all the medications and prescription drugs that were given to me during the course of the recoveries, had side-effects that added to the problems.

I was kept on steroids for nearly 3 years; much too long, and it ruined my teeth - skin, and damaged my hair as well as my morale.

Not having good doctors; competent medical care, has certainly added to both the emotional and physical stress.

DEATH OF A LOVED ONE is another factor often mentioned. Yes, there have been too many in my mind, but for the most part I think I've been fortunte that those who died had lived to a reasonably old age, and had enjoyed most of their lives, so I was able to cope with the loss by reminding myself that their lives had been fruitful and good.

In summary, when a person doesn't get enough rest and relaxation and is constantly under pressure and 'driven' by outside factors and influences, it's quite easy to end up with adrenal fatigue. Me? Yup - I think I've listed enough examples on this post, to say I qualify - I pass the 'test', and have been given a big "A" on my 'adrenal fatigue' test.

However, I can say that in all of this I had the most wonderful children; I loved my 36 year working career - my hobbies; and have found my way through this life because I focused on the things I was grateful for; the things I loved, and that's what's allowed me to 'keep it going'........

Now at this stage of my life, age is proving to be a factor - wearing me down a bit, so I'm searching for new ideas and methods to find more energy and will-power to keep on going for another 30 years.

Thanks to Jessica's recent e-mails; our friendship, and our common goals I think we'll be making this journey 'together' - via 'cyberspace', and maybe even one day I'll be able to travel to where she lives, and meet her in person. Strange thing, she's so personable, I feel like I already have.....