Last Tuesday, I woke up with a pain in my neck and shoulder. I had slept on my husband’s side of the bed the night before and had tossed and turned all night to get comfortable, so I figured I probably just slept wrong.
But then on Wednesday it was still hurting. Not as much, but certain areas on my neck were warm to the touch and very painful. Again, I chalked it up a night of tossing and turning. I figured if it was still hurting on Thursday that I’d go get it checked out.
Thursday came around and yup, you guessed it, I was still in pain. I had been alternating heat and cold on my shoulder for the past two days and no relief. But instead of going to the doctor like I said I would, I just sucked it up and decided to give it one more day.
On Thursday evening, my left ear starting ringing. A low annoying sound that wouldn’t go away. I quickly turned to Dr. Google and as I suspected, every site I consulted said, “Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Run, don’t walk, to a doctor’s office.”
So on Friday morning, when I woke up and realized that yes, the buzzing/ringing sound was still there and my neck was still hurting, I decided to go to a walk-in clinic after I dropped my kids off at school.
As I sat there waiting for the doctor (I had to wait even with the first appointment of the day?), I started to get nervous.
Finally, they called me back.
“What brings you in today?” she said cheerfully.
“My ears are ringing,” I said. Do not ask me why I didn’t mention the shoulder/neck pain first.
Her face turned serious. “Okay, well, let’s have a look.”
She did the usual check-up stuff, but we uncovered new issues at every turn.
She took my temperature. “Oh, your temperature is high. Do you feel warm?”
“No.”
“Do you feel like you’re coming down with something?”
“Um, no.” I feel like crap, but that’s every day.
She took my blood pressure. “Oh, your blood pressure is elevated. Is that normal?”
“No.”
“Well, perhaps you’re coming down with something?”
“Maybe.”
She examined my ears. “Oh, you have a bit of redness there. I can tell there’s some fluid build-up in your ears – it’s pressing on your ear drum, which is probably causing the ringing.”
“Okay.”
She examines my neck, pressing and asking me if anything hurts. Before I can answer though, she frowns and rubs a spot under my jaw. “You have a swollen lymph node here.”
“Is that what that is?”
She looks kind of exasperated and at this point, I don’t blame her. Why am I not on top of this kind of stuff? Why do all I have all these issues that I am clueless about?
She sits down on her little doctor stool and looks at me. “So.”
“So.”
“What I am going to do is prescribe you this medication. You’ll take it on a decreasing dose over the next couple of days. It should help relieve the ringing in your ears.”
“Okay, great.”
“I want you to rest this weekend.”
“Okay, I will.”
“No, I mean it.” Dang, this woman must really know my type – the hard-headed, I’ll-be-alright type. “It’s obvious you are doing too much when you can’t even slow down to notice how your body feels.”
She told me to follow up with her in a couple days to see how I’m doing. I walk out, clutching my prescription, thinking about all the work I need to catch up on, that I missed while I was in the doctor’s office.
I get to the car and it hits me. Did you even listen to what the doctor just said? She said take it easy and not even five minutes later you’re thinking about work. You really need to get it together or there will be nothing to work for.
So I went home. And I got into bed. And I stayed there until it was time to go pick up the kids. And then I got back in the bed. And stayed there all day Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, I felt like a new woman.
The moral of this story (and what I’m still trying to get through my thick skull) is that you have to be in tune with yourself. Slow down and pay attention to when you’re running yourself in the ground. Be willing to take a step back and give yourself room to BREATHE.
Your lucky the doctor didnt tell you mandatory bed rest.
You do need to STOP and pay attention to what your body is telling you. Trust me no work is worth you being in the hospital. Start slowing down sis and make your health a priority
I have the same problem. I don’t stop until I’m completely worn out. At an appointments for a sinus thing couldn’t shake after the doctor told me two weeks before, I found out my blood pressure was very high. It scared me to know I could voluntarily leave my baby without a Mom because I couldn’t slow down. I’m exercising, eating better and getting more rest now. Please, take care of yourself.
As a single mother, I am always busy doing the job of 2 parents. As mothers we are always busy. Throw in some school and out workload doubles. But some days you have to sit down and (sorry for the bad word) “Fuck this” and just relax with family. for me it is usually a friday or a sunday.
@DeShieka – LOL! Yes. Some days you just have to say “F— it!”
This week I’ve decided that I’m trying (trying!) to make Sunday a no work at all day. I start out every week feeling ragged because I work all weekend and its not good for me or my family. I’m starting to believe that there are real reasons behind the fact that some people really do observe a Sabbath day. Sometimes we just need to rest our bodies and minds whether we like it or not.
(Also, my ears have been ringing since Dec. 2011. This post just made me really scared.)
I got my wake up call this past February, when my hip joint completely collapsed. Mind you, my hip has been hurting since my first pregnancy (7 years ago). I mentioned it to the doctor once, but I did not make it sound serious, even though I noticed that I could not control the pain with a reasonable amount of rest or OTC medicine. I had to wait until it collapsed and I fell and had to get my 4 year old to open the door for the emergency squad.
Flash forward to today, 2 operations, and 4 weeks inpatient rehab later (my surgeon said he had not seen that kind of damage in someone walking before and he did not trust I would not ruin his work), I am all about making sure my health is on point.
Wow. I am glad that you are healing.
Take care of yourself! Work will be there!
Tara,
Your article is a wake up call for me. I have been working ferociously over the last several weeks on working to develop this web-based product for people that support students with special education needs. I have been experiencing major throbbing pain in my legs and arms, but have just been working through it. After reading your article, I’m going to the doctor tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing your story!
Nichelle
Thanks for the sharing.So many women go fast forward and forget what it means to do some self care every now and then. I am with Aja. Sabbath days are a must for me. I dont even try to watch tv on those days. I tune into taking care of my soul.
I know this feeling all too well! When I run myself into the ground I get VERY sick – as in “stay in the bed for days” sick. I’m learning to watch for the signs so I don’t go there every time. I was sick over Christmas (but my son was sick first, so most likely I caught it from him). I have to learn to step away from the madness more often.
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